Piano Analytics: a lesser-known alternative to GA4 and Piwik Pro

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is widely used, but many companies are looking for alternatives that better suit their specific needs.

Piano Analytics is emerging as an interesting alternative, and Adwire positions itself as the official partner of Piano Analytics in Luxembourg to support companies seeking an alternative to GA4 and Piwik Pro.

What is Piano Analytics?

Piano Analytics is an European advanced data measurement and analysis solution designed to offer a detailed and comprehensive view of user interactions with digital platforms. Unlike other tools, Piano focuses on flexibility, customization, and easy integration with various marketing systems and channels.

Strengths of Piano Analytics

1. Customization and flexibility

• Advanced segments: Piano allows the creation of highly specific audience segments through personalized filters and criteria, offering more granular analysis of user behavior.
• Customizable dashboards: Marketers can design tailored dashboards that precisely meet their reporting and data visualization needs.

2. Integration and compatibility

• Multichannel: Piano Analytics easily integrates with various marketing channels, providing a unified view of campaign performance across different platforms.
• APIs and connectors: The solution offers robust APIs and native connectors for seamless integration with other marketing tools and CRM systems, facilitating process automation and data enrichment.

3. Privacy and compliance

• Data protection: Piano emphasizes security and data protection, ensuring compliance with regulations such as GDPR, which is crucial for companies operating in Europe.

Weaknesses of Piano Analytics

1. Learning curve

• Initial complexity: The tool can seem complex for new users, requiring a learning period to fully master its advanced features.

2. Cost

• Investment: Piano Analytics can represent a significant investment, especially for some companies, compared to free solutions like GA4.

Comparison with GA4 and Piwik Pro

1. User interface and UX

• GA4: Offers a simplified interface, but sometimes limited in terms of customization. However, companies seeking very specific or advanced features may find that GA4 does not meet all their analysis and reporting needs. Lastly, Google's customer support is often lacking, especially for specific needs and complex issues.
• Piwik Pro: Offers an intuitive interface with advanced customization options but may be perceived as complex for new users. Unlike GA4, Piwik Pro does not integrate machine learning and predictive analytics as extensively.
• Piano Analytics: Provides a rich and customizable interface, suited to the needs of experienced marketers.

2. Data model

• GA4: Uses an event-based model focused on individual users and their journeys.
• Piwik Pro: Utilizes a flexible model based on events and sessions, enabling detailed analysis of user interactions.
• Piano Analytics: Also offers fine segmentation and advanced event customization, focusing on an exhaustive view of interactions.

3. Privacy and compliance

• GA4: Basic compliance with data protection regulations but relies on Google’s infrastructure.
• Piwik Pro: Stands out for its strict adherence to data protection regulations such as GDPR. Data can be hosted on dedicated servers in Europe or on-premise installations.
• Piano Analytics: Also emphasizes data security and compliance but with smoother integration into various systems for centralized data management.

Application tracking comparison between Piano Analytics, GA4, and Piwik Pro

In terms of app tracking and measurement, we can summarize as follows:

• Piano Analytics is the best choice for companies looking for advanced customization and real-time tracking with easy multichannel integrations.
• GA4 is suitable for companies benefiting from machine learning capabilities and a unified view of users across different platforms. However, some companies find the customization options for reports and dashboards less robust than those offered by tools like Piano Analytics or Piwik Pro.
• Piwik Pro is a good tool for companies focused on data privacy and needing detailed compliance reports. However, Piwik Pro may not offer the same depth or speed of real-time analysis as Piano Analytics.

The choice of the best tool depends on each company’s specific priorities in terms of customization, data privacy, integration, and cost.

Why switch from a free solution (GA4) or Piwik Pro to a paid solution (Piano Analytics)?

The decision to switch from a free solution like GA4 or a paid one like Piwik Pro to a paid solution like Piano Analytics is crucial for many companies. While GA4 and Piwik Pro offer solid basic tracking and analysis capabilities, companies seeking advanced features and greater customization find that Piano Analytics justifies its cost. Here are some main reasons:

1. Advanced customization: Piano Analytics allows for more in-depth customization of reports and dashboards, offering marketers a more detailed and relevant view of their data.
2. Seamless integration: With its robust APIs and native connectors, Piano easily integrates with other tools and systems, facilitating unified and enriched marketing data management.
3. Support and assistance: By opting for a paid solution, companies generally benefit from more responsive and personalized customer support, which is crucial for quickly resolving issues and optimizing tool use.
4. Compliance and security: Piano Analytics emphasizes data security and compliance with regulations such as GDPR, which is essential for companies operating in regulated environments.

How to switch from GA4 or Piwik Pro to Piano Analytics?

The transition from GA4 or Piwik Pro to Piano Analytics may seem complex, but it can be facilitated by following a few key steps:

1. Assess needs: Before starting the migration, it is important to assess your company’s specific analysis and reporting needs to ensure that Piano Analytics is a good fit.
2. Plan the migration: Create a detailed migration plan that includes collecting and backing up existing data, identifying necessary integrations, and setting up new dashboards and reports.
3. Training and support: Adwire, as a partner agency of Piano Analytics and the only official representative of Piano Analytics in Luxembourg, offers training and support services to help your team get familiar with the new tool and make the most of its advanced features.
4. Technical implementation: With help from the Piano support team and Adwire experts, configure tags, events, and tracking goals to match those used in GA4 or Piwik Pro.
5. Validation and optimization: After implementation, validate the collected data to ensure accuracy and make adjustments if necessary to optimize your new analytics solution’s performance.

Lastly, Piano Analytics stands out for its energy efficiency. The tool offers an eco-mode that reduces energy consumption by its servers and infrastructure. This mode is designed to optimize resources used without compromising the quality of analytics and reports, contributing to a reduced carbon footprint.

By choosing Piano Analytics and with support from Adwire, companies can not only benefit from a more powerful and flexible analytics solution but also ensure a smooth and efficient transition from GA4 or Piwik Pro.