Skip to content

Comparison · Measurement architecture

GA4 standard, BigQuery or your own event layer? For most, GA4 standard is enough. An event layer of your own only pays off in clear cases.

GA4 standard is free and does more than many comparisons claim. This page names the documented limits with their source and says when a custom event layer becomes worthwhile.

Discuss a project Run your own numbers

How we compare

  • We sell the alternative

    This is not a neutral review. That is why price date, assumptions and the maths sit openly next to it.

  • Both outcomes are shown

    Including the scenarios where the vendor wins. A comparison that always ends in our favour would be advertising.

  • Only evidenced numbers

    List prices with a source. Where a vendor does not publish, no invented total appears.

  • Your numbers decide

    The calculator takes your users, your volume and your term instead of our assumption.

In short

Replacing GA4 is rarely the goal. For most websites GA4 standard is enough and the BigQuery export covers the rest. A custom event layer pays off where the event model is part of the product, where raw data is needed beyond the retention window, or where several systems need the same events consistently. This page used to claim that replacing GA4 was the normal case. That was wrong.

Why there is no calculation here: There is deliberately no three-year calculation here. GA4 standard is free and GA 360 is quote-only. A list price picked out of the air would produce a result that only confirms our own assumption.

In detail

What GA4 standard does and does not do

Point Google Analytics 4 FW Delta
Price GA4 standard is free; GA 360 is quote-only one-time build plus hosting and BigQuery cost
Raw data export the BigQuery export is available on standard too raw data sits in your own database from day one
Export limit daily batch export up to 1 million events per day; streaming has no stated volume limit and is billed by volume your infrastructure is the limit
Retention 2 or 14 months for explorations and funnels; aggregated standard reports are not affected as long as you choose to keep it
Sampling in explorations above a quota of 10 million events no sampling, but your own query cost
Data control processed by Google under its terms processed where you run the systems
Attribution Google models, limited configuration on standard your model, and your responsibility for it
Effort quick to set up, plenty of expertise available a project with a measurement plan, build and operations

The decision

What speaks for which route.

A custom event layer pays off when

  • raw data is needed longer than retention allows
  • the event model is part of your product
  • several systems need the same events consistently
  • the daily export limits are hit regularly
  • the analysis has to be reproducible and versioned

Stay with GA4 when

  • · standard reports and explorations cover the need
  • · the event volume sits under the export limits
  • · you want to use Google attribution
  • · nobody wants to run a data store
  • · ad platforms are the main consumers anyway

Documented facts

Documented facts from the Google documentation

  • GA4 Standard supports the BigQuery export. The daily batch export is limited to 1 million events per day; the streaming export has no stated event volume limit and is billed by BigQuery at roughly USD 0.05 per gigabyte.

    As of 2026-08-10 · Source

  • The GA4 data retention setting offers 2 or 14 months on standard properties. It affects explorations and funnel reports. Standard aggregated reports are not affected by it.

    As of 2026-08-10 · Source

  • Sampling in GA4 explorations starts above a quota of 10 million events for standard properties and up to 1 billion events for 360 properties. It is a query threshold in explorations, not a monthly collection cap.

    As of 2026-08-10 · Source

If you want to switch

What happens next

  1. 30 minutes

    Conversation

    We walk through your starting point and say honestly whether a move pays off for you.

  2. within five working days

    Fixed-price proposal

    With scope, assumptions and what is explicitly not included.

  3. depending on scope

    Build and handover

    Code access from day one, manual at the end, no obligation to keep us.

Common questions

Is the BigQuery export really 360 only?

No, that is a widespread misconception. The BigQuery export is available for standard properties. The daily batch export is limited to one million events per day; the streaming export has no stated volume limit and is billed by BigQuery on data volume.

Do I lose everything after 14 months?

No. The retention setting affects explorations and funnel reports. Aggregated standard reports are not affected. If you need raw data for longer, export it to BigQuery.

What do the 10 million events mean?

That is the quota above which exploration queries on standard properties run on a sample. It is not a monthly cap on data collection.

Do you recommend switching GA4 off?

Usually not. A custom event layer normally complements GA4 rather than replacing it. The ad platforms still need their own signals either way.

Read on

Where to go next.

Next step

Measure first, then decide

The Tracking Check shows whether your problem is GA4 or the measurement in front of it.

Reply within 24 hours. No obligation, confidential.

Discuss a project Run your own numbers