Fullstory vs. Google Analytics

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Fullstory
Score 9.1 out of 10
N/A
Fullstory’s behavioral data platform helps technology leaders make better, more informed decisions by injecting digital behavioral data into their analytics stack. The technology's behavioral data transforms digital visit into actionable insights.N/A
Google Analytics
Score 7.9 out of 10
N/A
Google Analytics is perhaps the best-known web analytics product and, as a free product, it has massive adoption. Although it lacks some enterprise-level features compared to its competitors in the space, the launch of the paid Google Analytics Premium edition seems likely to close the gap.
$150,000
per year
Pricing
FullstoryGoogle Analytics
Editions & Modules
Business
Contact Sales
Enterprise
Contact Sales
Google Analytics 360
150,000
per year
Google Analytics
Free
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
FullstoryGoogle Analytics
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
YesYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeOptionalNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
FullstoryGoogle Analytics
Considered Both Products
Fullstory
Chose Fullstory
Microsoft Clarity - good product, free.
Chose Fullstory
I think other tools are either too heavy or complicated to implement and / or understand. Full story has a super light weight feel to the system and works magically. I implemented Mixpanel once and the entire team struggled with it before replacing it with Full Story after …
Chose Fullstory
Fullstory is really the best at session recording. They are adding new and more features to become more competitive with other web analytics tools (like Pendo, Heap, and GA). But we ultimately keep them because they make it so easy to actually see how people interact with your …
Chose Fullstory
FullStory is a unique blend of product analytics + playback sessions.
Chose Fullstory
Hotjar is better for marketing websites. Doesn't have a native mobile component. Cheaper per session but doesn't have journey mapping.
Chose Fullstory
I have not selected or evaluated other products.
Chose Fullstory
Microsoft Clarity is not on the list. This one is not even close though. 4 years ago there was not much competition unless you paid a fortune for the big survey companies. I see there are many more out there now, and may start looking now that the prices are not as affordable …
Chose Fullstory
It's a good value for money as well and it works well on websites
Chose Fullstory
Most of the tools we evaluated just didn't have the depth of analysis that we needed. Content Square looked GREAT but it was a much higher price point.
Chose Fullstory
HotJar is built for marketers, whereas FullStory is for product teams, but the tool still stacks up well against HotJar. It has feature parity and is a little more intuitive to use.
Chose Fullstory
We don't use anything else that is close to what Fullstory does. If anything Intercom would be the closest however we use them together to offer the best support possible.
Chose Fullstory
FullSory is more advanced and the implementation with other tools makes it very convenient for us.
Chose Fullstory
FullStory is very easy to use and very comprehensive compared to it's competitors
Chose Fullstory
Based on the functionality & support we've scoped for FullStory, we have much more in terms of capability and expertise than we've had in the past.
Chose Fullstory
Heap, Pendo.io and Amplitude Analytics
Google Analytics
Chose Google Analytics
Wix and other website platforms have a built-in analytic tool, but it is not as sufficient as Google Analytics, so I always use GA as the main source of information about sales. Most of the analytic tools on web platforms can't visualize user flows, which is very important when …
Chose Google Analytics
The entry threshold is lower and Google Analytics can be used to grant access even to technically intermediate users who can draw basic conclusions on their own.
Chose Google Analytics
We use google analytics instead of other tools for customer usage data and behavioral. It is better to connect with some sources.
Chose Google Analytics
Adobe analytics is better in almost all aspects except for it's complexity in implementation.
Chose Google Analytics
Microsoft Clarity is speedy, extremely tidy, and straight to the point, and it contains everything a SME would need to maintain a healthy SEO without the need for technical understanding; its UI is far superior to GA, and it also provides additional capabilities like as …
Chose Google Analytics
Webtrends as a platform is older than Google Analytics and still quite good. If you have a company that is used to using Webtrends, it's likely still a good fit for you. Google Analytics has a lower entry cost and more accessible training to new Users, so that's why I would …
Chose Google Analytics
Adobe Analytics is good but it is more suited to people who are fully and technically into reporting and the solutions it provides. Google Analytics on the other hand provides a much easier way of setting up the Analytics. Most of the data reporting, charts and visualisations …
Chose Google Analytics
Ease of use: Google Analytics is known for its user-friendly interface and straightforward setup process, making it accessible for beginners. Adobe Analytics has a steeper learning curve and requires more technical expertise.
Features: Adobe Analytics offers a more comprehensive …
Chose Google Analytics
Universal GA is free to use, offers a good amount of data, and is relatively easy to use. Other products may not offer the detail needed (Google Tag Manager), or require payment (Adobe Target)
Chose Google Analytics
Google tag manager is the best tool to use with Google analytics as it provides more in-depth analysis where users interact on the website.
Chose Google Analytics
Built-in reports are beneficial but you can create custom reports if you need more details with different dimensions and metrics it also provides insights which is just little data about your site traffic in sentence format its the best way to know which strategy you are on …
Chose Google Analytics
Adobe and Google Analytics are fairly similar. Google Analytics was more widely known among my team. Most of us have used it in some capacity in the past. It's also easy to navigate, and there are loads of free training out there on how to use the platform.
Chose Google Analytics
Google provides a wide suite of products that all tie into Google Analytics. Some that I use most often are Tag Manager, Ads and Datastudio. All of these connect directly with Analytics and allow me to accomplish my goals. For example, Ads will connect and show me what Ads are …
Chose Google Analytics
I have not used Adobe Analytics as much, but I know they offer something called customer journey analytics, which we are evaluating now.
I have used Semrush, and I find them much better than Google Analytics. I feel a fairly nontechnical person could learn Semrush in about a …
Chose Google Analytics
Adobe Analytics and Google Analytics 360 are both paid/premium options for website tracking. Though there are certain use cases when these might make sense (you operate entirely in the Adobe suite, you're a massive company/site that doesn’t mind the price tag on Google …
Chose Google Analytics
Google Analytics provides everything you need in terms of straight forward analytics needs. The tool is not very flexible compared to other software such as adobe, and if you want to upgrade to premium or add in a bunch of custom situations, that can be become very [tedious] …
Chose Google Analytics
Google Analytics had the best price (it's free for major of our clients), and it was easy to find professionals that had experience on using it.
Chose Google Analytics
Google Analytics is easy to use and widespread, it's a must-have software for all businesses. The price point compared to other software that we use is very reasonable, and the suite of services and training tools/certifications available for free is hard for other software …
Chose Google Analytics
Adobe Analytics has been in the market for a long time; some people still know it as Omniture or SiteCatalyst. It seems that some great ideas from Google Analytics, such as Enhanced Ecommerce and the new way of measuring events with GA4, are adapted from the traditional Adobe …
Chose Google Analytics
GA will always have an advantage with data, because it's the source, but other companies do a better job of specializing in certain areas or providing better UX/UI. HubSpot is the king of the latter and SEMrush is ideal for making organic improvements based on data. Ahrefs are …
Chose Google Analytics
We have been using Adobe Analytics for a while but the system seemed to be more complex when compared to super user friendly Google Analytics. Moreover, the option to add custom metrics and dimensions is lacking in Adobe Analytics. Google Analytics is good with transactional …
Chose Google Analytics
Google Analytics is really unique so it's hard to have competitors - especially when Google Analytics is free (unless you are part of a huge company so in the case you will need the Premium version). Other products like SemRush are good as third party tools and figure out the …
Chose Google Analytics
I used Facebook Analytics for mobile and web games but Facebook Analytics was discontinued. Google Analytics is more universal and is suitable for both web and native mobile applications. Facebook Analytics is more suitable for apps and games on web and mobile. For mobile …
Chose Google Analytics
[Google Analytics] provides a broader appeal, combining what would usually require several different platforms, and as such is a bit of a jack of all trades in comparison, although often to a "good enough" level. If there is a particular aspect that you then find you would like …
Features
FullstoryGoogle Analytics
Mobile Capabilities
Comparison of Mobile Capabilities features of Product A and Product B
Fullstory
6.2
Ratings
26% below category average
Google Analytics
-
Ratings
Responsive Design for Web Access7.90 Ratings00 Ratings
Mobile Application7.90 Ratings00 Ratings
Dashboard / Report / Visualization Interactivity on Mobile7.90 Ratings00 Ratings
Mobile App Analytics6.40 Ratings00 Ratings
Results and Analysis
Comparison of Results and Analysis features of Product A and Product B
Fullstory
9.2
Ratings
2% below category average
Google Analytics
-
Ratings
Heatmap tool9.90 Ratings00 Ratings
Click analytics9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Scroll maps9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Form fill analysis9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Conversion tracking9.90 Ratings00 Ratings
Goal tracking7.90 Ratings00 Ratings
Funnel Analysis8.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Session Recording and Replay10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
User Segmentation10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Web Analytics
Comparison of Web Analytics features of Product A and Product B
Fullstory
-
Ratings
Google Analytics
8.2
Ratings
2% above category average
Lead Conversion Tracking00 Ratings7.50 Ratings
Bounce Rate Measurement00 Ratings8.50 Ratings
Device and Browser Reporting00 Ratings8.50 Ratings
Pageview Tracking00 Ratings8.00 Ratings
Event Tracking00 Ratings7.00 Ratings
Reporting in real-time00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Referral Source Tracking00 Ratings8.00 Ratings
Customizable Dashboards00 Ratings8.50 Ratings
Best Alternatives
FullstoryGoogle Analytics
Small Businesses
Smartlook
Smartlook
Score 8.2 out of 10
StatCounter
StatCounter
Score 9.0 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Contentsquare
Contentsquare
Score 7.2 out of 10
Siteimprove
Siteimprove
Score 10.0 out of 10
Enterprises
Contentsquare
Contentsquare
Score 7.2 out of 10
Optimal
Optimal
Score 9.0 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
FullstoryGoogle Analytics
Likelihood to Recommend
9.9
(0 ratings)
8.2
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.7
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
Usability
10.0
(0 ratings)
7.5
(0 ratings)
Availability
9.0
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Performance
8.0
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
8.3
(0 ratings)
7.0
(0 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
7.5
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
Configurability
7.0
(0 ratings)
6.0
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
9.0
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
8.0
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
8.0
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
8.0
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
FullstoryGoogle Analytics
Likelihood to Recommend
It was extremely useful in identifying places in our product where things weren't functioning, or where it looked like action was available to the end user but in reality, it was not and therefore caused lots of confusion. It doesn't help as much in other scenarios to see what catches a user's Eye or where they go if they leave our application as well as an actual in-person interview would help with eye-tracking software.
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Honesty, there is no reason that a company wouldn’t want to implement Google Analytics. The regular version is completely free, is very easy to configure, and provides immense volumes of website data. There are also tangible benefits to the other Google tools it can connect to, and it integrates with any BI/data platform that you might use. The only time I’d advise not using standard Google Analytics is if you’ve purchased Google Analytics 360.
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Pros
  • Tracks users' online experiences from start to finish.
  • Makes it easy to share a customer's experiences with the rest of my team.
  • Allows me to use different methods to find evidence of a customer's experience.
  • Shows page insights via segmentation that help me know where to improve my site.
  • Tracks error clicks and dead clicks for quick insights into site improvements.
  • Integrates with HelpScout for easy access to customer problem-solving.
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  • Multiple reports to see website use and behavior
  • Allows you to customize reports with days, weeks, months, and years
  • You can build out a dashboard to easily view stats from multiple websites in one place
  • You can share analytics reports via the dashboard, automatically emailed PDFs or in other formats
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Cons
  • Can be a little confusing to know the exact time something happened, in local time or customer time? That's helpful for engineering to look into log files.
  • When looking for a specific session, it would be nice if you have a easier list of sessions with a little more info to choose from
  • It would be nice to be able to save flagged sessions and annotations under my profile to reference later
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  • While raw data is nice to have, I do wish there was an easier way to provide reports from Google Analytics directly. Something that could answer questions straight-forward for people.
  • I would appreciate "helpful hints" or a cheat sheet of some sort, so when quickly searching for something such as time on a certain page, I can find it quickly.
  • I really don't have a third point!
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Likelihood to Renew
The metrics are hard to understand at times and inaccurate to the point of being unusable. I stopped pulling them and solely rely on Adobe Analytics for them. So far, I've only used FS to watch sessions and determine behaviors
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Having used Google Analytics for the last 9 years, I have no intention of discontinuing my service. Google Analytics is a fantastic product that provides me with almost everything I could wish for. The positives in this product outweigh any negatives that you might find. I can not think of a single reason to not immediately start using Google Analytics for your business.
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Usability
Because everything seems to be easy to find and it doesn't take long at all to learn how to use the product
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Google Analytics provides a wealth of data, down to minute levels. That is it's greatest detriment: find the right information when you need it can be a cumbersome task. You are able to create shortcuts, however, so it can mitigate some of this problem. Google is continually refining Analytics, so I do not doubt there will be improvements
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Reliability and Availability
We've never had issues with availability
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We all know Google is at top when it comes to availability. We have never faced any such instances where I can suggest otherwise. All you need is a Google account, a device and internet connection to use this super powerful tool for reporting and visualising your site data, traffic, events, etc. that too in real time.
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Performance
It seems the performance is really good and always loads quickly
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This has been a catalyst for improving our site's traffic handling capabilities. We were able to identify exit% from our sites through it and we used recommendations to handle and implement the same in our sites. We have been increasing the usage of Google Analytics in our sites and never had any performance related issues if we used Analytics
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Support Rating
Yes, that is correct. FullStory has a dedicated support team that is available to assist with any issues or questions. The team is known for being responsive, knowledgeable, and helpful, and they are committed to ensuring that users get the most out of the FullStory platform. They helped us a lot to implement it with our web app
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The Google reps respond very quickly. However, sometimes they can overly call you to set up an apportionment. I'm very proficient and sometimes when I talk to reps, they give beginner tutorials and insights that are a waste of time. I wish Google would understand my level of expertise and assign me to a rep (long-term) that doesn't have to walk me through the basics.
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Online Training
No answers on this topic
love the product and training they provide for businesses of all sizes. The following list of links will help you get started with Google Analytics from setup to understanding what data is being presented by Google Analytics.
  1. How to Use Google Analytics for Beginners – Mahalo’s how-to guide for beginners.
  2. A beginner’s guide to Google Analytics – A free eBook walking you through Google Analytics from setup to understanding what data is being presented.
  3. Getting to Know Your Google Analytics Dashboard – The title says it all! This is a brief post with one goal: to introduce you to the Google Analytics dashboard.
  4. Google Analytics for Beginners: How to Make the Most of Your Traffic Reports– This guide doesn’t cover setup, but it does a great job of helping you to better understand the data being presented.
  5. Google Analytics Video Tutorial 1: Setup – A video presentation that walks you through Google Analytics setup.
  6. Google Analytics Video Tutorial 2: Essential Stats – A video presentation that introduces you to some of the most important data being presented in Google Analytics.
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Implementation Rating
I was not involved in the initial implementation, but I have found it easy to pick up and use without any guidance, so it's very user-friendly, intuitive, and not difficult to get a sense of use, though it may be more difficult to master (I am not a Fullstory master... yet!).
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Make sure to put the tracking code on every page. Ideally this would be part of a template or "include" so you can update the code on all pages (or at least within pages of the same category) at once.
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Alternatives Considered
Fullstory is really the best at session recording. They are adding new and more features to become more competitive with other web analytics tools (like Pendo, Heap, and GA). But we ultimately keep them because they make it so easy to actually see how people interact with your site. It is one thing to see a report that says customers fall off a page, it is another thing to actually be able to watch what they do as they fall off.
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I have not used Adobe Analytics as much, but I know they offer something called customer journey analytics, which we are evaluating now. I have used Semrush, and I find them much better than Google Analytics. I feel a fairly nontechnical person could learn Semrush in about a month. They also offer features like competitive analysis (on content, keywords, traffic, etc.), which is very useful. If you have to choose one among Semrush and Google Analytics, I would say go for Semrush.
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Scalability
Full story was easy to scale with the growth of our teams and organisation
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Google Analytics is currently handling the reporting and tracking of near about 80 sites in our project. And I am not talking about the sites from different projects. They may have way more accounts than that. Never ever felt a performance issue from Google's end while generating or customising reports or tracking custom events or creating custom dimensions
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Return on Investment
  • We reduced our payment error rate by 20% using FullStory.
  • Our product design team is able to get initial designs approved 95% of the time using FullStory data in order to explain to our stakeholders the reasoning behind decisions. We also do a before-and-after analysis, and we either net out the same with the new designs (just improved visuals) or improve the metric of whatever was designed. More often than not, we improve the metric.
  • We decreased the time to A/B testing insights by 50%.
  • We can usually visualize a production issue via FullStory within 10 minutes.
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  • Great for visualizing website drop-off pages to theories and test update/iterations.
  • Bounce rates on pages to pinpoint bugs and issues.
  • Inaccuracy can lead to incorrect conclusions and decisions around CRO.
  • Segments can be very useful for validating split testing, providing a free tracking of variation vs. control - great ROI.
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ScreenShots

Fullstory Screenshots

Screenshot of AI-generated Summaries used to Take Action More QuicklyScreenshot of a Visualization of Behavioral Data with Custom DashboardsScreenshot of Ready-made for AI Behavioral Data Straight to the organization's Data EcosystemScreenshot of Fullstory's Session Replay, Combined with Dev ToolsScreenshot of Mobile App Behavioral Data