Top 5 Analytics Platforms for Websites & Web Apps in 2025

In the ever-evolving digital world, data is everything. Whether you’re running a simple website, a growing eCommerce store, or a fully-fledged web application, having access to meaningful insights about your users is critical to growth. That’s where analytics comes in.

So… what exactly are analytics platforms?

Web and app analytics platforms help you track, measure, and analyse user behaviour—giving you real-world feedback on what’s working and what’s not. With the right tool, you can optimise your site’s design, improve your marketing, boost engagement, and ultimately drive more conversions.

Over the years, analytics tools have played a huge role in shaping the way websites and web apps are built. They’ve helped businesses move beyond guesswork and base decisions on actual data—from understanding where users are coming from to what they click on and how they interact with your site.

If you’re on the hunt for a powerful analytics platform, here are five of the best options available in 2025.

#1 Google Analytics (GA4)

Website: analytics.google.com

Google Analytics is the gold standard in web analytics. With the shift to GA4, it now focuses more on event-based tracking, cross-platform measurement, and AI-powered insights. Whether you’re running a blog or a complex eCommerce site, GA4 can provide a comprehensive view of how users interact with your content.

Price: Free (with paid upgrades via Google Analytics 360 for enterprise)

Pros:

• Powerful and flexible
• Integrates easily with Google Ads, Search Console, BigQuery and more
• Real-time data tracking
• Robust reporting and visualisation
• Free to use

Cons:

• GA4 has a steep learning curve
• Interface can be overwhelming for beginners
• Data sampling in large datasets

#2 Adobe Analytics

Website: adobe.com/analytics

Adobe Analytics is a powerhouse tool used by large enterprises for deep data analysis. It forms part of the Adobe Experience Cloud and provides detailed insights into customer journeys, campaign performance, and audience segmentation. It’s complex but incredibly powerful.

Price: Enterprise pricing (custom quote required)

Pros:

• Enterprise-grade customisation
  Predictive analytics with AI and machine learning
  Powerful segmentation and attribution tools
  Integrates with Adobe Marketing Suite

Cons:

• Very high cost
• Requires technical expertise to set up and maintain
• Not suited for small businesses or casual users

#3 Hotjar

Website: hotjar.com

Hotjar takes a visual approach to analytics, offering heatmaps, screen recordings, surveys, and feedback tools. It doesn’t compete directly with tools like Google Analytics—instead, it complements them by showing how users feel and behave on your site.

Price: Free plan available; paid plans start from USD $39/month (~ AUD $62/month)

Pros:

• Visual insights with heatmaps and session recordings
• Easy to use and install
• Feedback widgets and surveys for direct user input
• Great for improving UX and design

Cons:

• Doesn’t provide detailed quantitative metrics
• Limited tracking of complex funnels or behavioural events
• Pricing can be high for teams or high-traffic sites

#4 Matomo

Website: matomo.org

Matomo is a privacy-focused alternative to Google Analytics that gives you complete control over your data. It can be self-hosted or cloud-hosted and offers a wide range of features—from page analytics to heatmaps and ecommerce tracking—without compromising user privacy.

Price: Free (self-hosted); Cloud-hosted plans start from USD $23/month

Pros:

• Full data ownership and GDPR compliant
• No data sampling
• Strong privacy features
• Compatible with Google Analytics-style reporting
• Can be self-hosted for full control

Cons:

• Requires technical setup for self-hosting
• UI is less polished than other platforms
• Some advanced features require paid add-ons

#5 Mixpanel

Website: mixpanel.com

Mixpanel is a popular analytics platform focused on product and user behaviour. It tracks events and user journeys in real-time, allowing teams to monitor funnels, retention, and user cohorts. It’s particularly suited for SaaS products, mobile apps, and web applications where user interaction is key.

Price:  Free plan available (with 20M monthly events), paid plans start from USD $20/month

Pros:

• Excellent for tracking user flows and actions
• Real-time event tracking
• Intuitive dashboards
• Easy segmentation and cohort analysi
• A/B testing support

Cons:

• Pricing can increase quickly as your usage scales
• More suitable for apps and SaaS than content-heavy websites
• Learning curve for first-time users

Choosing the right analytics platform depends on your goals, your team’s technical ability, and how deep you want to go with your data. Google Analytics is still the most widely used for good reason, but if you need behavioural insights, video recordings, advanced event tracking, or complete control over your data, there are excellent alternatives to explore.

If you’re not sure which analytics tool is right for your website or web app, I’d be happy to help. Feel free to get in touch with me.