“E-commerce analytics” covers at least six different jobs, and most tool lists mix them together. That is how brands end up with three dashboards that all show revenue and none that tells them which ads work. A better way to build a stack is to start from the questions you actually need answered and pick one tool per question. Here is how I sort the category, across Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and Magento. For a Shopify-only version, see best e-commerce analytics tools for Shopify brands.
What actually sold?
Your store platform’s own reports. Shopify, WooCommerce Analytics, BigCommerce Ecommerce Analytics, and Magento’s Reports section all read directly from your orders, so they are the ground truth for revenue, orders, products, discounts, and returns. Every other tool should reconcile to these. They are included with the platform, and none of them sees your ad spend.
How do people use the site?
GA4. Free, and still the standard for landing pages, funnels, site search, and organic traffic. It undercounts revenue because of consent and ad blockers, so use it for behavior and trends rather than as a revenue or attribution source.
Which ads and channels are working?
A multi-touch attribution tool, because each ad platform grades its own work and their claims add up to more than you sold. ThoughtMetric credits each order once across channels with five models, splits new and returning customers, ties revenue to SKUs, and supports all four major platforms on every plan, starting at $99 a month for 50,000 pageviews. (Disclosure: ThoughtMetric sponsors this site.) Triple Whale wraps attribution in a broader Shopify platform priced on annual GMV with 12-month terms. Northbeam is the premium option, from $1,500 a month on Shopify and $3,500 for other platforms.
Are we actually profitable?
A profit tool that pulls in COGS, shipping, fees, and ad spend. TrueProfit starts at $35 a month for 300 orders on Shopify. Lifetimely adds daily P&L and contribution margin, from free up to 50 orders and $79 for up to 500.
Which customers are worth acquiring?
Cohort and LTV tools. Lifetimely covers predictive LTV, cohorts, and CAC for Shopify. For WooCommerce, Metorik handles segments, cohorts, and LTV from $25 a month on order-based pricing. BigCommerce’s Ecommerce Insights add-on includes customer and channel LTV views.
Can I see everything in one place?
A reporting or BI platform that combines many sources. Polar Analytics is strong on custom metrics and multi-store reporting for Shopify brands, and its pricing is not listed on the website. Glew covers multichannel merchants across several platforms. These earn their cost when you have many stores, channels, or a finance team with its own reporting needs.
Are ad platforms seeing our conversions?
A server-side tracking tool. Elevar starts at $200 a month for 1,000 orders on Shopify. wetracked.io starts at $49 for 500 orders and supports WooCommerce. TrackBee starts at €79 a month on Shopify. These improve what Meta and Google can optimize on. They do not decide credit between channels.
Building the stack
Most brands between $1M and $20M need three of these, not seven: the store’s own reports, GA4, and an attribution tool. Add a profit or LTV tool once margins or repeat behavior are a real question, a tracking tool if ad platforms are clearly missing conversions, and BI only when the number of sources outgrows everything else. Before buying anything, write down which question it answers that your current stack cannot. If you cannot name one, you do not need it yet.
One tool per question
- What sold? Your store platform’s reports.
- How do people use the site? GA4.
- Which ads work? ThoughtMetric (our sponsor), Triple Whale, or Northbeam, depending on budget and platform.
- Are we profitable? TrueProfit or Lifetimely.
- Which customers are worth it? Lifetimely, Metorik, or BigCommerce Insights.
- Everything together? Polar Analytics or Glew.
- Are platforms seeing conversions? Elevar, wetracked.io, or TrackBee.
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