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Marketing · head to head

Northbeam vs Simple Analytics

Northbeam logo

Northbeam

Marketing

Marketing intelligence for growth brands

From
$1500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Simple Analytics logo

Simple Analytics

Marketing

Privacy-friendly analytics without cookies

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Simple Analytics has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Northbeam limited creative-level reporting focused on campaign and ad set rather than individual ad performance; Simple Analytics the free plan requires a Simple Analytics badge on your site and is limited to 1 user, 5 websites and 30 days of history
  • They diverge on capability: Northbeam covers Cross-platform attribution, Simple Analytics covers Page view tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Northbeam and Simple Analytics actually diverge.

Attributes where Northbeam and Simple Analytics differ
AttributeNorthbeamSimple Analytics
Starting price$1500/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, APIWeb
Founded20202016

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Marketing).

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 Northbeam

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

Only in Simple Analytics

  • Page view tracking
  • Goal tracking
  • Real-time analytics
  • Privacy-focused
  • GDPR compliant
  • English language support

Both cover

  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Northbeam

  • Marketing attributionnot Simple Analytics
  • Media optimizationnot Simple Analytics
  • Creative testingnot Simple Analytics
  • Budget allocationnot Simple Analytics

Simple Analytics

  • Cookie-free website analytics that avoids a consent bannernot Northbeam
  • Keeping visitor data hosted in the EU for GDPR purposesnot Northbeam
  • Replacing or running alongside Google Analytics with a single-page dashboardnot Northbeam

Where each one falls short

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

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

Simple Analytics

  • The free plan requires a Simple Analytics badge on your site and is limited to 1 user, 5 websites and 30 days of history
  • Data older than 30 days is automatically deleted on the free plan
  • The paid plan starts at $20 per month for 100,000 pageviews and includes only 1 user, with each extra user costing another $20 per month
  • Single Sign-On, role-based access, SOC 2 documentation, an SLA and raw data export are Enterprise features quoted only by demo request
  • On yearly plans, exceeding your estimated limit gives you one week to raise it before Simple Analytics raises it for you
  • Paying by Bitcoin adds 10% and is only offered on yearly billing
  • Bank transfer is only available for bills from $500 and adds 10% in banking and service fees
  • Unlimited pageviews on the free plan are subject to a fair use policy rather than a stated number

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Simple Analytics

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 30-day data retention
    • Fair use policy applies
    • Unlimited pageviews within fair use
  • Self-Serve$20/month
    • Monthly or annual billing (2 months free with yearly)
    • 1 user included; additional users $20/month each
    • Up to 5 sites per user
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • Custom pricing available upon demo request
    • Traffic recovery (20-60% of invisible traffic)
    • Raw data access

Which should you pick?

Choose Northbeam if

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

Choose Simple Analytics if

  • You need page view tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want goal tracking.
Simple Analytics review

Questions people ask

Is Northbeam or Simple Analytics better?
Neither clearly leads. Northbeam starts at $1500/month and Simple Analytics at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Northbeam or Simple Analytics?
Simple Analytics has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $1500/month for Northbeam and Free for Simple Analytics.
Does Northbeam or Simple Analytics run on more platforms?
Northbeam runs on Web, API. Simple Analytics runs on Web.
Can I use Simple Analytics for free?
Yes. Simple Analytics has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Northbeam starts at $1500/month.
What is Northbeam best used for?
Northbeam is most often used for marketing attribution, media optimization, creative testing, budget allocation. Of those, marketing attribution and media optimization are not what Simple Analytics is typically brought in for.
What can Northbeam do that Simple Analytics cannot?
Northbeam covers Cross-platform attribution, Media mix modeling, Creative analytics, Real-time dashboards. Simple Analytics covers Page view tracking, Goal tracking, Real-time analytics, Privacy-focused. Both handle Cloud deployment, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Simple Analytics: How much does Simple Analytics cost?

Simple Analytics offers a free plan forever and a Self-Serve plan at $20/month per user (or $240/year with 2 months free). Enterprise pricing is available upon request.

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
Simple Analytics: What currencies does Simple Analytics accept?

Simple Analytics accepts Euros, US Dollars, and British Pounds. Payment methods include credit/debit cards, Bitcoin (with +10% fee), Apple Pay, and Google Pay. Bank transfers are available for invoices $500+, with 10% additional fees applied.

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
Simple Analytics: How long is the free trial?

Simple Analytics offers a 14-day free trial that requires no credit card to start.

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
Simple Analytics: Can I cancel Simple Analytics anytime?

Yes. You can cancel your subscription at any moment without penalties or notice requirements.

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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