Google Analytics 4 360 vs. Google Analytics 4: What’s the Difference?

Updated in August 2025

Google Analytics 4 has reshaped the way businesses work with user data, introducing greater flexibility, richer metrics, and more advanced capabilities. However, the move to GA4 does not automatically guarantee better results for every marketer. The reality is more nuanced and largely depends on business scale, data volume, and analytical needs.

That is why Google offers two versions of the platform: the standard, free Google Analytics 4, and GA4 360, an advanced paid solution designed for enterprise-level use cases.

Below, we outline the key differences between GA4 and GA4 360 and explain which business goals GA4 360 is best suited to support.

What Is GA4?

Google Analytics 4 is Google’s next-generation analytics platform, built for unified measurement across web and app environments. It replaces the session-based logic of Universal Analytics with an event-driven model, giving teams a clearer view of user behavior across touchpoints.

GA4 also reflects a shift toward privacy-first analytics, with support for cookieless measurement and built-in predictive metrics that help marketers make data-driven decisions at scale.

What Is Google Analytics 4 360?

Google Analytics 4 360 (GA4 360) is the enterprise-paid version of Google Analytics 4. It has advanced features and higher usage limits than the free GA4 version. Additionally, GA4 360 is part of the Google Marketing Platform, which includes other Google marketing products such as Google Tag Manager 360, Search Ads 360, and Display & Video 360.

The main advantage of this version is that it allows you to collect more data before reaching the sampling limits, which provides better and more complete statistics for web analytics. It also provides more flexibility in data collection with advanced options for custom metrics, event parameters, and more.

GA4 vs Google Analytics 4 360: Key Differences

The most visible difference between Google Analytics 4 360 and Google Analytics 4 is cost. In return, GA4 360 delivers a set of technical and operational advantages designed for scale.

Below is a concise overview of the key differences, with deeper details covered later.

• Data collection. GA4 360 supports higher data volumes and more flexible collection, enabling more robust analysis compared to the limits of the free version.
• Data integration and activation. Both versions integrate with the Google ecosystem, but GA4 360 removes scaling constraints when working with advanced integrations and data activation.
• Account administration and management. GA4 360 introduces aggregated properties and sub-properties, allowing more granular data segmentation and governance.
• Service level agreements (SLAs). GA4 360 includes SLAs and service guarantees, while the free GA4 does not.
• Reporting and analysis. GA4 360 offers expanded reporting capabilities, supporting deeper analysis and more reliable insights.
• Data retention. GA4 retains data for up to 14 months, while GA4 360 extends retention to up to 50 months.

Let’s review each aspect in greater detail.

Data Collection

Analytics should be built on high-quality data collection. GA4 360 offers a clear advantage by supporting significantly higher data volumes than the standard GA4 before sampling or other limitations come into effect.

GA4 360 also provides greater flexibility in data collection through advanced configuration options, including custom dimensions, metrics, and event parameters. This enables a more comprehensive and scalable approach to data analysis compared to standard web analytics setups.

Below, we take a closer look at how data collection differs between the two versions of Google Analytics.

Limit	GA4	GA4 360
Data sampling threshold (relates to Explorations only)	10 million of events	1 billion of events
Data freshness	4-8 hours	< 4 hours
Event parameters	25	100
Special parameters	75	225
Special indicators	50	125
Goals/conversions	30	50
Audiences	100	400
API quotes	25K per day	250K per day
Explorations	200 per customer/ 500 common per ownership	200 per customer/ 1000 common per ownership

Data Integration and Activation

To support business goals, marketers need analytics that can be activated across multiple customer touchpoints. GA4 integrates with the Google Marketing Platform to enable this, but while both GA4 and GA4 360 support these integrations, the free version quickly runs into scaling limitations.

Check out more details about the activation and integration of data within these two versions of Google Analytics:

Function	GA4	GA4 360
Google Ads	Yes (limited)	Yes (multiplied per 4 synchronization of all audiences)
Search Ads 360 (SA360)	Yes (30 conversions, 100 audiences)	Yes (50 conversions, 400 audiences)
Display & Video 360	Yes (30 conversions, 100 audiences)	Yes (50 conversions, 400 audiences)
Campaign Manager 360 (CM360)	Yes	Yes
Data Studio	Yes	Yes
Search Console	Yes	Yes
Ads Manager	Yes (limited)	Yes (higher data limits)
Firebase	Yes	Yes
BigQuery	Yes	Yes (up to 20 billion events per day)

Account Administration and Management

GA4 and GA4 360 differ significantly in how accounts are structured and managed. GA4 360 offers greater flexibility through advanced account architecture, including aggregated properties and sub-properties.

This structure allows teams to segment data more effectively, apply tailored governance, and manage access at a more granular level. As a result, analytics setups become easier to scale, clearer to operate, and better suited for extracting deeper, more actionable insights while maintaining stronger data control.

Service Level Agreements (SLAs)

High-quality web analytics requires reliable guarantees around data collection and processing. One of the key differences between GA4 360 and the free version is the availability of Service Level Agreements (SLAs).

While the standard GA4 does not include formal service guarantees, GA4 360 provides defined SLAs that ensure greater reliability and operational confidence.

Service level agreements	GA4	GA4 360
Collection of data	N/A	99.9% of working time
Data freshness	N/A	less than 4 hours in 98% of cases
Minimal time of service	N/A	Depending on the data volume

Reporting and Analysis

GA4 360 delivers more advanced reporting and analysis capabilities than standard GA4. Features such as data-driven attribution, advanced segmentation, and customizable user sequences enable deeper insights and more accurate interpretation of user behavior, supporting better-informed marketing and optimization decisions.

Extended Data Retention

While tools like BigQuery and Looker Studio help address long-term analysis needs, many teams still rely on full year-over-year reporting directly within Google Analytics. In the free version of GA4, data retention is limited to 14 months, which restricts historical analysis and long-term trend evaluation.

GA4 360 removes this constraint by offering extended data retention of up to 50 months. This allows businesses to access nearly four years of historical data, supporting deeper retrospective analysis, more reliable benchmarking, and long-term performance reporting.

Other Features

There are a few more significant differences between the GA4 and the GA4 360 that are also worth mentioning:

Function	GA4	GA4 360
Unsampled reports	No	Yes
Export to BigQuery	Yes (1 million events per day)	Так (20 billion events per day)
Data retention time	14 months	50 months
Custom tables	No	Yes

Efficiency and Sustainability

Standard GA4 is not designed for high-precision analysis at scale. Its data collection and processing limits can become a constraint when working with large traffic volumes.

GA4 360 addresses this with significantly higher limits and more robust processing capabilities. For high-traffic properties — for example, websites with over one million users per month — GA4 360 provides the reliability and consistency needed to sustain accurate analytics as the business grows.

This makes GA4 360 a more suitable choice for organizations that require scalable, enterprise-grade measurement.

Which Version Is Right for You?

Choosing between GA4 and GA4 360 comes down to scale, data complexity, and analytics maturity. For small to mid-sized businesses, the standard GA4 feature set is often sufficient for day-to-day measurement and reporting.

For larger organizations, especially those handling millions of sessions, high data velocity, or real-time decision-making, GA4 360 offers the advanced data collection, processing capacity, and reliability required to operate at scale. In these cases, GA4 360 becomes the more practical and future-ready choice.