Comparison · Rent or own
A tracking app on subscription or your own Tag Manager? The app is convenient while it runs. Your own Tag Manager belongs to you, even when no invoice is paid any more.
A tracking app is installed in twenty minutes. Your own Tag Manager costs more once and stays your property afterwards. This comparison shows what that means over three years and in the event of a cancellation.
The tracking check shows within two working days which route fits you. Credited if you commission within 30 days.
The two routes
- Tracking app on subscription: Rented measurement with a recurring fee
- Your own Tag Manager: The settings sit in your account
How we compare
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Both routes can be right
After the check we pick the simplest route that meets your need, not the most expensive one.
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No percentage promises
How much a route brings back depends on your visitors. Anyone promising a fixed number does not know your data.
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The foundation first
No route repairs wrong numbers. If amount or reference are wrong in the shop, they arrive wrong everywhere.
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Technical, not legal
Whether a setup is permissible is for you and your privacy advisers. We build the technology.
In short
An app is a rental agreement over your measurement. While it runs, it is convenient. When the subscription ends, the measurement ends too and the settings usually cannot be taken along. Your own Tag Manager sits in your account, has versions, can be exported and keeps working regardless of whether an invoice is paid. For very simple shops an app can still be the cheaper choice.
In detail
The differences in detail
| Point | Tracking app on subscription | Your own Tag Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | Very short, often a few clicks. | Longer, because measurement plan, reports and testing are part of it. |
| Running cost | A monthly fee, often tiered by orders or visitors. | No licence for Tag Manager itself. |
| Who owns the settings | The vendor. | You, in your account, with export. |
| After cancellation | The measurement stops, the settings are usually lost. | Keeps running unchanged. |
| Custom reports | Only as far as the app allows. | Freely definable. |
| Several websites | Usually not supported. | Achievable through shared settings. |
| Traceability | As much as the interface shows. | Versions, change log and export are all visible. |
| Access for others | Tied to the account at the vendor. | Any agency and any developer can take over. |
| Upkeep | Largely with the vendor. | With you or through optional support. |
| Risk | Price rises, removed features, discontinuation of the product. | Own responsibility for updates and platform changes. |
The decision
What speaks for which route.
Your own Tag Manager pays off when
- the measurement spans several systems or websites
- conversions should be created in your own ad account
- the settings have to be documented and transferable
- a later move to a server of your own should stay possible
- the cost is calculated over three years
- you do not want to depend on a single vendor
An app can be enough when
- · a single shop without a second website is measured
- · the standard reports are enough
- · no meaningful ad budget depends on the measurement
- · nobody in-house can or wants to look after settings
- · the fee stays small relative to revenue
The point is not that apps are bad. The point is that the decision is made deliberately and the cost is viewed across the term, not just the first month.
Where it goes wrong
What to watch out for
- App and your own Tag Manager run in parallel and count every conversion twice.
- The app writes into the same Google Analytics account as Tag Manager without anyone noticing.
- During the switch the old route is switched off before the new one is verified.
- The fee grows with orders and costs most exactly when business is good.
- The goal in the ad account belongs to the vendor’s account, not your own.
Common questions
Can I take the settings out of an app?
Usually not. That is why the switch is less an export than a rebuild. The measurement plan from the check provides the basis.
How does the switch work without losing data?
In a controlled way: backup of the old state, new route in draft, parallel operation, test purchase, comparison, then switching off the old route. A way back stays in place.
Does your own Tag Manager always pay off?
No. For a very small shop with standard requirements an app can stay cheaper. As soon as several systems, websites or a noticeable ad budget come in, the maths usually flips.
Who looks after Tag Manager afterwards?
You, any agency of your choice, or we through optional support or monitoring. There is no commitment.
Read on
Where to go next.
Start the tracking check
Four required answers, the rest is optional. You get a reply by email within one business day, no phone call.
Next step
What does rented measurement really cost you?
The tracking check shows what is reporting right now, how much of it comes from an app and what your own Tag Manager would replace.
The tracking check shows within two working days which route fits you. Credited if you commission within 30 days.