Comparison
govanalytics vs. Google Analytics 4
GA4 is the most widely used web analytics platform in the world, but for Dutch public sector organisations that reputation does not match the legal reality. This is the honest comparison.
- GDPR-compliant by design: no configuration needed.
- NL hosting as standard, no American parent company.
- GA4 Measurement Protocol-compatible: your existing tagging keeps working.
- Cookieless measurement: no cookie banner required.
| Feature | govanalytics | Google Analytics 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Data model and session management | ||
| Data schema Events and sessions in a flat, directly usable schema versus nested BigQuery fields. | Flat schema Directly usable in BI tools without an additional unpacking step. | Nested fields GA4 BigQuery exports require unpacking event_params. |
| Session processing Are sessions created server-side or dependent on client-side logic? | Server-side (reliable) | Client-side (unreliable) Client-side session logic leads to inconsistent numbers with ad blockers and browser settings. |
| Session dimensions at event level Are session source, landing page and duration directly available on every event? | Yes | No Requires additional modelling on top of the GA4 export. |
| Raw event data Useful when analysts want to inspect, join or export data outside the UI. | Yes | BigQuery export Available, but with limits on standard properties (1M events/day). |
| Data retention | Unlimited, configurable | Up to 14 months |
| Modelled e-commerce data | Yes | Limited Requires repeated unpacking of nested parameters. |
| Tracking and protocols | ||
| GA4 Measurement Protocol govanalytics accepts GA4-style tracking, so your existing GTM setup keeps working. | Yes | Own protocol |
| Matomo protocol compatibility | Yes | No |
| Custom events | Yes | Yes |
| UTM parameter support Campaign measurement via utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign and referring domains. | Yes | Yes |
| Server-side collection govanalytics can act as a server-managed collection endpoint. GA4 server-side tagging keeps Google in the processing chain. | Yes | Server-side GTM Google remains a processor. |
| Storage and data ownership | ||
| Managed cloud option | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hostable | Yes | No |
| Open source | MIT | No |
| Own data warehouse as destination govanalytics makes your warehouse the primary storage layer, not just an export destination after Google has processed it. | Yes | BigQuery export Google processes and exports; you receive. |
| BigQuery destination | Yes | Yes |
| ClickHouse destination | Yes | No |
| CSV / Parquet export | Yes | No |
| BI tool compatibility | Yes | Mainly Looker / BigQuery |
| Privacy and compliance | ||
| EU hosting | Yes | Limited control Google processes partly in the EU, but you have little influence over data storage and sharing with other Google products. |
| NL hosting | Yes | No |
| Cookieless measurement govanalytics supports cookieless or low-cookie configurations, compatible with Google Consent Mode. | Yes | Limited Cookieless mode significantly limits measurement quality. |
| No American parent company | Yes | No |
| Full data ownership Google can use analytics data for the Ads ecosystem. govanalytics is designed so data stays in your own infrastructure. | Yes | No |
| On-premise or private deployment | Yes | No |
| GDPR-compliant by design | Yes | Limited Requires extensive DPIA and additional measures. Multiple European regulators have raised objections. |
| BIO / comply-or-explain | Yes | No |
| Analytics capabilities | ||
| Dashboard | Yes | Yes |
| Realtime analytics | Coming soon | Yes |
| Data freshness | Near realtime | Up to 24 hours Standard intraday processing takes 2–6 hours; daily data can take 12–24+ hours. |
| Conversion goals | Coming soon | Yes |
| Date comparison | Yes | Yes |
| Filtering | Yes | Yes |
| Ask AI (built-in analytics agent) | Yes | Insights, not an agent |
| Suitable for AI agents AI agents work better with flat, understandable tables and real sessions. | Yes | Limited Nested schema and sampling limit AI usability. |
| SharePoint Tracker (intranet) | Yes | No |
| Administration and pricing | ||
| Free tier | Up to 500k events/month | Free UI GA4 itself is free, but BigQuery export, querying and implementation costs add up. |
| Self-hostable (free) | Yes | No |
| Transparent public sector pricing | Yes | No |
| Custom data processing agreement | Yes | Limited Standard Google terms. |
| DPIA template included | Yes | No |
govanalytics
Google Analytics 4 Veelgestelde vragen
- Is GA4 still permitted for Dutch public sector organisations?
- There is no explicit prohibition, but the GDPR risks are sufficiently documented to cause a DPIA to fail. Multiple European regulators have raised objections to GA4 implementations. For most government organisations it is not a question of permission, but of being able to justify the choice.
- Do I have to throw away my entire GTM setup when switching?
- No. govanalytics supports the GA4 Measurement Protocol. Your existing Google Tag Manager implementation, custom events and UTM parameters keep working. You change where the data goes, not what happens on the website.
- Is govanalytics free like GA4?
- No, but GA4 is not free either. You pay with visitor data. govanalytics uses transparent public sector pricing, including a free tier up to 500,000 events per month.
- How long does migration from GA4 to govanalytics take?
- For most organisations a quarter is more than enough. Both systems can run in parallel: you send the same events to both endpoints, compare reports over a few weeks, and only switch off GA4 once govanalytics data matches what you expect.
- Does govanalytics have the same reports as GA4?
- No, and that is a deliberate choice. govanalytics focuses on reliable visitor data per page, session and channel. Advanced marketing features such as heatmaps or A/B testing are not included. Serious reporting happens in BI tools or in your own data warehouse.
// 06 / The invitation
And for everyone who chooses to hold themselves to the same standard
even without the law requiring it.
Municipalities, provinces, water authorities, public bodies, housing associations and executive organisations: you can start measuring under the same standard today. The same platform. The same documentation. The same architecture.
