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CrowdTangle vs Google Analytics

C

CrowdTangle

News

Social media insights and content monitoring platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Google Analytics logo

Google Analytics

Marketing

Get to know your customers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Google Analytics has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: CrowdTangle crowdTangle was retired by Meta on 14 August 2024, per Meta's own transparency page (Internet Archive capture, 12 December 2024), with Meta Content Library and Content Library API offered as replacements; Google Analytics data retention limited to maximum 26 months on standard properties, with automatic deletion after retention period expires
  • They diverge on capability: CrowdTangle covers Social listening, Google Analytics covers Real-time analytics.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CrowdTangle and Google Analytics actually diverge.

Attributes where CrowdTangle and Google Analytics differ
AttributeCrowdTangleGoogle Analytics
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotefreemium
Free tierNoYes
CategoryNewsMarketing
Founded20111998

Identical on both: platforms (Web), 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 CrowdTangle

  • Social listening
  • Viral content tracking
  • Competitor monitoring
  • Brand mention tracking
  • Trending alerts
  • Custom dashboards
  • Team collaboration
  • Report generation

Only in Google Analytics

  • Real-time analytics
  • Audience insights
  • Acquisition tracking
  • Behavior flow
  • Conversion tracking
  • Custom reports
  • Mobile analytics
  • E-commerce tracking

What people use each for

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

CrowdTangle

  • Viral content trackingnot Google Analytics
  • Social listeningnot Google Analytics
  • Competitor analysisnot Google Analytics
  • Trend identificationnot Google Analytics

Google Analytics

  • Website and web application analyticsnot CrowdTangle
  • Event tracking and user behaviour analysisnot CrowdTangle
  • Traffic source and conversion trackingnot CrowdTangle

Where each one falls short

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

CrowdTangle

  • CrowdTangle was retired by Meta on 14 August 2024, per Meta's own transparency page (Internet Archive capture, 12 December 2024), with Meta Content Library and Content Library API offered as replacements

Google Analytics

  • Data retention limited to maximum 26 months on standard properties, with automatic deletion after retention period expires
  • Large and XL properties capped at 2-month data retention only
  • Age, gender, and interest data always expire after 2 months regardless of retention settings
  • Free tier does not include GA360 advanced features

Pricing, plan by plan

CrowdTangle

On request
  • Custom Plan$undefined/custom
    • Social monitoring
    • Competitor analysis
    • Trending content tracking

Google Analytics

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Google Analytics review.

Which should you pick?

Choose CrowdTangle if

  • You need social listening.
  • You also want viral content tracking.
CrowdTangle review

Choose Google Analytics if

  • You need real-time analytics.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want audience insights.
Google Analytics review

Questions people ask

Is CrowdTangle or Google Analytics better?
Neither clearly leads. CrowdTangle starts at On request and Google Analytics at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CrowdTangle or Google Analytics?
Google Analytics has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for CrowdTangle and Free for Google Analytics.
Does CrowdTangle or Google Analytics run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Google Analytics for free?
Yes. Google Analytics has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. CrowdTangle starts at On request.
What is CrowdTangle best used for?
CrowdTangle is most often used for viral content tracking, social listening, competitor analysis, trend identification. Of those, viral content tracking and social listening are not what Google Analytics is typically brought in for.
What can CrowdTangle do that Google Analytics cannot?
CrowdTangle covers Social listening, Viral content tracking, Competitor monitoring, Brand mention tracking. Google Analytics covers Real-time analytics, Audience insights, Acquisition tracking, Behavior flow.
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