Why I Switched from GA4 to Ahrefs Web Analytics

I’ve been using Google Analytics for years, and like most people in SEO and digital marketing, I had no issues with Universal Analytics. It was functional, customisable, and easy to work with.

Then GA4 came along and made everything harder.

Want to see basic traffic stats? You have to dig through events, conversions, and a maze of settings. Even simple reports feel over-engineered, and Google’s constant push towards machine learning-based insights makes it feel less like a tool for SEOs and more like a black box of data you can’t control.

So, when I saw Ahrefs Web Analytics pop up, I decided to give it a go. No complicated setup, no endless configuration, just straight-to-the-point traffic reporting. Here is my review:

First Impressions: Clean, Fast, and No Fluff

The first thing that stood out was how easy it is to use.

• Simple dashboards – You log in, and the data you need is right there. No need to click through multiple menus.
• No unnecessary tracking – Just real traffic insights, with no added complexity.
• Fast loading speeds – The interface responds quickly, and there’s no waiting around for reports to load.

I can get a snapshot of my traffic in seconds rather than spending minutes navigating GA4.

What Ahrefs Web Analytics Does Well

1. Straightforward Traffic Reporting

No convoluted event-based tracking, just simple traffic data. Visitors, page views, referrers, and devices. That’s it.

It’s exactly what I need for quick insights without diving into unnecessary metrics.

2. Clean and Intuitive Interface

GA4’s biggest issue is its bloated interface. Ahrefs Web Analytics does the opposite. It keeps things minimal but effective.

There’s no need to configure custom reports just to see the basics. Everything is where you expect it to be.

3. Less Tracking Hassles

One of the best parts? No cookie banners. Ahrefs Web Analytics doesn’t use cookies or personal data tracking, which means it’s privacy-friendly by design.

For small sites, that’s a big win! No need to worry about GDPR compliance just to track visits.

4. Ideal for Quick Insights

If I need to check how a blog post is performing or how much traffic my site is getting, I can see it instantly. No filtering, no complex setups, just raw, useful data.

For in-depth analysis, I still rely on Ahrefs Site Explorer and Search Console, but for a quick traffic snapshot, this is now my go-to tool.

Final Thoughts: Hats Off to Ahrefs

The team at Ahrefs has done a really good job with this. They’ve built something that just works; no over-engineering, no unnecessary complexity, just clean and simple traffic reporting.

For anyone tired of fighting with GA4’s unintuitive UI, this is a solid alternative for basic reporting.

I hope it takes off, because we need more tools like this. Hats off to the Ahrefs team.

Check it out here: https://ahrefs.com/web-analytics