What is Funnel Analysis and why is it important?
Funnel analysis is a method for tracking how users progress through a series of steps on a website or app, such as from landing on a page to making a purchase or signing up. Each step in the funnel shows how many users continue and how many drop off before reaching the end goal.
This type of analysis is important because it helps businesses identify exactly where potential customers are dropping out of the process. By understanding where people drop off, teams can make adjustments to enhance those steps, making it easier for users to complete their journey. This results in more conversions and a better overall customer experience.
Detailed comparison of the five leading tools for conversion funnel analysis
| Feature | GA4 | Mixpanel | Amplitude | Heap | Mitzu |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funnel Creation | Custom funnels (up to 10 steps), templates | Unlimited steps, flexible event combos | Ordered/unordered, unlimited steps | Sequential, auto-capture, label for use | SQL/no-code, unlimited steps, nested funnels |
| Segmentation | User/device/channel (up to 4 criteria) | Deep by property, cohort, behavior | User, cohort, platform, predictive | User/device/campaign/date, side-by-side | Unlimited by user/account/cohort, custom filters |
| Measurement | Conversion, drop-off, time to convert, retention | Conversion, drop-off, time per step | Conversion, time (avg/median/min/max), buckets | Conversion per stage, time, journey map | Conversion, count, avg/median/min/max/PXX, custom |
| Visualization | Funnel reports, step drop-off, time trends | Visual flows, drop-off, alt. paths | Funnel charts, pathfinding, drop-off explore | Funnel charts, journey, event explorer | Funnel charts, trends, SQL export, dashboards |
| Attribution | Open/closed funnels, basic | By event property, flexible | Flexible, custom window, cohort-based | Sequential, segment/device comparison | “Every/first event”, custom windows |
| Setup | Moderate (tagging) | Moderate (SDK/event setup) | Moderate (SDK/event setup) | Easy (auto-capture, label) | Very easy (warehouse integration, no-code/SQL) |
| Data Ownership | Google-managed | Vendor-managed | Vendor-managed | Vendor-managed | Customer-owned, warehouse-native |
| Best For | Marketing, e-commerce, web analytics | Product teams, SaaS, mobile apps | Product/growth teams, deep analysis | Startups, fast setup | Data-driven orgs, SaaS, e-commerce, warehouse-first |
Platform-Specific Conversion Funnel Strengths
GA4
- Custom and standard funnel reports for web and e-commerce.
- Good for visualizing basic conversion paths, drop-offs, and retention.
- Segmentation is limited compared to Mixpanel/Amplitude, but it integrates well with Google’s ecosystem.
Mitzu.io
- Warehouse-native, so all funnel analysis is performed directly on your data.
- Rich measurement types: conversion rate, count, avg/median/min/max/PXX time to convert, and custom aggregations.
- Highly configurable attribution and conversion windows; supports both SQL and no-code funnel creation.
- Full data ownership, unlimited scale, and advanced trend/overall measurement modes
Mixpanel
- Unlimited funnel steps, granular segmentation, and real-time data.
- Advanced features like holding properties constant, time-to-convert per step, and flows for alternative user paths.
- Automatically surfaces interesting segments with high/low conversion.
Amplitude
- Flexible, customizable funnels (ordered/unordered), deep cohort analysis, and pathfinding.
- Measures conversion rates, drop-offs, and time-to-convert with custom buckets.
- Drill down into drop-offs and create cohorts for targeted analysis.
Heap
- Automatically captures all events, allowing funnels to be set up after the fact.
- Side-by-side segment comparison, journey mapping, and unique user tracking.
- Requires labeling events for analysis, but has an easy setup for non-technical teams.
Conclusion
Each tool has its strengths:
- GA4 is best suited for marketing and e-commerce teams within the Google ecosystem.
- Mixpanel and Amplitude offer advanced, flexible funnel analysis for product and growth teams.
- Heap is ideal for quick, no-code setup and automatic event tracking.
- Mitzu stands out for large datasets organizations that want complete data control and robust, customizable funnel analytics on their warehouse.