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Amplitude vs Google Analytics: Which is Better in 2026?

Analytics

Choosing between Amplitude and Google Analytics? Both are popular analytics tools. Below we compare them on pricing, free tiers, features, and pros & cons so you can pick the right fit for your stack.

Amplitude is for: Product teams who want behavioural analytics with a large free event allowance and a path to experiments and governance.

Google Analytics is for: Sites and apps of any size that want free traffic and conversion reporting tied into Google Ads and BigQuery.

Quick verdict

There’s no single winner; pick on your constraint. Choose Amplitude if you want a free plan with up to 2M events a month. Choose Google Analytics if you want free analytics and are fine with Google processing the data.

Amplitude vs Google Analytics — Side by Side

AmplitudeGoogle Analytics
CategoryAnalyticsAnalytics
What it isProduct analytics platformHosted web and app analytics
What it measuresUser behaviour, cohorts, experimentsTraffic, events and conversions
Self-hostingNo (hosted)No (hosted by Google)
How you payFree tier, then event-based plansFree; Analytics 360 is paid
Free access2M events and 10K replays a monthFull standard product
PricingFree · paid plans by quoteFree
Starting priceFree tier availableFree tier available
Free tier
Best forAnalytics — product analytics, large free tier, experimentsAnalytics — free, Google Ads, BigQuery export

Pros & Cons

  • Free plan covers 2M events a month
  • Plus starts at $0 for the first 2M events
  • Experiments and SSO on Growth
  • Growth and Enterprise prices are not listed
  • Free plan keeps 1 year of data and 10 saved charts
  • Standard version is free
  • Links to Google Ads and BigQuery
  • Free BigQuery export up to 1M events a day
  • Event data kept 14 months at most on standard
  • Higher limits need Analytics 360 (price not listed)
  • Hosted by Google only; no self-hosting

Key Features Compared

Amplitude

  • Free: 2M events a month, 10,000 session replays, 1 year of data access, 10 saved charts
  • Plus: starts at $0 with the first 2M events free, up to 70M events, heatmaps and 2-year data retention
  • Growth: custom, event-based pricing with SSO, A/B testing and 20,000 replays
  • Enterprise: custom, with RBAC, data access controls and 50,000 replays
  • Free includes AI agents, MCP and agent analytics

Google Analytics

  • Standard Google Analytics is free
  • Event data kept for 2 or 14 months on standard; up to 50 months on Analytics 360
  • 30 key events (conversions) and 50 event-scoped custom dimensions per property
  • BigQuery export: up to 1 million events a day, plus unlimited streaming export
  • Analytics 360 raises the limits; its price is not listed

Choose Amplitude if…

  • You want a free plan with up to 2M events a month.
  • You expect to need experiments, SSO and access controls as the team grows.
  • You want heatmaps alongside product analytics on a paid plan.

Choose Google Analytics if…

  • You want free analytics and are fine with Google processing the data.
  • You run Google Ads and want conversions in the same account.
  • You want raw event data in BigQuery without paying for an export.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Amplitude better than Google Analytics?⌄

There’s no single winner; pick on your constraint. Choose Amplitude if you want a free plan with up to 2M events a month. Choose Google Analytics if you want free analytics and are fine with Google processing the data.

What is the difference between Amplitude and Google Analytics?⌄

What it is — Amplitude: Product analytics platform. Google Analytics: Hosted web and app analytics. What it measures — Amplitude: User behaviour, cohorts, experiments. Google Analytics: Traffic, events and conversions. Self-hosting — Amplitude: No (hosted). Google Analytics: No (hosted by Google). How you pay — Amplitude: Free tier, then event-based plans. Google Analytics: Free; Analytics 360 is paid. Free access — Amplitude: 2M events and 10K replays a month. Google Analytics: Full standard product.

Amplitude vs Google Analytics: which is cheaper?⌄

Amplitude pricing: Free · paid plans by quote. Google Analytics pricing: Free. Confirm current pricing on each tool's official site, as plans change.

When should I skip both Amplitude and Google Analytics?⌄

Skip Amplitude if you want published per-event prices at every tier. Mixpanel lists Growth prices up to 20M events. Skip Google Analytics if you want to avoid a cookie banner for analytics. Plausible and Fathom sell cookie-free analytics.

Sources · tool facts checked November 2026

  1. 1.Amplitude pricingamplitude.com
  2. 2.Analytics 360 vs standard limits (Google Analytics Help)support.google.com

See more options in our guide to the best analytics tools for startups.

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