5H3LL product guides · Updated 27 October 2026
Google Analytics vs Analytics by 5H3LL
Google Analytics is a broad, free platform tied to the Google ecosystem. Compare it with a focused, paid tool for AI referrals and revenue attribution before you choose.
Where the products overlap
Both measure website traffic, sources, conversions and events. Google Analytics is a general-purpose analytics platform with many reports and configuration options; Analytics by 5H3LL covers a narrower set of questions with less setup.
When Google Analytics may be the better fit
Google Analytics is a reasonable choice if you need its integration with Google Ads and other Google products, want to build audiences from your data, or need to export raw data to your own warehouse. It is also free to start with, which matters if budget is the main constraint.
What you get with 5H3LL
Analytics by 5H3LL shows traffic sources, campaigns, goals and visitor journeys, and names visits from AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude and Gemini as their own sources. Optional Stripe and Dodo Payments connections attribute revenue to the visit that led to it, a payments API covers other providers, and read-only OAuth MCP access lets an AI agent query the websites you choose. A Cloudflare Worker snippet adds verified AI and search crawler visibility.
Our monthly plans are £3 Starter, £5 Indie and £9.99 Growth. Starter covers one site and 10,000 monthly events; Indie covers three and 50,000; Growth covers ten and 250,000. There is a Free plan for one website and 2,000 events a month, without revenue attribution, agent access or team invitations. Your first paid-plan payment is fully refundable within 14 days if you are unhappy, no questions asked. Founder Lifetime is £80 once, limited to ten purchases.
We do not replace advertising audiences or warehouse exports. Choose us when you want a simpler dashboard focused on which sources and AI assistants bring paying customers.
What to check in Google Analytics
Check the current pricing and limits, how its consent requirements apply to your visitors in the UK and EU, how long it retains data, and how much configuration the reports you need will take. Its own documentation is the place to confirm these.
A practical switching check
Run both tools side by side for a few weeks. Create one tagged campaign and one known goal in each, compare the same date range, and reconcile payments with your payment provider. Keep your old reports while you validate the new setup. We do not currently offer an automated import of historical Google Analytics data.
| Decision | Analytics by 5H3LL | What to verify in Google Analytics |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Free plan for one site, then paid plans from £3 a month; refundable within 14 days | Current pricing and usage limits for your traffic |
| AI referral sources | ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini and others shown as named sources | Whether AI assistants appear as separate sources in your reports |
| Revenue attribution | Optional Stripe and Dodo Payments, plus a payments API | Which payment providers it supports and how visits are matched |
| AI agent access | Read-only OAuth MCP, limited to selected websites | Whether it offers agent access, with what scope |
| Privacy | First-party cookies with consent controls | Collection mode, consent needs and where data is stored |
Is this an independent Google Analytics review?
No. This comparison is published by Analytics by 5H3LL. We link to Google Analytics's own site and describe our own product so you can check the fit yourself.
Is 5H3LL cookieless?
No. Our browser tracker uses first-party visitor and session cookies, with consent controls you can configure. Choose a different collection approach if cookieless operation is a requirement.
Is there a free plan or trial?
There is a Free plan: one website and 2,000 events a month, free to install and learn. Paid plans start at £3 a month, with a full refund within 14 days of your first payment, no questions asked.
Free plan available. Paid plans from £3. Refund policy.