mbuzz vs Triple Whale: Attribution Beyond Shopify (2026)

The Short Version

Triple Whale is purpose-built for Shopify—dead-simple setup, Moby AI, and a massive community. mbuzz is platform-agnostic with server-side tracking, 8 attribution models, and custom rules. If you're Shopify-only and value simplicity, Triple Whale is built for you. If you're on any other platform, or want deeper attribution, mbuzz is the choice.

At a Glance

Where mbuzz Wins

Platform-Agnostic

Triple Whale is Shopify-only. If you're on WooCommerce, Magento, BigCommerce, headless, or custom—Triple Whale won't work. mbuzz supports any platform through server-side SDKs for Rails, Django, Laravel, Node.js, and Shopify.

This also matters for the future: if you ever migrate off Shopify, Triple Whale becomes useless overnight. mbuzz travels with you.

Server-Side Tracking

Triple Whale uses client-side pixels that ad blockers strip from 30-40% of sessions. mbuzz tracks events on your server—95%+ event capture regardless of browser privacy settings. For accurate attribution, the data you don't see matters as much as the data you do.

Model Flexibility: 8 Models vs 3

Triple Whale offers 3 basic attribution models. mbuzz offers first-touch, last-touch, linear, time-decay, U-shaped, W-shaped, Markov Chain, and Shapley Value—plus custom rules. See how credit shifts between channels under different models:

Custom Attribution Rules

Triple Whale has no custom attribution logic. mbuzz lets you build rules that match your business—weight by channel type, funnel stage, recency, or any combination:

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

View-Through Attribution

Triple Whale only tracks clicks. mbuzz tracks both click-through and view-through attribution. In a world of YouTube pre-rolls, display ads, and social media impressions, click-only tracking misses the upper funnel entirely.

Lower Entry Point

mbuzz starts free. Triple Whale starts at $129/mo. If you're evaluating attribution tools without budget commitment, mbuzz lets you explore all 8 models at no cost.

Where Triple Whale Wins

Shopify Setup: Minutes, Not Days

Triple Whale installs as a Shopify app. Literally minutes to first data. mbuzz requires SDK integration—straightforward for developers but not instant. For non-technical Shopify store owners, this is a real differentiator.

Moby AI (Claude-Powered)

Triple Whale's Moby AI lets you ask questions in natural language: "What was my best campaign last week?" "Which products have the highest margin?" mbuzz shows you data across 8 models—but you interpret it yourself. For operators who want answers, not models, Moby is compelling.

Massive Shopify Community

40K+ Shopify brands use Triple Whale. That's a massive community for benchmarking, tips, and support. mbuzz's community is growing but can't match this scale yet.

E-Commerce-Native UX

Triple Whale's interface is designed for e-commerce operators—profit dashboards, product analytics, creative performance. mbuzz is a more general attribution tool that serves multiple business types.

Profit Tracking Dashboard

Triple Whale's native profit tracking—seeing true P&L by channel after COGS, shipping, and ad spend—is built for DTC operators who think in margin, not attribution credit.

The Pricing Reality

At lower tiers, mbuzz is cheaper with more attribution depth. At higher tiers, pricing converges—but mbuzz includes 8 models and custom rules that Triple Whale doesn't offer at any price.

Choose Triple Whale If...

• You're Shopify-only and always will be
• Dead-simple setup (minutes) is priority #1
• You want Moby AI for natural-language data queries
• You value a large community of Shopify brands
• Profit tracking dashboards matter more than model flexibility
• Your team is non-technical

Choose mbuzz If...

• You're on WooCommerce, Magento, custom, or multi-platform
• You want 8 attribution models + custom rules
• Server-side tracking accuracy matters (95%+ event capture)
• View-through attribution is important for your media mix
• You might leave Shopify someday
• Budget is a factor (free tier, $29 starting)

The Verdict

Triple Whale is the right choice for Shopify-only stores run by non-technical teams who value simplicity, community, and AI assistance over attribution depth. It's purpose-built for Shopify operators and it shows.

mbuzz is the right choice for teams on any platform (including Shopify) who want deeper attribution—8 models, custom rules, server-side tracking, view-through. It works where Triple Whale can't and offers more model flexibility where they overlap.

The deciding question: are you Shopify-only and want simple? Triple Whale. Are you multi-platform or want deep attribution? mbuzz.

Related Comparisons

• Triple Whale Alternatives — 7 alternatives compared
• Northbeam Alternatives — Enterprise DTC options
• mbuzz vs Northbeam — Enterprise DTC comparison
• Multi-Touch Attribution Tools Compared — Full market overview

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