Universal Analytics (UA) is now history, and Google Analytics 4 (GA4) has become the new standard in 2025. For marketers, this shift brings major changes in data tracking, reporting, and audience insights. In this guide, we’ll compare Universal Analytics vs. GA4, highlighting the key differences, benefits, and what marketers really need to know to stay ahead.

Note:

To avoid confusion between these two, we’ll refer to the current Google Analytics as Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and the previous version as Universal Analytics (UA), which Google is sunsetting in July 2023.

What happened to Universal Analytics

Universal Analytics (UA) is no longer in active industry use for live data collection, at least not in a functional way.

Here’s the current status of UA:

Data Collection Stopped

Standard UA properties stopped processing new data on July 1, 2023

UA 360 properties (paid enterprise version) got an extension until July 1, 2024. But now they are no longer available for data processing and access.

Some companies still keep UA for historical data.

Many businesses still log into their old UA properties to export historical reports, compare past UA data with GA4, and store old dashboards for audit and reference.

But this is read-only, and no new tracking is happening.

A few industries (finance, healthcare, and government) may retain UA datasets for compliance or archival reasons.

But again, they’re just archiving historical data, not collecting or processing live traffic.

Why Google shifted focus to GA4

Google shifted from Universal Analytics (UA) to Google Analytics 4 (GA4) because the old UA model could no longer keep up with modern privacy regulations, cross-platform tracking needs, and advanced data analysis demands.

What is Google Analytics 4

GA4 is Google’s next-generation web and app analytics platform that replaced the older Universal Analytics (UA).

It tracks user interactions across both websites and mobile apps using an event-based data model, providing deeper insights into the entire customer journey.

GA4 uses AI and machine learning for predictive capabilities, incorporates enhanced privacy controls, and integrates directly with media platforms to help businesses understand user behavior and optimize their marketing efforts.

Important key features:

Privacy and Compliance

GA4 features advanced privacy tools, including support for cookieless measurement.

UA relied heavily on cookies and IP tracking, which raised privacy concerns.

GA4 supports cookieless tracking and offers IP anonymization by default, better consent mode integration, and predictive modeling when cookies are blocked.

Event-based model

UA was session-based, which worked well for websites but not for apps or cross-device interactions.

GA4 uses an event-based model, meaning every user interaction (page view, scroll, etc.) is treated as an event with parameters.

Cross-platform tracking

Modern users interact across multiple devices (desktop, mobile web, iOS, and Android apps).

GA4 enables unified tracking of user journeys across platforms, which UA could not handle effectively.

Real-time and flexible reporting

GA4 provides:

More real-time data (up to the second)

Custom explorations for advanced funnel analysis and pathing reports.

UA reports were rigid and less adaptable.

Predictive analytics and AI

GA4 integrates machine learning to predict churn probability, forecast revenue, and suggest audience segments for marketing.

UA lacked native AI-driven insights, making GA4 more forward-looking

Free BigQuery integration

In UA, exporting raw data to BigQuery was only for premium 360 users.

GA4 allows all users to connect to BigQuery for deeper, custom analysis and advanced reporting.

Universal Analytics vs GA4: Comparison (2025)

Universal Analytics vs GA4 in 2025: What Marketers Really Need to Know