Conversion tracking comparisons

Pixel vs first-party endpoint

A browser pixel vs a first-party endpoint

Sending events to a platform domain versus your own subdomain — what changes for cookies, blockers and control.

App vs custom (Shopify)

A maintained Shopify tracking app vs a custom build

A maintained Shopify tracking app versus a custom build — subscriptions, refunds and who chases platform changes.

One-time vs monthly

A one-time tracking build vs monthly tracking SaaS

Rent or own your tracking: cost over three years, what happens when you stop paying, and who holds the data.

Tracking app vs custom

A Shopify tracking app vs a custom GTM build

A Shopify data-layer and server-side app versus a custom container build — speed, control and cost shape.

SaaS vs custom build

Attribution SaaS vs building server-side tracking yourself

A subscription attribution tool versus owning your own tracking infrastructure — cost shape, control and overlap.

SaaS vs sGTM loop

Attribution SaaS vs server-side GTM with an offline conversion loop

Rent an attribution platform or own a server container with an offline conversion loop — the real trade-off.

Consent Mode basic vs advanced

Consent Mode basic vs advanced

What each mode actually does before consent, what you gain and lose, and whose decision it really is.

CRM vs analytics

CRM attribution vs analytics attribution

Web analytics stops at the form; the CRM knows what the lead became. How to join them into one picture.

DDA vs last click

Data-driven attribution vs last click

What changes when you switch attribution models, what it doesn't fix, and how to read the difference honestly.

DIY vs consultant

Doing tracking yourself vs hiring someone

What you can genuinely do yourself, what's worth paying for, and how to tell which situation you're in.

Enhanced vs offline

Enhanced Conversions vs offline conversion import

Two different Google features solving two different problems. Which one you need, and when you need both.

GA4 vs platform attribution

GA4 attribution vs ad platform attribution

Why every platform claims more conversions than you had, and how to reconcile them without picking a favourite.

GA4 vs Google Ads

GA4 conversions vs Google Ads conversions

Why the two never match, which one to bid on, and which one to report — with the reasons they differ.

In-house vs agency

Hiring a tracking specialist vs using a specialist agency

When to hire a tracking specialist and when to use a specialist agency — honest economics from someone who is one.

Hyros vs GA4

Hyros vs GA4

A paid attribution platform built for info-product and call funnels versus free analytics — what each is actually for.

Manual vs auto-tagging

Manual UTM tagging vs platform auto-tagging

Why auto-tagging should be on, what manual UTMs still do, and the conflict that breaks attribution when both run.

Pixel vs CAPI

Meta Pixel vs the Conversions API

Why it isn't either/or, what CAPI actually adds, and the deduplication that decides whether it helps or hurts.

Native vs custom

Native integrations vs custom tracking

One-click platform connections versus a custom container — where native runs out of room and where it doesn't.

Northbeam vs GA4

Northbeam vs GA4

Modelled multi-touch attribution for paid media versus free analytics — what modelling buys and what it obscures.

Attribution platforms

Northbeam vs Triple Whale

Two paid attribution platforms with different centres of gravity — how to pick without a stale feature table.

One action vs many

One conversion action or several

When to consolidate conversion actions and when to split them, with the volume and value trade-off spelled out.

Primary vs secondary

Primary vs secondary conversion actions

Which conversion actions should drive bidding, which should only report, and why most accounts get this wrong.

sGTM vs CAPI Gateway

Server GTM vs Meta's Conversions API Gateway

A Meta-only hosted gateway versus a general-purpose server container — scope, control and when each is enough.

Server-side vs client-side

Server-side vs client-side tracking

Which to use, when client-side is enough, what server-side actually fixes, and the honest cost of each.

Native vs custom (Shopify)

Shopify's native integrations vs a custom Customer Events build

Shopify's built-in pixel connections versus a custom Customer Events and order-webhook build.

Managed sGTM hosts

Stape vs Addingwell for managed server GTM hosting

How to choose between managed server GTM hosts on the criteria that matter, without a feature-list shootout.

Stape vs Cloud Run

Stape vs Google Cloud Run for hosting server GTM

Managed server GTM hosting versus running it yourself on Cloud Run — control, cost model and who maintains it.

Triple Whale vs GA4

Triple Whale vs GA4

A paid ecommerce attribution platform versus free analytics — what you're actually buying and what neither fixes.

UTM vs click ID

UTM attribution vs click ID attribution

Two different identifiers doing two different jobs — which one the ad platforms actually match on.

Web GTM vs server GTM

Web GTM vs server-side GTM

What a server container adds, what it costs to run, and when web GTM on its own is the right answer.