If you're using BigQuery but still relying on Google Analytics, you're missing the full picture. Snowplow delivers real-time, structured behavioral data directly into your warehouse—giving you full control, complete transparency, and better insights across every customer touchpoint.
Download the free evaluation resource pack to get:
A full end-to-end comparison of GA4 vs. Snowplow
Real-life stories from HelloFresh and NRK
9 key challenges data teams face with GA4
How to cut costs using our native BigQuery Loader
A composable analytics blueprint and actionable use cases
Own your data pipeline end-to-end. Complete visibility into every event and schema — no black-box logic, no hidden transformations like in GA4.
Trigger in-product nudges and deliver AI agent context, in real time, whereas GA4 can’t power in-session interventions or product-logic orchestration.
Deploy private cloud or self-hosted deployments, pseudonymize PII at point of collection, and maintain full control over data residency, whereas GA4 routes all data through Google infra.
| Feature | Snowplow | Google Analytics 4 (GA4) |
|---|---|---|
| Deployment | Self-hosted, private SaaS, or hybrid cloud | Google-managed SaaS only |
| Data Ownership | Full control in your cloud (BQ, Snowflake, Databricks) | Data stored and processed by Google |
| Real-Time Streaming | Sub-5s latency with warehouse sync | "Best effort" real-time; no SLA |
| Schema Governance | Git-backed, version-controlled schemas | Fixed schemas, no validation |
| Data Quality | Validated at source; entity support | Batched events; limited timestamp precision |
| Identity Resolution | First-party server-set cookies + identity graph | Session-based; 7-day client cookie limit in Safari |
| AI/ML Support | AI-ready modeling; real-time activation | Predictive metrics locked in UI |
| Consent & Privacy | Consent plugin + pseudonymization | Consent Mode covers Google identifiers only |
| Visualization & Reporting | BYO BI tool (Looker, Power BI, etc) | Built-in GA reports and dashboard |
| Integration Flexibility | Composable across any cloud/data tool | Locked to Google ecosystem (BQ, Ads, Firebase) |
Simo Ahava
If you're using BigQuery but still relying on Google Analytics, you're missing the full picture.
Download the free evaluation pack to get:
A full end-to-end comparison of GA4 vs. Snowplow
Real-life stories from HelloFresh and NRK
9 key challenges data teams face with GA4
How to cut costs using our native BigQuery Loader
A composable analytics blueprint and actionable use cases