13 Reasons why you can’t compare with Google Analytics piwik

I read recently again on some blogs a comparison between Google Analytics and piwik. Almost always the bottom line fails it positive for piwik. The reasons are usually data protection and data in-house. Allegedly piwik offers a similar feature set as Google Analytics. Sorry folks, but you either have no idea about Web analytics or needs just a better counter.

I have been looking therefore times come me how many arguments against piwik in a minute. There were 13 at the end and I think the list would be longer with some consideration.

1. No segments: Sorry, but a tool without slices may call themselves Web analytics tool. Do you need no segments?
2. Goals without funnels: Objectives can be defined in piwik, but times compares with the horny funnels in Google Analytics. A difference like day and night.
3. No AdWords integration: for all AdWords advertisers a real killer feature. At piwik must I all destination URLs manually tag.
4. No AdSense integration: Even as a blogger with AdSense ads is a very horny function for the optimization of the advertising revenue.
5. No events: I use constantly various interactions on my Web pages to measure.
6. No user-defined variables: Who wants to better understand its visitors, not avoid therefore. Unfortunately there is a limit of 5 in Google Analytics here.
7. Doubtful with high traffic: If I’m only 5,000 visitors a day, I can host my tool itself, but page impressions in the millions should you at the borders come or at least own server purchase must. Then is past with free of charge.
8. No custom reports: Custom reports in Google Analytics are awesome. Who has built up its own correlations there will want it.
9. No cross domain tracking: I find not a word about cross-domain tracking on piwik. OK, a blog on a domain is not so important, but every major website has mostly at least subdomains.
10. Unique visitors is collected on 3rd party cookies: Ohne Worte
11. No asynchronous tracking code: Asynchronous code rocks especially on performance.
12. No E-Commerce tracking: You can although somehow capture also monetary values on objectives, but has little to do with E-commerce.
13. No internal search: There is no function to track the internal search. A key feature for improving usability.

That should be now no Rumgehacke to piwik. On the contrary, I have highest respect for the developers, the a tool on the legs bodies. The result is really good. The criticism rather aimed at those who compare apples to oranges. Piwik is not a Web analytics tool. This is when I compare a bike with a BMW 5 series. From the railway station in the city that is totally sufficient, but try without navigation without motor and drive cupholders with three children from Hamburg to Berlin ;-)

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