How to Send Google Analytics Data to a Different Warehouse Without the High Cost

Following the retirement of Universal Analytics, businesses are grappling with the challenges of Google Analytics 4 (GA4), particularly the enforced use of Google Cloud Platform and BigQuery for accessing raw data outside of Google Analytics. This has resulted in significant complications and costs, especially for companies already invested in alternative cloud platforms like Snowflake and Databricks. Amidst the growing need for cost-effective data export solutions, the blog outlines leveraging Snowplow, a Customer Data Infrastructure, to bypass BigQuery and send GA4 data directly to preferred data warehouses or lakes in real time. This approach, facilitated by Google Tag Manager Server-side, allows businesses to streamline data pipelines and gain greater control over event structures for deeper analysis, while also addressing compliance and privacy concerns with on-premise cloud processing options. The post highlights the prohibitive costs of BigQuery and critiques GA4's limitations, such as bugs and a confusing export schema, while promoting Snowplow as a robust alternative for data management.