Google Ads is the channel I trust least in its own reporting. Branded search collects credit for people who already decided to buy, Performance Max blends prospecting and retargeting into one number, and the platform’s data-driven model is a black box that tends to favor Google. None of that makes Google a bad channel. It makes Google’s ROAS column a poor guide to where the next dollar should go.
Polar Analytics is a strong analytics platform with a dedicated data warehouse and a lot of connectors. Its pricing is not listed on the website, so you need a demo to get a number. If your main need is an honest read on Google, an attribution tool may cover it for less. Here are five worth comparing.
The short version
| Tool | Google Ads angle | Starting price |
|---|---|---|
| Northbeam | Clicks-Only strips credit from branded search | $1,500 a month |
| ThoughtMetric (sponsor) | Independent channel view, campaign labels, Google CAPI | $99 a month |
| Wicked Reports | Google Ads Conversion API, new versus repeat buyers | $499 a month |
| Triple Whale | Multi-touch with configurable windows, data back to Google | GMV-based quote |
| GA4 | Google’s own view, useful as a reference | Free |
1. Northbeam
Northbeam is the strictest on search. Its Clicks-Only model, per its docs, gives no credit to branded search, direct, email or SMS when another touchpoint exists, which deflates the part of Google that inflates most. Its Last Non-Direct Touch model, the docs say, comes closest to what platforms report as last click, so you can view both side by side. Starter is listed at $1,500 a month for brands spending under $1.5 million a year on ads.
2. ThoughtMetric
ThoughtMetric is an e-commerce attribution tool for Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce, BigCommerce and custom stores. (Disclosure: ThoughtMetric sponsors this site.) The best evidence for the Google use case is a customer story on its own site. Gardening Express, a UK online garden centre, says its Google Ads ROAS kept climbing in early 2025 without any lift in total sales, and that comparing those numbers with Google’s showed where the discrepancies were. It asked for Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising campaign labels as a filter, which is now in the product. It also sends conversions to Google through its Conversion API. Pricing starts at $99 a month based on pageviews.
3. Wicked Reports
Wicked Reports has a Google Ads Conversion API feature and separates new from repeat customers at the order level, which is the cleanest way to see whether branded search and Shopping are acquiring anyone. Measure is $499 a month under $2.5 million in revenue, Scale is $699, and Maximize is $999.
4. Triple Whale
Triple Whale includes multi-touch attribution with configurable windows on Foundation, and its help center lists first-party data activation to Google among its destinations. It is the closest to Polar on breadth, with dashboards, SQL and AI analysis in the same product. Pricing is based on annual GMV and package.
5. Google Analytics 4
GA4 is free and, for a Google-heavy brand, it is Google grading Google. I still keep it because it is the easiest place to see landing pages and search terms, and because its numbers are a useful reference point when a third-party tool says something very different.
Test branded search first
Before changing tools, run the cheapest experiment in paid search: pause or sharply cut branded search for two weeks in a region or on a schedule, and watch total orders and organic brand clicks. If total orders barely move, a large share of what Google credited to brand was going to happen anyway. Details in brand search is the easiest thing to test.
Then read Performance Max carefully, ideally with brand terms excluded. More in Is Google Ads reported ROAS accurate? and Do attribution tools work with Performance Max?
FAQs
Why is Google Ads ROAS higher than Meta ROAS?
Google captures intent that already exists, especially on branded and Shopping queries, so it sits close to the purchase. Meta creates demand earlier in the journey. Platform reporting rewards whoever is closest to the sale.
Does Polar Analytics connect to Google Ads?
Yes, Polar connects to the major ad platforms including Google Ads. Its pricing is not listed on the website, so the comparison with the tools above starts with a demo.
Should branded search count in ROAS?
Report it separately. Blending branded and non-branded search hides how much of your Google spend is defending demand you already have.
Is Google’s data-driven attribution trustworthy?
It is reasonable inside Google, and it cannot see what happened on Meta, email or TikTok. Treat it as one input. More in What is data-driven attribution, and can you trust it?
Picking one
- Want the strictest view of branded search? Northbeam.
- Want an independent Google read with campaign labels at a low price? ThoughtMetric (our sponsor).
- Want Google pushed toward new customers? Wicked Reports.
- Want a broad platform closest to Polar? Triple Whale.
- Want a free reference point? GA4.
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