#293: Tool Selection and the Unhelpfulness of Feature Comparisons

#293: Tool Selection and the Unhelpfulness of Feature Comparisons

From The Analytics Power Hour by Michael Helbling, Moe Kiss, Tim Wilson, Val Kroll, and Julie Hoyer

March 17, 2026 · 1h 6m

About this episode

The episode discusses the complexities of tool selection beyond simple feature comparisons.

The one rule about the Analytics Power Hour is that we don't talk about specific tools. But that doesn't mean we won't talk about tool SELECTION! Jason Packer recently released the second edition of Google Analytics Alternatives , (also available on Amazon ) and his approach in the book is very much not an RFP-like "check which features your tool offers" system. And his rationale for that seems just as applicable (to us, at least!) for any data platform selection, be it a digital/product analytics platform, a BI tool, database or storage infrastructure, or, well, you name it! Ultimately, the challenge is how to go about getting a reasonably strong understanding of the philosophy and historical roots of each platform being considered and then marrying that up with the foundational priorities and needs of the organization. Is that a lot harder than a feature checklist? Yes. But them's the breaks. For complete show notes, including links to items mentioned in this episode and a transcript of the show, visit the show page .

People in this episode

Hosts: Michael Helbling, Moe Kiss, Tim Wilson, Val Kroll, Julie Hoyer

Topics covered

  • tool selection
  • feature comparisons
  • data platform selection
  • analytics tools
  • organizational needs

Keywords

  • tool selection
  • feature comparisons
  • data platforms
  • analytics
  • organizational needs

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Google Analytics Alternatives

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