VidaPulse as a Google Analytics alternative
Google Analytics 4 is free and it is where your whole site is measured. Its built-in video tracking fires a handful of progress milestones for embedded YouTube videos. That tells you roughly how many people got halfway. It does not tell you the exact second they left, and it does not cover a video on S3 or your own player without custom tagging.
Milestones or the exact second
A drop between the 25 and 50 percent milestones on a 20-minute VSL is a five-minute window. You still have to guess which sentence lost them. VidaPulse shows the curve second by second, so the fix is obvious.
Keep GA4 for the site. Add VidaPulse for the video.
VidaPulse vs Google Analytics, side by side
Every row, including the ones where Google Analytics is the better tool.
| VidaPulse | Google Analytics | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free on 1 video, paid plans after. | Free. |
| Video granularity | Every second, with replays split from first watches. | video_start, video_progress at 10, 25, 50 and 75 percent, and video_complete. |
| Which videos are tracked automatically | YouTube, Vimeo, S3, Drive, Dropbox, MP4 and HLS. | Only embedded YouTube videos with JS API support enabled. Anything else needs custom tagging. |
| Engagement heatmap | Yes, from Starter. | No. |
| UTM attribution | Yes, on Growth. | Yes. |
| Whole-site analytics, funnels and Google Ads integration | No. | Yes. Their core strength. |
Google Analytics figures: read from Google Analytics Help on enhanced measurement events on 14-11-2026.
VidaPulse stronger Both do it Google Analytics stronger
When Google Analytics is the better choice
Google Analytics is the right tool for the whole site and for ad-platform reporting, and it is free. Its video milestones are enough if you only need a rough completion rate. Add VidaPulse when the sales video carries the funnel and you need the exact drop-off.
VidaPulse pricing
One flat price per account, not per seat. Every plan starts free.
- Free, $0 forever: 1 video, plays, play rate, unique visitors.
- Starter, $29/mo + 18% GST: up to 10 videos, drop-off point, heatmap, geo and device.
- Growth, $79/mo + 18% GST: up to 20 videos, UTM attribution, conversion tracking, server-side pixel forwarding, AI insights.
- Scale, $199/mo + 18% GST: multi-user, API access, white-label reports.
Questions
Does GA4 track video?
Yes, for embedded YouTube videos it can fire start, progress and complete events at fixed milestones. Other sources need custom tagging.
Can I use VidaPulse and GA4 together?
Yes. Most teams keep GA4 for the site and use VidaPulse for the video.
Longer write-up: VidaPulse vs Google Analytics in the video analytics guide.
See where buyers leave your video
Free forever on 1 video. No card. Works with the video you already have.
Show my drop-off point →