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Technology · head to head

Amplitude vs Northbeam

Amplitude logo

Amplitude

Technology

The digital analytics platform to understand your users

From
Free
Rated
-
Northbeam logo

Northbeam

Marketing & Analytics

Marketing intelligence for growth brands

From
$1500/month
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Amplitude has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Amplitude metered on event volume, so instrumenting more of a product raises the bill even if the audience does not grow; Northbeam limited creative-level reporting focused on campaign and ad set rather than individual ad performance
  • They diverge on capability: Amplitude covers Event tracking, Northbeam covers Cross-platform attribution.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Amplitude and Northbeam actually diverge.

Attributes where Amplitude and Northbeam differ
AttributeAmplitudeNorthbeam
Starting priceFree$1500/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb, API
CategoryTechnologyMarketing & Analytics
Founded20122020

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Amplitude

  • Event tracking
  • User segmentation
  • Funnel analysis
  • Retention analysis
  • A/B testing
  • Revenue analytics
  • Predictive analytics
  • Segment

Only in Northbeam

  • Cross-platform attribution
  • Media mix modeling
  • Creative analytics
  • Real-time dashboards
  • Incrementality testing
  • Customer journey
  • LTV predictions
  • Shopify

Both cover

  • Cohort analysis
  • SOC2

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Amplitude

  • User behavior analysisnot Northbeam
  • Feature adoption trackingnot Northbeam
  • Conversion rate optimizationnot Northbeam
  • Customer journey mappingnot Northbeam
  • Retention improvementnot Northbeam

Northbeam

  • Marketing attributionnot Amplitude
  • Media optimizationnot Amplitude
  • Creative testingnot Amplitude
  • Budget allocationnot Amplitude

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Amplitude

  • Metered on event volume, so instrumenting more of a product raises the bill even if the audience does not grow
  • The free plan covers 2M events a month
  • The Plus plan scales to 70M events, above which pricing is custom
  • Growth and Enterprise pricing is not published

Northbeam

  • Limited creative-level reporting focused on campaign and ad set rather than individual ad performance
  • Lack of transparency in attribution modeling methodology and how credit is assigned
  • Pageview-based pricing that can scale faster than perceived value for high-traffic, lower-conversion brands
  • Slower reporting cadence limits real-time feedback for teams requiring immediate performance data

Pricing, plan by plan

Amplitude

Free
  • StarterFree
    • 2 million events per month
  • Plus$49/month
    • $0.049 per MTU
    • Up to 300k MTUs
    • Advanced analytics
  • GrowthFree
    • Causal insights
    • Feature experimentation
    • Real-time streaming
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Cross-product analysis
    • Advanced permissions
    • Dedicated account manager

Northbeam

$1500/month
  • Starter$1500/month
    • Multi-touch attribution
    • Media mix modeling
    • Up to 1M monthly pageviews
  • Professional$2500/month
    • All Starter features
    • Creative analytics
    • Export API access

Which should you pick?

Choose Amplitude if

  • You need event tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want user segmentation.

Choose Northbeam if

  • You need cross-platform attribution.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want media mix modeling.

Questions people ask

Is Amplitude or Northbeam better?
Neither clearly leads. Amplitude starts at Free and Northbeam at $1500/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Amplitude or Northbeam?
Amplitude has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Amplitude and $1500/month for Northbeam.
Does Amplitude or Northbeam run on more platforms?
Amplitude runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Northbeam runs on Web, API.
Can I use Amplitude for free?
Yes. Amplitude has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Northbeam starts at $1500/month.
What is Amplitude best used for?
Amplitude is most often used for user behavior analysis, feature adoption tracking, conversion rate optimization, customer journey mapping. Of those, user behavior analysis and feature adoption tracking are not what Northbeam is typically brought in for.
What can Amplitude do that Northbeam cannot?
Amplitude covers Event tracking, User segmentation, Funnel analysis, Retention analysis. Northbeam covers Cross-platform attribution, Media mix modeling, Creative analytics, Real-time dashboards. Both handle Cohort analysis, SOC2.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Amplitude: Does Amplitude have a free plan?

Yes, Amplitude offers a free Starter plan with 2 million events per month and access to the entire platform including analytics, session replay, and experimentation features.

Source
Northbeam: How is Northbeam priced?

Northbeam offers three tiers: Starter ($1,500/month), Professional ($2,500/month), and Enterprise (custom quote). Pricing is based on monthly pageviews and refreshed data frequency. There are no setup fees, free plan, or free trial.

Source
Amplitude: What is Amplitude's pricing based on?

Amplitude's pricing is based on the number of monthly tracked users (MTUs), data volume, and advanced features selected. The Plus plan starts at $49 per month with a rate of $0.049 per MTU.

Source
Northbeam: What platforms does Northbeam integrate with?

Northbeam integrates with Shopify, Meta Ads, Google Ads, TikTok, Pinterest, Snapchat, YouTube, Klaviyo, Recharge, and others. It pushes attribution data to Meta CAPI, Google Conversion API, GA4, and TikTok Events API.

Source
Amplitude: What analytics features does every Amplitude plan include?

Every plan includes access to the full platform: analytics, session replay, feature experimentation, web experimentation, guides and surveys, activation, and AI tools like AI Feedback and AI Assistant.

Source
Northbeam: What does Northbeam measure?

Northbeam uses multi-touch attribution (MTA), media mix modeling (MMM), and Northbeam Apex to measure how paid media spend translates to revenue. Apex sends attribution data directly back to ad platforms for algorithm optimization.

Source
Northbeam: Who should use Northbeam?

Northbeam is ideal for intermediate to advanced ecommerce operators at Shopify-based DTC brands generating $1M+ annual revenue and spending at least $1.5M yearly on paid media across multiple channels.

Source
Northbeam: What are Northbeam's main limitations?

Key limitations include a steep learning curve and complex interface, shallow creative-level reporting, lack of model transparency, pricing that can scale faster than value for high-traffic brands, and slower reporting cadence compared to real-time dashboards.

Source

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