Google Analytics review

Google Analytics is the default tool most sites already have, and it remains free of charge. It tracks web and app data streams together, applies Google's machine learning to predict purchases and churn, surfaces automatic insights and answers questions typed in natural language. Reports cover real-time activity, user and traffic acquisition, engagement, pages and screens, ecommerce and publisher ads, and the advertising workspace adds cross-platform and data-driven attribution. Its biggest strength is the link to Google Ads, Search Ads 360 and Display & Video 360. The limits are documented: standard properties can keep event-level data for 2 or 14 months, allow 30 key events and 100 audiences, and sample explorations above 10M events per query. Analytics 360 raises those limits, with retention up to 50 months, on a paid contract. For site owners who only want traffic and goals, the interface takes more learning than the simpler tools on this list.

Who it is for

marketers who run Google Ads and need free attribution

Price

Free; Google Analytics 360 is sold on a contract with higher limits.

Google Analytics gives you the tools, free of charge, to understand the customer journey and improve marketing ROI.
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 12, 2026.

Key features

• Predictive capabilities estimate which users may purchase or churn
• Real-time, acquisition, engagement and monetization reports
• Cross-platform and data-driven attribution reporting
• Integrations with Google Ads, Search Ads 360, Display & Video 360 and Search Console
• Standard properties allow 30 key events, 100 audiences and 10M events per exploration query

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Free for web and app tracking
• Strength: Deepest native link to Google Ads bidding and audiences
• Strength: Natural language search finds metrics and reports
• Weakness: Standard properties keep event-level data for 2 or 14 months only
• Weakness: Explorations are sampled above 10M events per query on standard properties
• Weakness: Relies on identifiers and consent settings, which affects reported traffic

Key facts

• Price: Free; 360 on contract
• Event data retention: 2 or 14 months (standard)
• Key events: 30 per standard property

Where it ranks

Google Analytics is No. 2 in our Best Website Analytics Tools verdict.