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Marketing · head to head

Google Analytics vs Holistics

Google Analytics logo

Google Analytics

Marketing

Get to know your customers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Holistics logo

Holistics

Business Intelligence

Self-service BI for data teams

From
$800/month
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: Google Analytics data retention limited to maximum 26 months on standard properties, with automatic deletion after retention period expires; Holistics the entry plan is $960 per month billed monthly, which is a high floor for a BI tool
  • They diverge on capability: Google Analytics covers Real-time analytics, Holistics covers Data Modeling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Google Analytics and Holistics differ
AttributeGoogle AnalyticsHolistics
Starting priceFree$800/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, Cloud
CategoryMarketingBusiness Intelligence
Founded19982015

Identical on both: 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 Google Analytics

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

Only in Holistics

  • Data Modeling
  • Version Control
  • Scheduling
  • Caching
  • Embedding
  • Snowflake
  • Redshift
  • PostgreSQL

Both cover

  • BigQuery

What people use each for

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

Google Analytics

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

Holistics

  • Modelling business metrics in a code-defined semantic layer with Git version controlnot Google Analytics
  • Self-service exploration and dashboards for non-SQL usersnot Google Analytics
  • Embedding analytics into a customer-facing productnot Google Analytics

Where each one falls short

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

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

Holistics

  • The entry plan is $960 per month billed monthly, which is a high floor for a BI tool
  • Every plan includes only the first 10 users, with additional users charged at $15 per month each on Entry and Standard and $18 on the Security Compliance Suite
  • The Entry plan caps reports at 100, and each additional 100 reports costs $120 per month
  • Google SSO requires the Standard plan at $1,200 per month; enterprise SSO with SAML and SCIM provisioning requires the Security Compliance Suite at $2,400 per month
  • Row-based access control, IP whitelisting, pass-through authentication and user activity monitoring are all Security Compliance Suite features
  • Connecting Git version control to your own repository requires Standard; Entry only gets Holistics-hosted Git
  • White labelling, dynamic row-level permissions and unlimited dashboard viewers for embedded analytics are Custom Plan only, with no published price
  • Bank payments and custom payment terms are Custom Plan only, and custom infosec or legal paperwork is Enterprise plan only
  • The two months off discount requires yearly billing

Pricing, plan by plan

Google Analytics

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Google Analytics review.

Holistics

$800/month
  • Entry$800/month
    • 100 reports
    • First 10 users included
    • Core self-service analytics
  • Standard$1000/month
    • Unlimited reports
    • First 10 users included
    • Custom charts
  • Security Compliance Suite$2000/month
    • Unlimited reports
    • First 10 users included
    • Granular access controls

Which should you pick?

Choose Google Analytics if

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

Choose Holistics if

  • You need data modeling.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want version control.
Holistics review

Questions people ask

Is Google Analytics or Holistics better?
Neither clearly leads. Google Analytics starts at Free and Holistics at $800/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Google Analytics or Holistics?
Google Analytics has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Google Analytics and $800/month for Holistics.
Does Google Analytics or Holistics run on more platforms?
Google Analytics runs on Web. Holistics runs on Web, Cloud.
Can I use Google Analytics for free?
Yes. Google Analytics has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Holistics starts at $800/month.
What is Google Analytics best used for?
Google Analytics is most often used for website and web application analytics, event tracking and user behaviour analysis, traffic source and conversion tracking. Of those, website and web application analytics and event tracking and user behaviour analysis are not what Holistics is typically brought in for.
What can Google Analytics do that Holistics cannot?
Google Analytics covers Real-time analytics, Audience insights, Acquisition tracking, Behavior flow. Holistics covers Data Modeling, Version Control, Scheduling, Caching. Both handle BigQuery.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Holistics: How much do additional Holistics users cost?

Additional users cost $12.50 per month (yearly billing) or $15 per month (monthly billing) for Entry/Standard plans, and $15-18 per month for Security Suite.

Source
Holistics: Can I purchase additional reports on Holistics?

Yes, additional 100-report blocks cost $100 per month (yearly) or $120 per month (monthly billing).

Source
Holistics: Does Holistics support multiple data centers?

Yes, Holistics supports multiple data centers in US, EU, and APAC regions with pricing available for embedded analytics with unlimited dashboard viewers.

Source
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