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📊 Google Analytics 4 in 2026: Mandatory Migration or Real Alternatives?

30 September 2026

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[en] SEO

The Google Analytics migration to GA4 is no longer really a choice — it is a done deal. Universal Analytics stopped processing any data from 1er juillet 2023, puis a lost all its historical data from the week of 1er juillet 2024, UA 360 compris. En 2026, Google Analytics 4 est la seule version standard que Google propose encore.

The real question has changed: is GA4 the right tool for your site, or does an alternative such as Matomo, Plausible ou Piwik PRO répond-elle mieux à vos besoins de trafic et de GDPR compliance needs?

Key takeaways

Universal Analytics no longer exists: GA4 is the only standard version remaining at Google.
GA4 remains free, but its limitations (sampling, 14-month retention) are pushing some organisations towards GA4 360 or an alternative.
Matomo, Plausible and Piwik PRO are credible alternatives: open source, lightweight, enterprise compliance.
CNIL and GDPR: check case by case — no recent ruling specifically addresses GA4.

🔍 Where Do Things Stand with Google Analytics 4 (GA4) in 2026?

Let us start with the Universal Analytics timeline, then cover GA4’s limitations.

⏳ Context Recap: The Definitive End of Universal Analytics

Depuis le 1er juillet 2023, les propriétés Universal Analytics standard ne traitent plus aucune donnée. Dès la semaine du 1er juillet 2024, l’accès à l’historique et à l’interface a disparu, UA 360 inclus.

Note: if your site has not switched to GA4, measurement is already interrupted.

⚠️ The Persistent Limitations of GA4 (Complexity, Sampling, Privacy)

GA4 has a reputation for being harder to get to grips with than Universal Analytics — a frequent observation from users.

On the technical side, exploration sampling reste la limite la plus citée en version gratuite : selon la documentation Google, 10 millions d’événements par requête, contre 1 milliard sur GA4 360.

Definition: privacy thresholds (data thresholds). A mechanism that hides certain data in reports when the number of users is too low, to prevent any indirect identification of an individual. Unrelated to sampling.

Doko’s view: our clients often discover a GA4 interface that is very different from Universal Analytics. A good configuration of key events avoids most of the frustrations associated with the Google Analytics migration.

🔑 Google Analytics Migration: Why It Is (Still) a Mandatory Step for Many

Despite these limitations, GA4 retains one argument that few alternatives can match: its native integration with the Google ecosystem.

🔗 The Google Ecosystem (Ads, Search Console): Interoperability as King

GA4 integrates natively with Google Ads et à Search Console : trafic organique, campagnes payantes et conversions se retrouvent dans un même tableau de bord.

💶 Free Version vs Advanced Features

Google Analytics est accessible gratuitement à toutes les entreprises. La version payante, Google Analytics 360, élargit les quotas pour les organisations à fort volume de données, comme le détaille la documentation officielle de Google.

Criterion	GA4 standard (free)	GA4 360 (paid)
Exploration sampling	10 million events/query	1 billion events/query
Data retention	Up to 14 months	Up to 50 months
API quotas	200,000 tokens/day	2 million tokens/day
Audiences	100	400
Daily BigQuery export	1 million events/day	Billions of events/day

Note: GA4 360 is aimed primarily at large accounts. For the majority of SMEs, the free version is sufficient.

GA4 also relies on Consent Mode: when a visitor refuses cookies, Google fills part of the gap through conversion modelling.

On third-party cookies, Google abandoned its Chrome removal project in July 2024, in favour of leaving the choice to the user.

Doko’s view: on the accounts we manage with active Google Ads, the native integration often remains the decisive argument for staying with GA4.

GA4 or an alternative: which solution should you choose for your web analytics?

Tracking, data, conversions and GDPR compliance: Doko audits your setup and helps you choose the analytics solution best suited to your needs.

Request a quote

🧭 Credible Alternatives to GA4 for Your Web Analytics in 2026

Staying on GA4 is not mandatory, however: several tools are establishing themselves as serious alternatives.

Suggestion visuelle : capture comparant les interfaces GA4 et Matomo. Légende : « GA4 vs Matomo, deux philosophies ». Texte alternatif : « Comparaison des interfaces Google Analytics 4 et Matomo ».

🛡️ Matomo: The Open-Source and Data-Sovereign Alternative (GDPR Focus)

Matomo se positionne comme l’alternative open source à Google Analytics : self-hostable for free, permanently, with full data ownership. A positioning that appeals to organisations attentive to data sovereignty and GDPR compliance.

🪶 Plausible and Piwik PRO: Lightweight and Compliant Without Compromise

Plausible mise sur la légèreté : un minimal script, without cookies, hosted on infrastructure within the European Union.

Piwik PRO cible, lui, les organisations aux high regulatory requirements, with announced compliance with GDPR, HIPAA and more than 140 pieces of legislation, via Business and Enterprise plans.

💼 When Should You Opt for a Paid Solution?

Switching to a paid offering — GA4 360 or Piwik PRO — is most justified in these cases:

A traffic volume that regularly exceeds the free quotas.
A regulated business (healthcare, finance) that requires enhanced guarantees.
A need for bulk data export to a data warehouse.
A presence in multiple jurisdictions with different requirements.

Doko’s view: for the majority of our SME clients, Matomo or Plausible more than cover the needs without the costs of an enterprise offering.

🧮 How to Choose Between Migrating to GA4 and Adopting a New Tool?

Three criteria are generally enough to decide between keeping GA4, migrating to GA360 or adopting an alternative.

📈 Criterion 1: Your Real Data Needs

For simple reports (traffic, sources, conversions), the free quotas of GA4 or Plausible are sufficient.

If you cross-reference numerous custom dimensions or export to a data warehouse, the quota differences between GA4 standard and 360 carry real weight.

🛠️ Criterion 2: Your Team’s Technical Skills Level

Self-hosted Matomo requires a team capable of maintaining a server. Plausible and Piwik PRO, in hosted mode, remove this burden but make you dependent on the provider.

⚖️ Criterion 3: The Budget and Legal Compliance (CNIL)

Budget depends on traffic volume and expected compliance. On the legal side, caution is called for.

En 2022, la CNIL avait issued formal notices to several sites regarding data transfers to the United States linked to Google Analytics. The framework has evolved since, with an EU-US adequacy decision adopted in 2023 — the Data Privacy Framework. Aucune clarification récente ne nomme spécifiquement Google Analytics : mieux vaut vérifier sa configuration avec un DPO plutôt que se fier à un verdict tranché.

The CNIL provides for an consent exemption for certain audience measurement tools, except those whose provider reuses the data for its own purposes. Check the terms of the tool you choose.

Note: the CNIL unpublishes its formal notices after a certain period: the 2022 page is no longer online.

Need clarity? The Doko team audits your tracking and helps you choose between GA4 and an alternative.

Doko’s view: our stance is never to decide a compliance matter in place of a DPO.

❓ FAQ: Your Questions About the Google Analytics Migration and Alternatives

⏰ Is It Too Late to Migrate to GA4?

No, but there is no other option at Google: Universal Analytics lost its data from July 2024. The only risk is a lack of historical data.

🌐 What Are the Best Alternatives to GA4?

Matomo pour l’open source, Plausible pour sa légèreté sans cookies, Piwik PRO pour les exigences de conformité élevées. Le bon choix dépend de vos besoins.

🆓 Is Google Analytics 4 Free?

Yes. The paid version, GA4 360, extends the sampling, retention and API quotas for high-traffic organisations.

🚪 Can You Completely Do Without Google to Analyse Your Traffic?

Technically yes, via Matomo, Plausible or Piwik PRO. Many businesses remain held back by the interoperability with Google Ads and Search Console.

🏛️ How Does the CNIL View Google Analytics Today?

With caution. The CNIL issued formal notices to several sites in 2022 regarding transfers to the United States. The 2023 Data Privacy Framework changed the framework, but no recent clarification rules on Google Analytics: have your configuration verified by a DPO.