Google is forcing everyone to switch from the well-loved Universal Analytics (UA) to the new GA4, by mid-2023. Unless you have a major website, or multiple presence (website and app), there is not much new except a steep learning curve and a un-finished product.

You can run multiple analytics services on your site, so give these a go:

Simple Analytics – it is simple, and not cheap ($15/mo after the trial), but the simplicity and no compliance issues gives it some appeal

Matomo – previously known as Piwik – is free, fully featured, and excellent

Independent Analytics is WordPress only. The promise that the standard version will always be free. One-click installation and no signup.

Fathom is similar to the above two. It doesn’t have a free option, but it is cheap at $14/mo for up to 50 websites.

Pirsch is similar to the above three, and is a low $5/mo for unlimited websites. They are all cookie free which means GDPR compliant, no need for messages on your site.

Umami – has all you need? For example, events/conversions like in GA4. And is free. Lightweight and one installation can have all of your websites. They have 4M downloads, but not recommended if the installation process is too hard for you!

HEAT MAPS

Microsoft Clarity – free but good – open source, compliant, integrates with Google Analytics