When Google sunset Universal Analytics and ushered in GA4, it left a lot of businesses, especially manufacturers and distributors, scrambling. GA4 didn’t just change the interface; it redefined the data model, removed familiar reports, and introduced complexity where clarity once lived. For teams in B2B eCommerce, this wasn’t just frustrating—it was disruptive.
Manufacturers and distributors rely heavily on data to make informed decisions about product performance, buyer behavior, and channel ROI. They need visibility into SKU-level engagement, account-based interactions, and detailed sales funnels that stretch across weeks or months. GA4’s event-based model may work for apps and content sites, but for organizations rooted in products, quotes, and long-tail transactions, it can feel like trying to fit a round peg in a square hole.
Fortunately, there’s no rule that says you have to stick with GA4. Whether you're prioritizing privacy, ease of use, or deeper behavioral analytics, there are powerful alternatives that align more naturally with how B2B eCommerce actually works. Below are some of the top Google Analytics replacements worth considering in 2025, especially if you're a manufacturer or distributor ready to regain control over your data.
- Matomo: Full Ownership and Compliance for Complex Catalogs
Matomo (formerly Piwik) is a privacy-focused, open-source analytics platform that’s ideal for manufacturers handling sensitive product data or operating in highly regulated environments. You can self-host it, meaning your customer and product data stays entirely in your control—no third-party sharing, no sampling, and no surprises.
Matomo’s flexibility is especially valuable for distributors with large product catalogs who need to track SKU-level engagement across sessions and devices when paired with proper user identification. It also enables secure tracking of B2B buyer behavior across quoting tools, account dashboards, and product detail pages.
Visit matomo.org to explore features
- Fathom Analytics: Clean Reporting for Busy B2B Teams
Fathom offers the simplicity GA4 lacks. With a no-cookie, privacy-first approach, it’s a great solution for manufacturers or wholesalers who want to avoid GDPR headaches without losing visibility. The interface is easy to navigate, meaning your marketing and sales teams won’t need a data analyst to interpret every report.
While it doesn’t provide deep behavioral breakdowns, it’s ideal for executive teams monitoring top-funnel metrics like traffic sources, campaign performance, and basic goal conversions, without digging through layers of reports.
See what Fathom offers at usefathom.com
- Plausible Analytics: Transparency with the Right Metrics
Plausible is another privacy-first, lightweight platform that skips cookies and complex dashboards. It’s especially useful for distributors and manufacturers with smaller marketing teams who want fast access to core insights.
Its straightforward reporting makes it a good fit for tracking high-level campaign performance, landing page success, and referrer sources—all without the need for cookie banners or invasive scripts.
Review capabilities at plausible.io
- Mixpanel: Behavior-Driven Insights for Product-Centric Businesses
Mixpanel is ideal for B2B teams that need to understand how users engage with products, not just pages. It enables detailed event tracking across product interactions, account tools, and content downloads.
For manufacturers with technical buyers—or distributors offering digital catalogs, calculators, or product configurators—Mixpanel can uncover how different behaviors correlate with conversions and revenue.
Explore Mixpanel’s platform at mixpanel.com
- Heap Analytics: Automatic Event Tracking for Complex Buying Paths
Heap automatically captures most user interactions out of the box—like clicks, form submissions, and page views—reducing the need for manual tagging. This makes it ideal for manufacturers and distributors managing long, non-linear buying processes.
B2B teams love Heap for evaluating quoting flows, document downloads, pricing tool usage, and reordering behavior. It enables quick, retroactive analysis so you’re not limited by what you remembered to track upfront.
Learn how Heap works at heap.io
- Adobe Analytics: Enterprise-Grade Customization for Global Brands
Adobe Analytics is a top choice for enterprise-level manufacturers and national distributors who need total customization. It excels in multi-market environments with complex reporting needs, product hierarchies, and customer segmentation.
It's anomaly detection, contribution analysis, and deep segmentation—combined with Adobe Experience Cloud integrations—make it particularly powerful for running B2B personalization, content targeting, and cross-channel campaign analysis.
View Adobe’s analytics solutions at adobe.com/analytics
Final Thoughts: Choose Analytics That Align With B2B Complexity
B2B eCommerce leaders in manufacturing and distribution don’t just need analytics—they need analytics that respect their complexity. GA4 may be the default, but it’s not the best fit for every business. When buyer journeys stretch across weeks, decisions involve multiple stakeholders, and product catalogs number in the thousands, clarity and control matter more than ever.
At Layer One, we don’t sell analytics software—we help manufacturers and distributors make sense of it. From aligning KPIs to eCommerce goals, to connecting analytics with platforms like PIMs, ERPs, and CRMs, we ensure your data actually works for your business. If you’re rethinking your analytics approach as part of a broader digital strategy, we’re here to help you move forward with clarity and confidence.
Looking to move beyond GA4? Let’s talk.