Analytics software transforms raw data into actionable insights. This spans web/product analytics (understanding user behavior), business intelligence (analyzing business data), and specialized analytics for marketing, sales, and operations.
The analytics landscape ranges from simple, privacy-focused web analytics (Plausible, Fathom) to complex enterprise BI platforms (Looker, Tableau, Power BI). In between are product analytics tools (Mixpanel, Amplitude, PostHog) that help teams understand user behavior within applications.
Google Analytics has dominated web analytics, but privacy concerns and GA4's complexity are driving adoption of alternatives. Product analytics has matured significantly, with tools that combine event tracking, feature flags, session replay, and A/B testing in unified platforms.