When comparing Alexa vs Google Analytics, the Slant community recommends Google Analytics for most people. In the question“What are the best analytics tools for a SaaS web applications?” Google Analytics is ranked 5th while Alexa is ranked 24th.
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Provides information about competitors
Alexa, in addition to on-site metrics, provides traffic, engagement and reputation data about other sites.
Pro Well documented
Pro Free for most use cases
Google Analytics is free unless you need their premium service, which is $150,000 per year. However, it's only necessary for massively large enterprise size data sets.
Pro Intelligent Alerts
You can configure to be notified if certain things happen.
Pro Highly customizable
Pro Allows custom dashboards
Depending on the most important information to the user, the dashboard can be customized in order to put emphasis on certain metrics. This feature allows Google Analytics to satisfy users from a broad range of industries.
Pro Provides free training
Google provides free services that train users in each aspect of Google Analytics, especially when used in conjunction with AdWords.
Pro Awesome API
The API itself, tools, documentation, and abilities of the API are very powerful.
Pro Import data
Google Analytics allows users to update user information from other sources.
Pro Google Play analytics
Because it's a Google product, Google Analytics can tell you how users discovered your app through Google Play.
Pro Constantly releasing new features
Released more than once a week in 2014.
Pro Mobile web and Mobile app tracking possible
Pro Integrates with AdMob
Since Google owns AdMob, they can provide deep integration, and allow you to respond to data with marketing campaigns.
Cons
Con Unknown ranking accuracy
Alexa's ranking is based on users that have installed one of their browser extensions and sites that have installed a tracking script. It's unknown what kind of users are installing the extensions and how big is the sample size (Alexa claims it to be millions).
Con Heavy users get sampled reporting
If you send a lot of data Google starts sampling the data it uses for your reports.
Con User-based analytics is lacking
Google Analytics tracks visitor actions, their user action tracking is still very basic. It has started supporting user ID, but in a very basic way.