Most Shopify stores that take tracking seriously end up choosing between a tracking app like Elevar or Analyzify, Stape’s server-side tools, or a custom Google Tag Manager setup. They solve the same problem in different ways, and the right choice depends on your team, your channels and how much control you want.
A word of transparency: I build custom GTM setups for a living, often hosted on Addingwell or Stape. I’ll stay factual, but keep that in mind. Features and prices change often, so check each vendor’s current pricing page before deciding.
What each option is
Elevar
A tracking app built specifically for Shopify. It generates a data layer from your store’s events and sends them to many destinations, including server-side, with monitoring of what was sent. It is billed as a monthly subscription that depends on your order volume.
Analyzify
A Shopify tracking provider focused on GA4 and Google Tag Manager, with an app and done-for-you setups, plus server-side options. You get a ready-made GTM setup that their team can install for you.
Stape
Mainly a hosting provider for server-side GTM containers, with a Shopify app that sends your store’s events and webhooks to your server container. You still need someone to configure the container and its tags.
Custom GTM
A custom pixel in Shopify’s Customer events sends your events to your own GTM web and server containers. Everything is configured for your store, documented, and owned by you. Hosting is on Addingwell, Stape or Google Cloud.
Comparison
| Elevar | Analyzify | Stape app + sGTM | Custom GTM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who configures it | You, with the app’s interface | Their team or you | You or a specialist | A specialist |
| Running cost model | Subscription, grows with orders | Setup fee and/or subscription | Hosting, grows with requests | Hosting, grows with requests |
| Flexibility | High within the app | Medium | Full | Full |
| Who owns the setup | The app | Mostly you (GTM containers) | You | You |
| Switching away | Rebuild needed | Easier | Easy | Easy |
| Custom values (profit, new customer) | Possible | Limited | Yes | Yes |
The questions that decide it
Who will maintain it?
If nobody on your team knows GTM and you don’t plan to hire help, an app with a clear interface and support is safer. If you have an agency or a freelancer, a custom setup gives them full control.
How many platforms do you feed?
With GA4 and Meta only, almost any option works. With Google Ads, Meta, TikTok, Pinterest, Klaviyo and a data warehouse, one server-side stream that you control becomes much easier to keep consistent.
How do the costs grow?
Subscriptions that depend on order volume are cheap at the start and grow with your store. A custom setup costs more up front and less over time. Compare the cost over two or three years, not one month.
Do you need custom logic?
Sending profit instead of revenue to Google Ads, flagging new versus returning customers, or excluding subscription renewals all need custom logic. That is where a custom setup or a flexible app pays off.
The setup that causes the most problems: all of them at once
The most frequent situation in my audits is not a bad choice, it is several choices on top of each other: an app installed two years ago, the native Google and Meta apps, and a custom pixel added by an agency. Each sends its own purchase event, and the numbers stop making sense. Whatever you choose, remove what you don’t use. See duplicate purchase events on Shopify.
My recommendation
- Small store, GA4 and Meta only, no technical help: native apps first, a tracking app when you outgrow them.
- Growing store with a team that likes packaged tools: Elevar or Analyzify.
- Store scaling paid ads on several platforms, wanting to own its data: custom GTM with server-side hosting on Addingwell or Stape.
Already using one of these tools and the numbers still don’t match Shopify? That is a very common starting point for my clients. I check what your current setup sends, then fix it or move it into one server-side setup. See the Shopify tracking packages or book a free 30-minute call.