SourceMedium vs Shopify Analytics

An evidence-backed comparison across integrations, attribution, data freshness, SQL access, pricing, and compliance.

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Feature	SourceMedium	Shopify Analytics
Integrations & Data Sources	40+ integrations across 5 business functions — commerce, ads, email, subscriptions, and ops — with documented coverage and daily reconciliation	Shopify store data only — no ad platforms, email, subscriptions, or other sales channels
Data Freshness	Reconciled daily across all sources with full historical backfill — every metric traceable to its source	Some reports lag up to 12 hours; Live View exists but scope is limited
Attribution Models	Server-side multi-touch attribution — no new pixels, no cookies, works with your existing tracking infrastructure	No cross-channel marketing attribution — checkout funnel metrics only
Cohort / CLTV	20 pre-built analytics modules including LTV, repurchase, retention, and new customer analysis — ready to use on day one	Cohort reports require Advanced ($299/mo) or Plus ($2,300+/mo) Shopify plans
Dashboards & Visualization	Pre-built dashboards + AI analyst that answers ad-hoc questions in natural language, backed by SQL you can verify	Built-in dashboards gated by Shopify plan tier; custom reports require Advanced+
Custom Metrics	Define a metric once, use it everywhere — dashboards, SQL, and AI always return the same answer	ShopifyQL for querying (proprietary language, not standard SQL)
SQL / Export / API Access	Full SQL access on every plan — query your managed BigQuery warehouse, connect any BI tool, extend with custom models	No SQL access; ShopifyQL only (proprietary, not standard SQL)
Legal / Compliance	Compliance documentation available on request	SOC 2 Type II and SOC 3 reports available via Shopify compliance portal

Confidence: Verified Inferred Unknown

Based on publicly available documentation, last verified February 2026.

Pricing overview

How SourceMedium and Shopify Analytics pricing compares.

SourceMedium

Model: Subscription based on data volume
Starting price: Custom pricing
Limits: Custom pricing — contact for details on data retention and seat limits

Shopify Analytics

Model: Included in Shopify plans; reporting depth varies by plan tier
Starting price: Included with Shopify subscription
Tiers: Basic / Shopify / Advanced / Plus (analytics features increase with tier)
Limits: Custom reports and cohort analysis require Advanced or Plus plans

Why teams choose SourceMedium over Shopify Analytics

Shopify is a commerce platform, not an analytics platform. Shopify Analytics tells you what sold — it can't tell you why, which marketing drove it, or what your customers will do next. No cross-channel attribution, no ad spend data, no email revenue, no SQL access, no AI analyst. SourceMedium is the analytics layer Shopify doesn't have.

Where the approaches differ

Shopify sees orders; SourceMedium sees the full picture. Shopify Analytics only reports on store data. SourceMedium connects 40+ sources — Shopify, Amazon, ad platforms, email, subscriptions, and ops — into a unified, reconciled data model with P&L, cohort LTV, and contribution margin.

No attribution vs multi-touch attribution. Shopify tracks checkout funnels but has no cross-channel marketing attribution. SourceMedium provides server-side multi-touch attribution across all channels, capturing 10-30% more attributable orders than GA-only measurement.

ShopifyQL vs standard SQL. Shopify uses a proprietary query language that doesn't transfer to other tools and can't connect to BI platforms. SourceMedium provides standard SQL on a managed BigQuery warehouse — connect any BI tool, run any query.

Plan-gated vs plan-independent. Shopify gates cohort reports, custom reports, and advanced analytics behind $299+/mo commerce plans. SourceMedium includes full analytics capabilities on every plan — your analytics shouldn't be limited by your commerce platform subscription.

When Shopify Analytics might be sufficient

Shopify Analytics works for early-stage merchants whose only analytics need is order and traffic reporting within the Shopify admin. If you don't need attribution, cross-channel data, SQL, or cohort analysis, Shopify's built-in reporting covers the basics.

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