Compare · Google Analytics
The simple, cookie-free Google Analytics alternative.
Pieowl combines web analytics and product analytics in one tool, with no cookies and no stored IP addresses. Ask your own AI assistant about your data over MCP. Cloud in the EU.
- No cookies
- No stored IPs
- Cloud in the EU
- About 3 KB script
Pieowl vs Google Analytics: which is right for you?
Pieowl if…
- 1Teams that want analytics with no cookies and no stored IPs
- 2Teams that find GA4 hard to use
- 3SaaS and apps that need retention, cohorts and session replay
Google Analytics if…
- 1Advertisers who rely on Google Ads integration
- 2Teams that need a free tool for very high traffic
- 3Analysts who want raw data in BigQuery
GA4 is free and tied into Google's ad tools. Pieowl is simpler, cookie-free and adds product analytics like retention and replay.
Why consider Pieowl over Google Analytics?
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is free, powerful and everywhere. It ties into Google Ads, BigQuery and Search Console, and it can answer questions typed in plain language. If you run a lot of Google Ads, that link is hard to beat.
GA4 also has costs that aren't on a price tag. It sets cookies (_ga and _ga_<id>) that last 2 years by default, so you usually need consent. Explorations and funnel reports keep event data for 2 or 14 months on the free tier. Big reports can be sampled once a query passes 10 million events. And many people find GA4 hard to use.
Pieowl is built to be simple and private. It sets no cookies and does not store IP addresses. You get the web basics (visitors, sources, pages, countries, devices) plus funnels, retention, cohorts, user profiles, session replay and revenue tracking. You can also ask your own AI assistant, like Claude or Cursor, about your data over MCP.
Your data is stored in Pieowl's EU cloud. Pieowl has a 14-day free trial, then Starter is $9/month for 10K events, $19/month for 100K and $69/month for 1M.
Key differences at a glance
How Pieowl and Google Analytics compare on the things that matter most. Checked October 2026.
| Feature | Pieowl | Google Analytics |
|---|---|---|
| Key differences | ||
| Price | $9/mo (10K), $19/mo (100K), $69/mo (1M) on Starter | GA4 is free; Analytics 360 is priced by sales |
| Cookies | None | _ga cookies, 2-year default expiry |
| Data location | EU cloud | Google's infrastructure |
| Script size | About 3 KB gzipped | About 150 KB gzipped (gtag.js) |
| Data sampling | No | Above 10M events per query (free tier) |
| Web analytics | ||
| Page views and visitors | Yes | Yes |
| Traffic sources and referrers | Yes | Yes |
| Countries, regions and cities | Yes | Yes |
| Device and browser | Yes | Yes |
| UTM campaign tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Realtime view | Yes | Yes |
| Product analytics | ||
| Custom events | Yes | Yes |
| FunnelsIn GA4, funnel reports follow the 2 or 14 month retention setting | Yes | Yes |
| Retention | Yes | Via cohort exploration |
| User profilesPieowl shows each identified user's events and sessions | Yes | User exploration |
| Cohorts | Yes | Yes |
| Revenue tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Session replay | Yes | No |
| Advanced features | ||
| Custom dashboards and reports | Yes | Explorations |
| Ask questions in plain language | Via your AI assistant (MCP) | Search bar questions |
| Predictive metrics | No | Yes |
| Automatic insights | Weekly digest with AI insights | Yes |
| MCP server for AI assistants | Yes | Not listed |
| Slack and Discord notifications | Yes | Not listed |
| Privacy | ||
| No cookiesGA4 sets _ga and _ga_<id> cookies with a 2-year default expiry | Yes | No |
| No data samplingGA4 may sample when a query passes 10M events (1B on 360) | Yes | No |
| Integrations | ||
| Raw data export | API, S3 or Google Cloud Storage | BigQuery (1M events a day on the free tier) |
| Google Ads integrationGA4 is much stronger for Google Ads | No | Yes |
| Google Search Console | Yes | Yes |
Technical comparison
For developers, here is how the setups compare.
| Feature | Pieowl | Google Analytics |
|---|---|---|
| Script size (JavaScript)Measured October 2026. Pieowl's replay add-on loads only if you turn replay on. | About 3 KB gzipped | About 150 KB gzipped (gtag.js for a GA4 ID) |
| Supported SDKsGA4 measures both sites and apps. Pieowl has no native iOS or Android SDK. |
|
|
| Raw data accessGA4 BigQuery exports can add BigQuery storage and query costs. | Export API, or export to S3 or Google Cloud Storage | BigQuery export (free tier: up to 1M events a day) |
| Data sampling | No sampling | When a query passes 10M events (free) or 1B events (360) |
Pricing comparison
GA4 is free to use. Pieowl has a 14-day free trial and simple paid plans. Google Analytics details checked October 2026.
Pieowl
Pay per event. Every feature on every plan.- 14-day free trial, no card needed.
- Starter: from $9/month for 10K events, $19 for 100K and $69 for 1M.
- Growth: twice the Starter price, for up to 30 sites and 30 team members.
- Over 10M events a month: talk to us.
- Pay yearly and get 2 months free.
- Paid plans come with a 14-day money-back guarantee.
Google Analytics
Free, with a paid enterprise tier- GA4 is free.
- Analytics 360 is sold through sales and adds SLAs and unsampled results.
- BigQuery export is free to turn on, but BigQuery storage and queries can cost extra.
Moving from Google Analytics to Pieowl
Setup takes under an hour. Pieowl has no GA importer, so run both tools side by side for a while and keep GA for your history.
- 01Create a Pieowl account
Sign up at app.pieowl.com (14-day free trial, no card needed) and add your site.
- 02Add the Pieowl script
Add the Pieowl snippet next to your GA tag. It works the same in Next.js, Astro, Nuxt or any other framework. Page views, referrers and UTM campaigns are tracked right away.
- 03Move your GA events
Where you call gtag('event', 'sign_up', {...}), add pieowl('track', 'sign_up', {...}). For purchases, use pieowl('revenue', amount).
- 04Build funnels and dashboards
Recreate your key conversion paths as funnels. Or ask your AI assistant 'show signups by source this month' over MCP.
- 05Run both, then remove GA
Compare numbers for a week or two. When you're happy, remove the GA tag and its cookies, and review whether you still need a cookie banner for other tools.
Effort: Easy
Estimated time: 30-60 minutesSDK compatibility
Both track named events with properties. gtag('event', name, params) maps to pieowl('track', name, properties).Historical data
Pieowl has no Google Analytics importer. Keep GA running read-only for history, or keep your BigQuery export. Pieowl can import from Mixpanel, Amplitude and Umami.
Where Pieowl is a better fit than Google Analytics
Pick Pieowl when privacy, simplicity or product depth matter more than Google Ads integration.
Analytics without cookies
Pieowl sets no cookies and does not store IP addresses. With no cookies, in many cases you don't need a consent banner for analytics.
Data stored in the EU
Pieowl's cloud runs in the EU.
Faster pages
Pieowl's script is about 3 KB gzipped. Session replay loads only on sites where you turn it on.
Web and product analytics in one tool
See traffic and campaigns next to funnels, retention, cohorts, user profiles, revenue and session replay.
Teams that find GA4 hard to use
Ask Claude or Cursor 'which pages bring the most signups?' and it answers from your Pieowl data over MCP, with no report building.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about switching from Google Analytics to Pieowl. Google Analytics details checked October 2026.
Is Google Analytics really free?
GA4 is free to use. Analytics 360 is the paid tier, sold through sales, with SLAs and unsampled results. BigQuery export is free to turn on, but BigQuery storage and queries can cost extra.
How much does Pieowl cost?
Every plan starts with a 14-day free trial, no card needed. Starter is $9/month for 10K events, $19 for 100K and $69 for 1M. Growth is twice the Starter price and covers up to 30 sites and 30 team members. Yearly billing gives you 2 months free, and paid plans have a 14-day money-back guarantee.
Why are people switching away from Google Analytics?
Common reasons: GA4 uses cookies that usually need consent, many people find it hard to use, explorations keep data for 2 or 14 months on the free tier, and big reports can be sampled.
Do I need a cookie banner with Pieowl?
Often not for analytics. Pieowl sets no cookies and stores nothing on your visitors' devices, so in many cases you don't need a consent banner for it. It depends on your country and the features you use: session replay needs consent, and some countries, like Germany, Poland and Ireland, have no exemption for analytics. Our docs page "Do you need a cookie banner?" has the details. If other tools on your site use cookies, you may need one for them too.
Is Pieowl GDPR compliant?
Pieowl is built for GDPR: no cookies and no stored IP addresses. Visitors are counted with a hash that uses a salt that changes daily. Whether your whole setup is compliant depends on how you use it, so check with your own advisor.
Can I import my Google Analytics data into Pieowl?
No. Pieowl has no GA importer. Most teams run both tools side by side for a while and keep GA, or a BigQuery export, for history. Pieowl can import from Mixpanel, Amplitude and Umami.
Does Pieowl integrate with Google Ads?
No. GA4 is much stronger if you depend on Google Ads. Pieowl tracks UTM campaigns and shows revenue by source, campaign and referrer, and it does connect to Google Search Console.
Does Google Analytics have AI features?
Yes. GA4 lets you ask questions in natural language in its search bar, and it has predictive metrics and automatic insights. Pieowl's MCP server lets your own AI assistant, like Claude or Cursor, query your data.
How does script size affect my site?
Smaller scripts load faster. Pieowl's script is about 3 KB gzipped. The gtag.js file for a GA4 property measured about 150 KB gzipped in October 2026.
Ready to make the switch?
14-day free trial, no card needed. Then from $9 a month for 10K events.