Are you wondering which analytics plugin to use – MonsterInsights or ExactMetrics?
Both plugins offer similar features but differ in user experience and support. We’ve used both plugins on our sites and can give you an unbiased real review of the two plugins.
In this guide, we’ll compare ExactMetrics and MonsterInsights side by side so that you can choose the right plugin. Here’s a table of contents to navigate the post:
Overview
MonsterInsights
MonsterInsights is hands down the best WordPress analytics plugin in the market. It makes it so easy to set up and get started with analytics.
The plugin offers real-time analytics that is accurate. Once installed, you can view detailed reports to track forms, eCommerce, blogs, and more. You can also set up custom dimensions easily even if you’ve never used Google Analytics before.
The plugin has a 4.6/5 rating and is WPBeginner verified. So you know you can trust that this plugin is a good one.
ExactMetrics
ExactMetrics is a premium WordPress analytics plugin that’s trusted by over 1 million WordPress sites. It’s easy to use even if you’re a beginner and you’ll love their intuitive dashboard. You can connect your site to Google Analytics in minutes. Then you’ll see insights for pages, eCommerce, and affiliate ads right inside your WordPress dashboard.
It integrates easily with popular WordPress plugins like WPForms, WooCommerce, Yoast, MemberPress, and Easy Digital Downloads.
That’s a quick view of both plugins. Now we’ll dive into the ease of use of ExactMetrics vs MonsterInsights.
Ease of Use
MonsterInsights
MonsterInsights comes with a launch wizard that helps you set up Google Analytics the right way according to what your website is about.
When you install the plugin on your site, you can access the dashboard from inside your WordPress admin panel.
The dashboard is incredibly user-friendly. You’ll see reports neatly lined up in the top menu like this:
These reports include:
You can switch between different reports to get data on different aspects of your site such as your blog or online store.
ExactMetrics
ExactMetrics also comes with a launch wizard to get analytics set up on your site within minutes. To set up event tracking and eCommerce tracking, it usually takes several days to configure. But with ExactMetrics this is as simple as a few clicks.
Then you can access the dashboard and view your reports to see important stats like:
- Which country your website visitors are from
- What are they most interested in
- Which device are they using, their age, gender
- and more
You’ll see demographic reports, behavior reports, content reports, eCommerce reports so your data is automatically organized for you.
Verdict: MonsterInsights is our #1 pick here. It offers a more intuitive dashboard that makes it easy to find what you need without wasting any time.
Now we’ll take a look at the features offered by both plugins.
Highlights & Features
Both plugins let you set up Google Analytics in under 5 minutes. See our guide: How to Set Up Google Analytics 4 in WordPress.
That said, let’s check out what these plugins have to offer:
MonsterInsights
1. Accurate Statistics
MonsterInsights data is accurate as all data is fetched from your Google Analytics account. The plugin even displays real-time stats to show you how many users are active on your site, where they are coming from, and so on.
2. Advanced Tracking
Aside from the regular reports, MonsterInsights also supports advanced tracking. This includes:
- Outbound link tracking
- Affiliate link tracking
- Enhanced Link Attribution
- File Download tracking
- Scroll tracking
- Google Amp tracking
- Logged-in user tracking
- UserID tracking
- Author/Post Type/Published Time tracking
- Category/Tag tracking
- Media tracking
- Custom events tracking
- and more…
Whatever you need to track on your site, there’s a high chance MonterInsights already lets you do that.
4. Custom Reports
With MonsterInsights, when you open your WordPress admin, you’ll be greeted with analytics data in a neat dashboard. You’ll never have to search for these insights again.
Next, you can get email summaries every week delivered straight to your inbox. So even if you don’t log into your website, you’ll still get a gist of what’s happening.
You can customize your date ranges and export your reports in PDFs. The plugin even lets you add your own logo to any report. This is perfect for agencies that want to white label their reports for clients.
One highlight that’s worth noting here is that MonsterInsights will give you actionable tips based on your site’s data. This will help you take steps to get more traffic, increase engagement, and more.
5. Advanced Growth Tools
When you choose MonsterInsights, you’ll get access to growth tools to build and improve your site. Here are some of the highlighted tools:
- Headline Analyzer
- Popular Products
- Smart URL Builder
- User Journeys
Access to these growth tools and add-ons will depend on which premium plan you’ve subscribed to.
That’s the main highlights of MonsterInsights. Up next, we’ll see what ExactMetrics has to offer.
ExactMetrics
1. Real-time Stats
You can get insights about your website and marketing campaigns in real-time to see:
- Live events
- Viral marketing
- Flash sales
- Product launches
- Social media campaigns
- And more!
2. Affiliate Link & Ads Tracking
If you make money blogging and promoting affiliate links, you’ll love the affiliate link report. You can see which links are getting more clicks and bringing in higher revenues. This will show you which affiliates your audience is responding to so you can focus on the ones that drive revenue.
Similarly, you can see your ads performance to make strategic decisions about whether to continue in the program, what ads to promote, and so on.
3. Advanced Reports
With ExactMetrics, you can access all the important reports you need and you can set up custom dimensions to expand your insights.
Here are the main reports you’ll benefit from:
- Enhanced eCommerce
- Custom Dimensions
- Form Conversion Tracking
- WordPress Ads Tracking
- Google Analytics for AMP
- Popular Post Tracking
- WordPress Event Tracking
- GDPR Compliance
Similar to MonsterInsights, you can also track by custom post types, authors, categories, tags, and SEO scores.
However, MonsterInsights gives you email summaries with any plan. With ExactMetrics, you need to be on the Plus plan to get these features.
4. Integration Options
Compared to MonsterInsights, ExactMetrics offer fewer integration options that include:
- WooCommerce
- Easy Digital Downloads
- MemberPress
- Google Optimize
- and more
That’s the main highlights of these two analytics plugins. Now that we see the features are quite similar, let’s take a look at 2 more important factors that will help you make your decision.
Verdict: MonsterInsights is more feature rich and offers more integration options.
Pricing Plans
MonsterInsights
MonsterInsights has a basic version for free. It lets you connect your website to Google Analytics and see your data inside your admin panel.
The MonsterInsights paid plans are as follows:
- Plus – $99.50 per year for 1 site
- Pro – $199.50 per year for 5 sites
- Agency- $399.50 per year for 25 sites
There’s a 100% no-risk money-back guarantee for 14 days.
ExactMetrics
ExactMetrics also offers a Lite version for free.
The ExactMetrics paid plans are as follows:
- Plus – $99.50 per year for 1 site
- Pro – $199.50 per year for 5 sites
- Agency- $399.50 per year for 25 sites
If you need to add more websites, then there’s a scalable plan that starts at $699.50 per year for 100 sites. There’s a 100% no-risk money-back guarantee for 14 days.
Verdict: If you’re looking for an analytics plugin for one or a few sites, MonsterInsights is our top choice. If you’re an agency looking to manage 100 sites or more, ExactMetrics makes it so affordable to manage multiple clients easily.
Support & Documentation
MonsterInsights
MonsterInsights has a friendly and reliable support team. You can access the support team through the My Account page on the MonsterInsights website.
If you’re on the free version, you can request for support on the MonsterInsights plugin page in WordPress.
Plus plan users get standard support. If you’re on a Pro plan or higher, you’ll get priority support.
MonsterInsights is well documented. You’ll find tons of tutorials and blog posts to guide you when you face any issues with the tool or if you want to learn more about using analytics and insights on your website. They constantly update their blog to keep their information up to date.
ExactMetrics
When you log into your ExactMertics account on the main website, you can access the MyAccount page and connect with the support staff.
On the Plus plan, you’ll get standard support. With the Pro plan, you get access to priority support. Agency plan customers get premium support with the fastest turnaround times.
ExactMetrics also has extensive documentation. On the ExactMetrics website, you can visit the Docs page to find a large knowledge base on the plugin and its usage.
Verdict: MonsterInsights and ExactMetrics both offer similar support services and have helpful knowledge bases. However, going by user reviews, MonsterInsights comes out on top.
Verdict: Which One to Choose?
After using both plugins on our sites, we can say with confidence that both of them come really close. ExactMetrics and MonsterInsights are both powerful and easy to use. They offer incredibly similar features so it’s hard to make a choice.
Here’s what we recommend:
If you are looking for a long-term solution that will set you up for success, we recommend MonsterInsights. It’s affordable and even has a free version that’s so feature-rich and offers more integrations Their support staff is friendly and helpful. There’s a reason it’s trusted by over 3+ million websites.
See our full review: MonsterInsights Review: Is It the Best Google Analytics Plugin?
If you want a scalable plan that lets you use the plugin on hundreds of sites, we recommend choosing ExactMetrics. They make it easy to upgrade as your business grows.
Check out the full review: ExactMetrics Review: Is it Worth It? (Features, Cost, & Alternatives)
Overall, MonsterInsights has an edge over ExactMertics in terms of features, integrations, and ease of use. But you’re in good hands with either plugin. We hope you found this guide helpful. Up next, you’ll want to see:
- Google Analytics 4 vs Universal Analytics: Full Comparison
- How to Set Up WordPress Conversion Tracking (Step by Step)
- How to Use WordPress Analytics to Find Popular Posts
These posts will help you get deeper insights from your website.
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