Google Analytics counts sessions. DataStated counts money.
GA4 is broad, free, and owned by the company selling you the ads. DataStated does one job: it counts the orders you collected and holds every ad platform's claims against them.
14 days free · no card · guided setup
The short version
Five differences to check, including current reporting limits. Hosted Meta activation and TikTok access are still pending.
| DataStated | Google Analytics 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue you can trust | Stripe payments and Shopify payment records; browser and custom server orders are self-reported | Modeled conversions and estimated value, after you wire up ecommerce events |
| Ad claims checked | Implemented platform comparison separates conversion claims, confirmed payments and self-reported orders; activation and currency limits apply | Google reporting and attribution, not a payment-processor reconciliation |
| Attribution you can audit | Three journey counts: touched, started and closed. Platform claims appear in a separate comparison | Credit split by a model you cannot open, inspect or argue with |
| Setup | Verify the domain, install a tag or Shopify pixel, and connect consent controls | Event taxonomy, ecommerce wiring and report building before revenue shows up |
| Price | From $9 a month, every feature on every plan, history kept 3 to 5 years | Free standard version; retention varies by report type |
When to choose which
Choose DataStated if
The question is where recorded orders came from. Inspect journeys and compare platform conversion claims with confirmed payments. Campaign rows are platform reports, not campaign-to-order matching. Known USD ad records support spend and platform-reported ROAS. Revenue gaps also need compatible processor-confirmed payments. Unknown, mixed and non-USD amounts stay separate, with no currency conversion.
Choose GA4 if
The question is behaviour at scale. You need audiences, engagement funnels, BigQuery exports and deep Google Ads reporting, and you have someone to configure and read it.
Or run both
They coexist on the same site. Keep GA4 for depth and let DataStated be the number you trust, because it is the one checked against real orders. Compare their reports over the same dates and account for differences in consent and attribution.
What DataStated does better
- Payments from the source. Connect Stripe or Shopify to reconcile payment records. A payment joins a journey only when matching evidence exists; browser order events are self-reported.
- A referee for ad claims. Connect Meta, Google or TikTok and their claimed conversions are drawn next to the sales they appeared in. When a platform claims 4.8x more sales than exist in your books, the dashboard says so.
- AI assistants as a channel. Visitors from ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude and nine more show up as sources, not buried in referral.
- Ask it in plain English. Connect Claude, Cursor or any MCP client, or call the scoped API from a script. Analytics and supported resources through documented endpoints.
- One dashboard, one question. What is making you money. No report builder, no event taxonomy, no consultant.
What Google Analytics does well
- Free for almost every site. You pay in setup time and in data, not in dollars.
- Deep Google Ads reporting. If Google is your only channel, its own attribution is convenient, if not independent.
- Explorations at scale. Funnels, cohorts, audiences and BigQuery for teams with an analyst.
- The biggest ecosystem. Every tutorial, plugin and consultant knows it.
Switching takes an afternoon
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Paste one line
Add your site, verify its domain, and install the tag or Shopify pixel with your consent controls. The setup guide explains each step. GA4 can stay installed.
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Connect the money
Connect Stripe or Shopify for payment records. Check the visitor-match and currency scope before comparing them with a connected platform's report.
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Bring your history, then compare
Export a GA4 report and import it: your daily visitors and pageviews fill in the months before the tag existed, so the chart never starts at zero. Imports carry traffic only, never revenue. Then run both for a month and see which one your bank account agrees with.
Read the source behind each number
Ad platforms use different attribution rules and can claim the same purchase. DataStated keeps their reports separate from site orders. Check the payment source, visitor match and currency before using a comparison to make a spending decision.
Feature by feature
| DataStated | Google Analytics 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Founders and small teams who pay for ads | Marketing teams and analysts |
| Revenue source | Stripe, Shopify, orders sent from your page or your server | Ecommerce events you implement, or a platform plugin |
| Ad platforms | Meta, Google and TikTok claims, each checked against your orders | Google Ads natively; other platforms need imports |
| Attribution | Touched, started and closed on journeys; platform claims shown separately | Data-driven model you cannot inspect; last-click as a fallback |
| Buyer journeys | Click any buyer and walk first visit to purchase, anonymous by design | Aggregate paths; user-level views need extra setup |
| AI assistant traffic | Twelve assistants counted as their own sources | Mostly lands in referral or direct |
| For AI agents | MCP server, CLI and scoped API on every plan | Reporting API; MCP through third parties |
| Privacy | First-party cookie, optional linking between listed domains, IP hashing, consent controls, GPC and Do Not Track | Feeds the Google ecosystem; consent tooling is yours to build |
| Ad blockers | Optional proxy and server events API; browser blocking and consent can still limit visitor coverage | Blocked by most blockers; server-side GTM is a separate project |
| History kept | Three years, five from the 500k plan up | Up to 14 months for user/event data on standard properties; standard aggregated reports are unaffected |
| Your data | Documented API resources through REST, CLI and MCP; contact us for a full-copy request | BigQuery export; Google data sharing depends on your settings |
| Price | $9 to $299 a month by traffic. Every feature, unlimited seats, 14 days free | Free; GA4 360 for enterprises |
Questions about switching
Do I lose my history if I switch?
No. Export a GA4 report with a date and Active users column and import it; your daily visitors and pageviews fill in the days before the tag existed. Imports carry traffic only. Payment history is separate: Stripe sync and Shopify backfill have their own windows. Imports do not reconstruct journeys or payments.
Can I keep GA4 running?
Yes. DataStated needs nothing from Google and the two tags never interact. You can compare their reports over the same dates.
How do you know my real revenue?
Stripe and Shopify connections read payment records. Orders sent from your page or server are self-reported and do not independently confirm payment. Numeric money summaries are USD only; other currencies are shown separately, with no conversion.
Do I still need a cookie banner?
A first-party cookie alone does not settle the question. The tag has a consent gate and honours GPC and Do Not Track; your site must supply the appropriate notices and consent flow. See privacy details and the consent guide.
Does it work if I do not sell anything yet?
Yes. Traffic, sources and goals work with zero revenue. Platform comparisons require ad reports and recorded orders. A signup goal is not a paid order.
Stop guessing which ads work.
14 days free. No card. Follow the setup guide to see visitors and connect your revenue source.
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