Hate GA4? Me too. This is the best Google Analytics alternative for WordPress

To say that interacting with Google Analytics 4 (GA4) has been a challenging and maddening experience these last few years is putting things mildly.

Tricky setup, convoluted reporting, declining accuracy. It’s become less and less useful for regular site owners and ever more costly, in terms of person hours, to use. Additionally, as we move toward a cookie-less internet, GA4’s adaptability remains uncertain.

“I can’t remember the last time I talked to someone who still uses Google Analytics. Never seen a product that was viewed as an essential, standard, used by everyone, destroyed faster or more thoroughly.” — Josh Tyler

When I saw first this, I was really relieved to learn out it’s not just me. It’s so time consuming to find anything in GA4. The whole point of product design is to make something easy, even delightful, to use. But Google Analytics is a nightmare now.

So what are people using instead for basic insights?

Well, if you’re as frustrated as I am, and are actively searching for Google Analytics alternatives for WordPress, then this is post for you.

I’ve been looking for a solid alternative for years and I finally found a solution I love.

Alternatives to Google Analytics for WordPress

While Plausible (another alternative I looked at) offers a lightweight, privacy-focused solution that’s easy to use, its simple approach lacks the depth of analytics required for many businesses. The system is excellent for those prioritizing speed and privacy, with a minimalist dashboard and no cookie banners, but it doesn’t provide the level of detailed insight or flexibility that a business-oriented site might need.

Another contender is Matomo, which is open-source and offers greater customizability, but its complexity can be overwhelming for those just looking for straightforward insights without needing a complete data overhaul.

I ultimately choose AnalyticsWP.

Why?

AnalyticsWP

In my quest for a more effective alternative to Google Analytics, I discovered AnalyticsWP, a WordPress plugin that has significantly improved my website analytics experience.

Here’s why I believe it’s a superior choice:

1. Enhanced Data Detail — AnalyticsWP offers up to 30% more detailed data than GA4, providing richer insights into visitor behavior and website performance.
2. User-Friendly Interface — the plugin presents data in a clean, straightforward format, eliminating the need to navigate through complex reports.
3. Improved Accuracy — by processing data 100% on-site, AnalyticsWP avoids reliance on third-party scripts, ensuring more accurate and truly complete data collection.
4. Future-Proof Design — built to handle a cookie-less future, AnalyticsWP ensures your analytics remain robust as web tracking technologies evolve.
5. Visitor Journey Tracking — the plugin allows you to visualize how visitors navigate your site, helping identify successful areas and those needing improvement.
6. Performance Optimization — With no heavy scripts or external calls, AnalyticsWP ensures your website’s performance remains unaffected.

Visitor Stats

The basic reporting screens are beautifully easy to read…

Just super straightforward. All the basic info you need in one place, finally. But there’s more…

Journeys

You can also look at each individual’s journey through the website. The Journeys view shows how each visitor arrived to, and then moved through, your website. It even shows which device they were using and how long they spent on each page…

Automatic Reporting

In February 2025, the plugin’s developers added a fantastic new email report tool that automatically sends both weekly and monthly reports via email. So now my clients get very easy-to-read updates on performance, including…

• Unique visitor count
• Total page views
• Views per person
• Percentage change (neg/pos) for the above
• Top 5 pages
• Top 5 referrers
• Desktop / Mobile / Tablet breakdown

I really love how they’re developing and supporting this plugin.

Overall Impression…

After implementing AnalyticsWP on several high-traffic sites, the results have been impressive. The data is not only more detailed but also more actionable. And it’s all just right there in your WordPress dashboard — and your inbox.

You can make well-informed decisions to improve your site’s content.

If you’re interested in transitioning to a more reliable analytics solution, I can help with installing and configuring AnalyticsWP on your WordPress site. This straightforward setup will provide you with immediate access to valuable insights. You’re finally free from the stress of GA4.

Feel free to reach out to discuss how we can fix your website analytics together.