mbuzz vs GA4 Attribution: Do You Need a Dedicated Tool? (2026)

The Short Version

GA4 is excellent for web analytics—traffic, behavior, Google Ads reporting. But GA4's attribution is now a single black-box model (Data-Driven) that requires 400+ conversions and favors Google channels. mbuzz adds 8 transparent attribution models alongside GA4. You don't replace GA4—you supplement it. Both have free tiers.

At a Glance

Where mbuzz Wins

8 Models vs 1

GA4 removed five attribution models in 2023. You now get Data-Driven Attribution—or nothing. mbuzz gives you first-touch, last-touch, linear, time-decay, U-shaped, W-shaped, Markov Chain, and Shapley Value models side-by-side. See how credit shifts between channels under different assumptions:

This isn't about having "more models" for the sake of it. When GA4's DDA says "Google Ads drove 60% of conversions" and a Markov Chain model says "organic search initiated 45% of conversion paths," you have a more complete picture. One model gives you a number. Multiple models give you understanding.

No Platform Bias

GA4's Data-Driven model has documented bias toward Google properties—Google Ads, organic search, YouTube. This makes sense: the model is trained on Google's data and optimized for what it can measure accurately.

mbuzz has no platform affiliations. Every channel is measured equally, using the same models and the same data quality.

Custom Attribution Rules

GA4 has never offered custom attribution logic. mbuzz lets you define rules that match your business—weight touchpoints by stage, channel, recency, or engagement depth:

within_window 90.days do
  within_window 30.days, weight: 0.6 do
    time_decay half_life: 7.days
  end

  within_window 30.days..60.days, weight: 0.4 do
    time_decay half_life: 14.days
  end
end

Server-Side Tracking (No Ad Blocker Gaps)

GA4 runs as client-side JavaScript. Ad blockers, browser privacy features, and consent banners strip it from 30-40% of sessions. mbuzz tracks events on your server—95%+ event capture, regardless of what the browser does.

For businesses where every visitor matters, missing 30% of the journey isn't acceptable.

No Minimum Conversion Threshold

GA4's DDA requires 400+ conversions to activate. Below that, you get last-click fallback—the most basic model possible. mbuzz runs all 8 models from day one, regardless of traffic volume. Smaller brands and B2B companies with lower conversion volumes benefit most here.

LTV Attribution

GA4 attributes to the first purchase and stops. mbuzz tracks every renewal, upsell, and expansion back to the original acquisition source. For SaaS and subscription businesses, this is the difference between knowing which channel acquired a customer and knowing which channel acquired a valuable customer.

Where GA4 Wins

Free and Already Installed

GA4's biggest advantage is that it costs nothing and you probably already have it. Zero incremental cost, zero setup work. That's hard to compete with.

Deep Google Ads Integration

If Google Ads is your primary paid channel, GA4's native integration is unmatched. Bid strategies, audience sync, conversion import—all seamless. No third-party tool replicates this depth.

Full Web Analytics

GA4 is a complete web analytics platform—traffic analysis, user behavior, event tracking, audience building, explorations. mbuzz is attribution-only. You need GA4 (or an alternative like Heap or Amplitude) for web analytics regardless.

Massive Ecosystem

Tens of thousands of tutorials, consultants, agencies, and integrations support GA4. When something breaks, help is everywhere. mbuzz is newer with a growing ecosystem.

Google Search Console Integration

GA4's connection to Search Console for organic search data—queries, impressions, click-through rates—is native and real-time. No attribution tool matches this for organic search visibility.

The Pricing Reality

The real question isn't "is mbuzz worth $29-299/mo?" It's "is the difference between 1 attribution model and 8 worth $29-299/mo?" For most marketing teams making budget decisions based on attribution data, yes.

Choose GA4 If...

• Attribution isn't a critical business decision factor
• Google Ads is your primary (or only) paid channel
• You have low conversion volume (under 400/month)
• Budget is truly zero for marketing tools
• You need basic attribution alongside full web analytics

Choose mbuzz If...

• You need to compare multiple attribution models
• Non-Google channels (social, email, referral) are significant revenue drivers
• You want server-side tracking for complete data
• GA4's data sampling affects your reporting accuracy
• You need custom attribution logic for your business
• LTV attribution matters (SaaS, subscriptions)

The Verdict

Don't replace GA4. Supplement it.

GA4 is excellent at what it was built for: web analytics, traffic analysis, and Google Ads integration. Keep using it for those.

What GA4 can't do anymore—compare attribution models, measure non-Google channels fairly, capture server-side data, or run custom attribution rules—is exactly what mbuzz does. They're complementary, not competitors.

The strongest attribution setup for most teams: GA4 for web analytics + mbuzz for attribution. GA4 tells you what happened on your site. mbuzz tells you which channels made it happen, from 8 different perspectives.

Related Comparisons

• GA4 Attribution Alternatives — 7 alternatives compared
• Multi-Touch Attribution Tools Compared — Full market overview
• mbuzz vs Cometly — Ad attribution comparison
• mbuzz vs HockeyStack — B2B attribution comparison

Holly Henderson

Co-Founder, mbuzz

Holly Henderson is Co-Founder of mbuzz. With 10+ years in marketing including roles at Westpac, Avon, and Forebrite, she's obsessed with making measurement actually useful.

Harvard Extension School Forebrite Westpac Avon