GA4, or Google Analytics 4, is a new-generation analytics platform that can track a WordPress website and all the apps simultaneously. On the contrary, with the old Universal Analytics, you will have to track your website and apps separately.
The announcement of moving from Universal Analytics to GA4 has left everyone stunned. Users are concerned because they need more ideas about the new platform. But looking at the differences between GA4 vs Universal Analytics, you’ll see the new platform is quite advanced.
What Differences Do GA4 And Universal Analytics Have?
Google Analytics 4 is a new analytics platform of Google with a lot of new features that are missing from Google’s old Universal Analytics. The new platform is more customizable and has an entirely new dashboard.
Let’s see some of the significant differences between Google Analytics GA4 vs UA:
Data Model
GA4 and Universal Analytics have significant differences in the data model. Google Analytics 4 has an event-based data model. The events are anything on a website, including website page view, form submission, button clicks, etc.
In contrast to GA4, Universal Analytics has a session-based data model. In this model, everything on a website is interpreted as time. For example, for how much time a visitor is visiting a website.
Tracking Parameter
The tracking parameter is a feature of the analytics platform that shows how many aspects that platform is tracking. Google’s new GA4 platform has an endless amount of tracking parameters.
From user ID to custom metrics and many other complex aspects are tracked by GA4. As a result, it gives a far richer dataset that will immensely help you understand the behavioral pattern of the users.
But Universal Analytics has a limited number of tracking parameters. It can only track 20 parameters per session. So, the data set is quite limiting, making it difficult to understand the website visitors or users better.
Customization
Google Analytics 4 comes with next-level customizability. You can customize the GA4 dashboard to a great level. You can customize the dashboard and choose items that will show up in the main dashboard. But this customization option is not available in Universal Analytics.
Again, the customization of reports is another significant change in GA4. You can customize its report to the next level and use it in any way you want. Because of the built-in report editor feature, you will have an on-site customization option. So you won’t have to export data to any third-party application.
But in the case of Universal Analytics, the reports have minimal customization ability. So, you will have to create manual customizations and use third-party applications like Excel.
Data Limit
The new Google Analytics 4 does not have any data limitations as of yet. It means this analytics platform allows you to collect and process an endless amount of data.
On the contrary, Universal Analytics has minimal data collection and processing ability. With the free version of UA, you can collect and process very limited data.
The Standard UA allows you to collect only 500 hits per session and 200,000 hits per day. Plus, it can process only 10 million hits. This amount of data is very small in number, especially for high-traffic websites.
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Spam Referrals
Spam referrals are an annoying thing for websites. But with Google Analytics 4, there is no chance of spam referrals. Google has used all the Measurement Protocol Hits with a secret key, which will filter out or block all spam referrals. The good part is the users won’t be able to see the secret keys.
In contrast, Universal Analytics, being an old platform, provides much less protection from spam referrals. So, it’s a considerable drawback.
UI User-Friendliness
The user interface of Google Analytics 4 is insanely user-friendly. It’s simple and organized. Besides, the interface is very attractive and pretty fun to use. Because everything is well organized, you will easily find any information or data you are looking for.
But Universal Analytics’ user interface is very cramped with options and features. They need to be appropriately organized. So you will need help understanding the UI correctly. As a result, you might not find necessary data easily or won’t know where to find it.
Integration With Google Products
Google Analytics 4 is well integrated with other google products like Google Ads, BigQuery, etc. As a result, you can import data from those products and analysis them via Google Analytics. For instance, you can pull data from your Google Ads and dice them on GA4. Plus, you can also create a report based on that data.
On the other hand, Universal Analytics is not compatible with other Google products. You certainly can’t import data directly on UA and create a report like GA4.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GA4 replacing Universal Analytics?
Yes, Google Analytics is replacing Universal Analytics. From July 2023, the standard UA will stop measuring new hits. So, you must switch to GA4 before that.
How is GA4 better?
GA4 is more advanced in almost every aspect than UA. It has a better user interface, robust measurement features, no data limitation, and overall better compatibility than other analytics platforms like Universal Analytics.
Why should I switch to GA4?
If you are using UA, you must switch to GA4 because GA4 will replace UA. Besides, GA4 is easier to use, more attractive, and allows you to analyze your data in any way you want.
Can you run GA4 and Universal Analytics together?
For now, you can run Google Analytics and Universal Analytics together by dual tagging. It allows you to keep all your UA implementations in place while building up your GA4 implementations.
Wrapping Things Up
After knowing the differences between GA4 Vs Universal Analytics, I’m sure you are fired up about the new GA4 platform. If you want to hire an analytics consultant, you’ll be even happier to know that Digital Planet, a prominent IT solution company is there to help you with a smooth transition from UA to GA4. So, no need to worry at all.