Analytics platforms are one of those tools we all have to use — but rarely enjoy using. Between privacy concerns, cookie banners, GA4 confusion, and client expectations, “just checking the stats” has gotten weirdly complicated.
This post is a summary of a Tuesday Toolbox discussion inside The Admin Bar community, where agency owners shared the analytics platforms they rely on — and why they’ve stuck with them.
There’s no single “best” option here. But there are some very clear preferences.
The Most Mentioned Tools
These analytics platforms came up the most in the discussion:
A long tail of other tools came up as well (we’ll get to those).
Why Agencies Choose These Analytics Platforms
Fathom Analytics
The clear favorite in this thread.
- Clean, readable dashboards that clients can actually understand
- Dead-simple setup and goal tracking
- Privacy-minded (no cookies, no banner needed)
- Affordable and easy to scale across care plans
Several folks noted that while Fathom doesn’t replace deep SEO analysis, that’s kind of the point — it’s intentionally simple.
Best fit: agencies who want clean, privacy-friendly analytics without GA4 headaches.
Independent Analytics
The WordPress-native standout.
- Lives directly inside the WordPress dashboard
- No cookies and no external requests
- Deep access to WordPress-specific data
- Self-hosted and ad-blocker friendly
“Native WP integration giving deeper access to WP metadata — simple to set up and hard to beat.”
Caleb
Recent additions like user journeys and ecommerce reporting came up multiple times as reasons people are sticking with it.
Best fit: WordPress agencies who want analytics inside WP, not another external tool.
Google Analytics (GA4)
Still widely used — mostly out of necessity.
- Required for Google Ads integration
- Paired with Looker Studio for reporting
- Familiar to clients and stakeholders
That said, enthusiasm was… limited.
“Begrudgingly, GA4. Google Ads integration is the only reason.”
Thomas
Best fit: agencies running ads or needing deep integrations — even if they don’t love it.
Pirsch
A growing favorite among privacy-first folks.
- Cookie-free and easy to read
- Unlimited sites with predictable pricing
- Email reports and client dashboards without accounts
Several people mentioned moving to Pirsch from other privacy tools as their needs grew.
Best fit: agencies managing many sites who want predictable pricing and client-friendly reporting.
Usermaven
Praised for UI and clarity.
- Simple dashboards
- Strong attribution features
- Appeals to marketing-focused workflows
Often mentioned alongside other privacy-first tools as a GA alternative.
Best fit: agencies wanting cleaner attribution without GA complexity.
Notable Mentions
These tools also came up, often tied to specific setups or requirements:
- Umami (often self-hosted)
- Matomo
- Plausible
- Cyan Stats
- Analytics WP
Several agencies also mentioned running multiple tools depending on client needs (ads vs care plans vs internal reporting).
Patterns We Noticed
A few themes stood out quickly:
- Privacy-first tools are winning mindshare
- Clients need clarity, not depth
- WordPress-native analytics are increasingly appealing
- GA4 is still used — but rarely loved
- Simple dashboards get checked more often than complex ones
In other words, analytics only matter if someone actually looks at them.
How to Choose the Right Analytics Platform
If you’re evaluating options, these questions came up again and again:
- Do you need Google Ads integration?
- Will clients ever log in — and can they understand it?
- Do you want analytics inside WordPress or externally?
- Are you trying to measure SEO performance or general site health?
- Do privacy and cookie requirements matter for your audience?
These recommendations came directly from a Tuesday Toolbox discussion inside The Admin Bar community. Each week, we pick a new topic and crowdsource real-world tools and workflows from agency owners doing the work.
If you want to help shape the toolbox library, join the conversation next Tuesday.
Kyle Van Deusen
After spending 15 years as a graphic designer and earning a business degree, I launched my agency, OGAL Web Design, in 2017. A year later, after finding the amazing community around WordPress, I co-found The Admin Bar, which has grown to become the #1 community for WordPress professionals. I'm a husband and proud father of three, and a resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
