Statsdot or Google Analytics 4?
Updated October 13, 2026
Google Analytics 4 is the default choice: it is free, it connects with Google Ads and it can answer almost any question if you have the time to build the report. Statsdot does less, on purpose, and runs without cookies.
The short version
| Statsdot | Google Analytics 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cookies | None | _ga and _ga_<id>, kept up to 2 years |
| Consent banner in the EU | Usually not needed for analytics | Required (Google's EU user consent policy) |
| Company and data location | EU | Google LLC, United States |
| Script size | Under 1 KB compressed | About 150 KB compressed |
| Data history | 6 months (Free), while you subscribe (Pro) | Event-level data 2 or 14 months |
| Price | Free up to 10,000 pageviews, Pro 9 € a month | Free |
| Google Ads and Search Console | No | Yes |
| Funnels, user-level reports, predictions | No | Yes |
Facts about Google Analytics checked on 13 October 2026 in Google's own documentation.
Consent changes the numbers you see
GA4 sets cookies, so in the EU it may only run after the visitor accepts them. Everyone who rejects the banner, or ignores it, never appears in your reports. Depending on the audience and the banner, that can be a large share of your traffic, and you have no way of knowing how large.
Statsdot sets no cookies and stores nothing on the device, so it does not depend on the banner. You see every visit.
Where the data goes
Google Analytics sends your visitors' data to Google LLC, a US company. The transfer is currently allowed under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, a framework that has already been challenged in court and whose appeal is pending. Statsdot keeps the data in the European Union and never shares it.
What Google Analytics does better
Be honest with yourself about what you use. If you need any of these, keep Google Analytics:
- Conversion import into Google Ads and audiences for remarketing.
- Search Console data next to your traffic.
- Funnels, paths and explorations built from raw events.
- Reports per logged-in user across devices.
What you gain with Statsdot
- All your visits, without depending on the consent banner.
- One screen instead of a report builder: visitors, pages, sources, campaigns, goals and devices, with one-click filters.
- A script under 1 KB that does not slow your pages down.
- Data stored in the EU and never used for anything else.
Switching without losing anything
- Add the Statsdot script next to Google Analytics.
- Compare both for a few weeks. Statsdot will usually show more visitors, because it also counts the ones who reject cookies.
- Keep Google Analytics only if you rely on Google Ads features, or remove it and, if nothing else needs it, simplify your cookie banner.
Questions
Is Google Analytics illegal in the EU?
No. Since 2023 Google is certified under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which allows the transfer. A challenge to that framework (case Latombe) was dismissed in September 2025 and is under appeal. What GA4 does need in the EU is the visitor's consent, because it sets cookies.
Can I run both at the same time?
Yes. Many sites keep Google Analytics for advertising and add Statsdot to see every visit, including the visitors who reject cookies.
Can I import my Google Analytics history?
Not yet. Keep your Google Analytics property for historical reports while Statsdot builds up its own history.