What is free, and what is paid?
Google says Google Analytics is free of charge. A new website setup uses a Google Analytics 4, or GA4, property. A property is the place where the reports for your website or app live.
Google Analytics 360 is the paid version for larger organizations. It includes higher limits and additional support options. Google doesn't publish one universal 360 price on its public help pages, so don't assume a price you see in an old article applies to you.
For a first website, start with standard GA4. You can see recorded traffic, entry pages, campaigns, and key events without buying 360. First decide what one completed action matters to you, such as a sent inquiry or a trial signup. Then make sure you can measure it correctly.
Sources: Google: Google Analytics is free; Analytics 360 is paid · Google Analytics: standard and 360 feature limits
What do you need before it can collect visits?
Sign in at Google Analytics with a Google account. Create an account if needed, then create a GA4 property for the website. Choose the reporting time zone carefully. It affects which day a visit appears on in your reports.
Next, create a web data stream. A data stream is the connection that receives data from your website. Add the Google tag to the site through your website builder, a tag manager, or your site's code. A tag is a small piece of code that sends measurement data when a page loads.
After you publish the tag, use Realtime to check that your own test visit arrives. Google says collection can take up to 30 minutes to begin. If you can't edit the site, ask the person who manages it to add the tag; creating a property alone won't make reports fill up.
Sources: Google Analytics: create a GA4 property, data stream, and tag
What might still cost money?
The standard product being free doesn't mean every part of measurement is free. You might pay a developer to add or repair a tag, a consultant to plan events, or a website platform that makes installation easier. Those are costs around your website, not a GA4 subscription.
You might also choose paid tools for consent management, dashboards, data storage, or advertising. Don't buy one just because you created GA4. Begin with a small question you can answer in the standard reports, such as which pages start the most visits or whether a newsletter link brought sessions.
If you collect analytics data, check the privacy and consent rules that apply where you operate before turning tracking on. Your legal obligations depend on your circumstances; Google Analytics isn't a substitute for that review.
Sources: Google Analytics: privacy controls and data retention
What limits should a beginner know about?
Standard GA4 has configuration limits. For example, Google's current comparison lists up to 30 key events and 100 audiences for a standard property. These limits usually aren't the first problem for a new website, but they are a reason to name events consistently instead of creating a new one for every button.
Detailed user- and event-level data used in Explorations has a retention setting. Standard properties can use two or 14 months. This setting doesn't change your standard aggregated reports, but it can affect how far back you can examine detailed data in Explorations and funnels.
Write down the date you install the tag and the definition of each important event. You can't report on visits from before data collection began, and changing an event name later can make comparisons harder. Our key-event guide can help you choose a first completed action to measure.
Sources: Google Analytics: configuration limits · Google Analytics: data retention settings
When should you consider Analytics 360?
Consider Analytics 360 only after you can point to a specific need, such as a higher documented limit, longer detailed-data retention, or enterprise support. A busy-looking report isn't, by itself, a reason to upgrade.
Before you talk to sales, list the question standard GA4 can't answer, the report or setup that reaches a limit, and who needs the result. That makes the decision clearer than comparing plan names. For most beginners, improving the tag and checking one useful action will teach you more than adding a paid tier.
Once your free setup is collecting data, start with a simple report. Our guide to checking website traffic in GA4 walks through where to find the numbers and what they do—and don't—mean.