Google Analytics suits almost every small and mid-sized business: it's free, it works with Google Ads and Tag Manager, and it covers website and app behaviour well. Adobe Analytics suits large organisations that want to join up customer journeys across channels, devices and time, with a dedicated analytics team to run it. If you're asking which one to start with, the answer is Google Analytics.
This comparison often comes up when a growing business hears that big brands use Adobe. That's true, but they use it because they have many channels, many systems and analysts to stitch them together. I read Google's Analytics product page and help centre, and Adobe's Analytics page.
Google Analytics and Adobe Analytics compared
| Google Analytics | Adobe Analytics | |
|---|---|---|
| Free option | Yes, free for businesses of every size | Not stated on the page I read |
| Built for | Websites and apps of any size | Enterprise customer experience analytics |
| Journey analysis | Events, key events and ecommerce reports | Customer Journey Analytics across channels and devices |
| Ad connections | Google Ads, Search Ads 360, Campaign Manager 360 | Adobe Marketing Campaign Analytics |
| Tag setup | Google Tag Manager without editing code | Not covered on the page I read |
| Bigger tier | Analytics 360 for enterprises | Customer Journey Analytics B2B Edition |
Adobe's newer name for the bigger picture
Adobe's Analytics page now talks about Adobe CX Analytics, which it says brings together data architecture, consistent identity, AI insights and activation in one solution. At its heart is Customer Journey Analytics, which connects customer identities and interactions across channels, devices and time. There's a B2B Edition for account-based journeys and Marketing Campaign Analytics for media planning. That's powerful, but it assumes you have many data sources and people to manage them.
Why Google Analytics fits most businesses
Google's product page describes Analytics as free and easy to use for businesses of every size, with Analytics 360 for enterprises that want advertising and analytics integrated. Its help centre covers events and key events, importing data from other systems, measuring ecommerce and lead generation, and first-party data. Add Google Tag Manager and you can manage tracking without editing your site's code each time.
When Adobe starts to make sense
- You have several websites, apps, stores and call centres to join up.
- You already use Adobe Experience Cloud tools for content and campaigns.
- You have analysts who'll build and maintain journey reports.
- You need account-level journeys for complex B2B decision-making groups.
If none of those describe you yet, a well set up Google Analytics will answer most of your questions. Start with my GA4 setup checklist, and if the name still confuses your team, here's why Google Analytics is now called GA4.
Where each fits in your marketing stack
Google Analytics sits naturally beside Google Ads, Search Ads 360 and Campaign Manager 360, so if most of your advertising runs through Google, your campaign data and site data meet in one place. Adobe Analytics sits beside Adobe's content and campaign tools, and its Marketing Campaign Analytics brings media planning and data insight together for larger teams.
If you stay with Google, Looker Studio, the free reporting layer helps you build reports.
Questions to settle first
- How many channels and systems do you need to connect?
- Who will own analytics day to day?
- Do you run Google Ads, Adobe tools or both?
- Do you need a single view of each customer across devices?
A word on data quality: neither tool is better than the tracking you put into it. Decide which actions matter, such as enquiries, sign-ups or orders, name them consistently as key events, and check them monthly. A clean, simple setup in a free tool will tell you more than a messy setup in any tool.
For product analytics rather than web analytics, see Amplitude against Mixpanel.
My advice on Google Analytics or Adobe Analytics
Set up Google Analytics carefully first: clean events, key events that match your goals, and Tag Manager. Most businesses never outgrow it. Look at Adobe only when you have several channels to join up, a team to run it, and questions about customer journeys that GA4 can't answer.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
Do you make analytics or marketing data software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place in comparisons like this one.
Frequently asked questions
Is Google Analytics free?
Yes. Google describes Analytics as free and easy to use for businesses of every size, with Analytics 360 for enterprises.
What is Adobe Customer Journey Analytics?
Adobe says it connects customer identities and interactions across channels, devices and time for holistic analysis.
What is Adobe CX Analytics?
It's how Adobe's Analytics page describes its combined offer of data architecture, identity, AI insights and activation.
Do I need Adobe Analytics for a small business?
Rarely. It's built for large organisations with many channels and analysts. Google Analytics covers most small business needs.
Does Adobe Analytics have a B2B option?
Yes. Adobe lists Customer Journey Analytics B2B Edition for account-based journeys.
What is Google Tag Manager?
It's Google's free tool for managing tracking tags on your website without editing code each time.
Can Google Analytics work with Google Ads?
Yes. It's part of Google's marketing platform alongside Google Ads, Search Ads 360 and Campaign Manager 360.
