Is Google Analytics 4 free to use?

Yes, Google Analytics 4 is completely free for most businesses. Google also offers Analytics 360, a paid enterprise version, for sites that process billions of events per month. For the vast majority of small and mid-sized businesses, the free version of GA4 provides more than enough power and flexibility.

What is the difference between Universal Analytics and GA4?

The biggest difference is the data model. Universal Analytics used a session-based model that tracked pageviews as the core unit. GA4 uses an event-based model where every interaction—page view, scroll, click, purchase—is recorded as an event. GA4 also offers cross-platform tracking (web + app), machine-learning insights, and a privacy-centric design built for a cookieless future.

Google Analytics 4: The Complete Beginner's Guide for 2025

Why Google Analytics 4 Matters in 2025

Since Google officially sunset Universal Analytics in July 2023, Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is now the only game in town. Yet studies show that over 40% of website owners still haven’t fully configured their GA4 properties. If you’re one of them, this guide is for you.

GA4 isn’t just an upgrade—it’s a complete rethink of how web analytics works. It tracks events instead of sessions, supports cross-platform measurement (web and mobile app together), and is designed with user privacy at its core.

Let’s break it all down, step by step.

How to Set Up GA4 on Your Website

Step 1: Create a GA4 Property

Go to analytics.google.com and sign in.
Click Admin (gear icon) → Create Property.
Enter your property name, time zone, and currency.
Follow the prompts to set up a Web data stream by entering your site URL.

Google will generate a Measurement ID (it looks like G-XXXXXXXXXX). This is what connects your site to GA4.

Step 2: Install the Tracking Code

You have three main options:

Google Tag Manager (GTM) — Recommended for flexibility. Simply add your Measurement ID to a new GA4 Configuration tag.
Direct code snippet — Paste the gtag.js snippet into the <head> section of every page.
CMS plugin — If you use WordPress or PrestaShop, dedicated plugins make installation a one-click process.

Pro tip: At Lueur Externe, we typically recommend Google Tag Manager because it lets you add, edit, and manage tags without touching your site’s source code—saving time and reducing errors.

Step 3: Verify Data Is Flowing

Open the Realtime report in GA4, then visit your own site. You should see at least one active user within seconds. If you don’t, double-check your Measurement ID and tag placement.

Understanding the Event-Based Data Model

This is the single biggest shift from Universal Analytics. In GA4, everything is an event:

Interaction	Universal Analytics	GA4
Page load	Pageview (hit)	`page_view` event
Button click	Event (category/action/label)	Custom event
Purchase	E-commerce hit	`purchase` event
Scroll to 90%	Not tracked by default	`scroll` event (automatic)

GA4 automatically collects certain events—like page_view, scroll, click, and file_download—without any extra configuration. These enhanced measurement events cover roughly 70% of what most sites need right out of the box.

For anything else (form submissions, video plays, add-to-cart actions), you create custom events through GTM or the GA4 interface.

Key GA4 Reports Every Beginner Should Know

Acquisition Reports

Answer the question: Where do my visitors come from? You’ll see breakdowns by organic search, paid ads, social media, direct traffic, and referral. Pay special attention to the User acquisition vs. Traffic acquisition distinction—one shows how new users first found you, the other shows how all sessions arrive.

Engagement Reports

These replace the old “Behavior” section. Key metrics include:

Average engagement time — How long users actively interact (replaces bounce rate).
Engaged sessions per user — Sessions lasting over 10 seconds, having 2+ page views, or triggering a conversion.
Events count — Total events fired across your site.

Monetization Reports

Essential for e-commerce. Track revenue, purchase count, and average order value. GA4 supports both online sales and in-app purchases in a single view—a huge advantage for businesses with multiple touchpoints.

5 Quick Wins After Setup

Mark key events as conversions — Go to Admin → Events, then toggle the conversion switch for events like purchase, generate_lead, or sign_up.
Link Google Search Console — Unlock organic keyword data directly inside GA4.
Link Google Ads — See the full paid campaign funnel from click to conversion.
Create audiences — Build segments (e.g., users who visited 3+ times but never purchased) for remarketing.
Set up Explorations — GA4’s free-form reporting tool lets you build custom funnel analyses, path analyses, and cohort reports.

Common GA4 Mistakes to Avoid

Not filtering internal traffic — Your own visits inflate the data. Set up an IP filter in the data stream settings.
Ignoring data retention settings — By default, GA4 keeps user-level data for only 2 months. Switch it to 14 months under Admin → Data Settings → Data Retention.
Skipping the debug view — Always test new events using GA4’s DebugView before going live.

Conclusion: Start Tracking Smarter Today

Google Analytics 4 may feel overwhelming at first, but once you understand the event-based logic, it’s actually more powerful and more intuitive than its predecessor. The key is getting the foundation right: proper installation, well-defined conversions, and clean data from day one.

If you’d rather skip the learning curve and have everything configured correctly the first time, Lueur Externe—a certified web agency with over 20 years of experience in analytics, SEO, and e-commerce—can handle the entire setup for you.

Get in touch for a free GA4 audit →