Polar Analytics vs Facebook Sales Channel
Is Polar Analytics or Facebook Sales Channel a better data solution for Shopify brands?
What is Polar Analytics?
Polar is a pre-built dashboard for commerce with out-of-the-box metrics and reports to ensure your team has the insights to get their jobs done. Polar Analytics is used by 300 Shopify sites according to BuiltWith.
What is Facebook Sales Channel?
Shopify has a built in free connector for Meta Ads as part of the Facebook Sales Channel. This was built in 2021 and is maintained by Shopify. Facebook Sales Channel is used by 2.80M Shopify sites according to BuiltWith.
You could use both Facebook Sales Channel for accurate data, and Polar Analytics for reporting
Polar Analytics vs Facebook Sales Channel comparison
| Feature | Polar Analytics | Facebook Sales Channel | Littledata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer data to marketing platforms | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Identity resolution to boost audiences | ✔️ |  | ✔️ |
| 30 day free trial | | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Public statement of privacy compliance | | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Fully automatic, no code setup | | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Marketing reporting | ✔️ | | |
| Proprietary attribution model | ✔️ | | |
| Server-side tracking | | | ✔️ |
| Automatic tracking of checkout extensibility | | | ✔️ |
| No-code setup for Shopify Hydrogen | | | ✔️ |
Polar Analytics offers a comprehensive pre-built dashboard with marketing reporting and a proprietary attribution model, providing in-depth insights for e-commerce teams. Its focus on out-of-the-box metrics allows for quick access to data, enhancing decision-making.
In contrast, Facebook Sales Channel emphasizes ease of integration with Shopify, featuring a fully automatic setup and a free connector for Meta Ads. While it provides customer data to marketing platforms, it lacks the advanced reporting and attribution capabilities of Polar.
Littledata also offers a user-friendly setup and identity resolution, similar to Facebook, but adds server-side tracking and automatic checkout tracking. However, it does not provide the same level of marketing reporting as Polar.
Overall, Polar Analytics stands out for its robust reporting and attribution features, while Facebook Sales Channel and Littledata focus more on integration and ease of use.
Cost comparison
Polar Analytics vs Facebook Sales Channel's monthly subscription cost
| Store size | Polar Analytics | Facebook Sales Channel | Littledata |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 orders / month | $400 | $0 | $39 |
| 500 orders / month | $400 | $0 | $149 |
| 5,000 orders / month | $1150 | $0 | $349 |
| 20,000 orders / month | $3500 | $0 | $799 |
For an online store with 50 orders, Polar Analytics is 923% more expensive than Littledata, while Facebook Sales Channel is free. At 500 orders, Polar Analytics and Facebook Sales Channel are equal at $400, while Littledata is 63% cheaper. With 5000 orders, Polar Analytics is 229% more than Littledata, and Facebook Sales Channel remains free. At 20000 orders, Polar Analytics is 338% more than Littledata, with Facebook Sales Channel still at no cost.
Supported data destinations
| Destination | Polar Analytics | Facebook Sales Channel | Littledata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meta Ads | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Google Ads | ✔️ | | ✔️ |
| Klaviyo | ✔️ | | ✔️ |
| Google Analytics | | | ✔️ |
| TikTok | | | ✔️ |
| | ✔️ | |
| Segment | | | ✔️ |
| Attentive | | | ✔️ |
Polar Analytics focuses on aggregating data from various sources, providing insights across platforms like Meta Ads, Google Ads, and Klaviyo, allowing for comprehensive analysis and reporting. Facebook Sales Channel primarily integrates with Meta Ads, optimizing ad performance directly within the Facebook ecosystem. Littledata offers a broader range of destinations, including Google Analytics, TikTok, and Pinterest, enabling multi-channel tracking and insights across diverse platforms. The main difference lies in Polar's emphasis on cross-platform analytics, Facebook's focus on Meta Ads, and Littledata's extensive multi-channel tracking capabilities.
Meta Ads comparison
Polar Analytics vs Facebook Sales Channel's solution for Meta Ads
| Feature | Polar Analytics | Facebook Sales Channel | Littledata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Added to Cart trigger | |||
| Via Conversions API | | | ✔️ |
| Checkout steps | |||
| Via Conversions API | | | ✔️ |
| Includes all checkout steps | | | ✔️ |
| Purchase event | |||
| Via Conversions API | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Includes post-purchase upsells | | | ✔️ |
| Includes recurring orders | | | ✔️ |
| Filters to exclude orders from some channels | | | ✔️ |
