Before migrating from Google Analytics, inventory the reports, advertising integrations and historical data you need to retain. Choosing a replacement tracker is one part of the change; it does not automatically move audiences, attribution settings or old reports.
Databuddy publishes this selection guide and is included below. For a step-by-step cutover after choosing it, use the GA4-to-Databuddy migration playbook.
Choose around the reporting job
| Need | Candidates | Acceptance check |
|---|---|---|
| Website traffic and completed actions | Databuddy, Plausible, Fathom, Umami | Verify sources, event definitions and the outcome report. |
| Broader web reporting or deployment control | Matomo; selected self-hosted editions of other tools | Confirm plugins, supported installation and the operator. |
| Activation and return use in a product | PostHog and other product analytics tools | Test identification, event continuity and retention definitions. |
| Existing Google Ads workflows | GA4 may remain part of the stack | Identify dependencies before disabling tags or conversions. |
Evaluate five possible replacements
Databuddy combines website events, goals, funnels and diagnostics. Its Free allowance is 10,000 monthly events. Review browser storage, identification and properties in the collection reference; it does not guarantee every visit is captured or remove every consent requirement.
Plausible offers focused website reporting, event goals and funnel analysis. Check the current plan and edition rather than relying on a historical tier name or quote.
Matomo offers hosted and on-premise analytics with optional capabilities. Confirm plugins and operating responsibilities; an unsampled report still depends on which requests were collected.
PostHog is a candidate when product events and related capabilities are central. Review enabled products and collection settings. Its self-hosted deployment is documented as officially unsupported, which matters when choosing the operator and recovery plan.
Fathom provides managed website reporting. Its starting plan currently lists $15/month for 100,000 monthly pageviews and 50 sites. Check combined event usage and site allowances rather than assuming unlimited sites.
Map definitions before comparing totals
Record the current event name, trigger, identity, source, reporting timezone and downstream use. Distinguish a click from an accepted signup or payment. Identify reports that use modeled, sampled or directly observed data and compare equivalent definitions.
A parallel check should explain known synthetic journeys, not require the two tools to produce identical totals for every visitor. Consent choices, blockers, identity rules, bots and time boundaries can all affect the result.
Keep history and advertising dependencies visible
Archive required GA4 reporting before removing access. Databuddy's history-import guide documents supported formats and limits; a tracker replacement is not an automatic GA4 history import. Define who retains the old reports and how long they remain needed.
Review Google Ads conversions, remarketing audiences, Tag Manager and connected dashboards separately. Remove or retain each integration deliberately instead of deleting every Google tag as a shortcut.
Approve the cutover using evidence
- Configure a separate test website and run a known completed action.
- Verify event properties, identity, timezone and report inclusion.
- Test invalid actions, duplicate callbacks, delivery failure and recovery.
- Apply the reviewed collection controls and inspect enabled payloads.
- Record a rollback path and a date to review the first live reports.
The free analytics comparison and cost worksheet help assess ongoing usage. The broader alternatives guide covers selection; the migration playbook covers the implementation.