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Polar Analytics App Review 2024: Can This Data Analytics Platform Manage Your Shopify Data Well?

Published on
November 23, 2024
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Updated on
November 22, 2024

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What is Polar Analytics?

Core Value Proposition

Navigating the data jungle can be a beast. That's where Polar Analytics comes into play. Polar analytics, started by David Dokes and Charbel Seif (formerly a data scientist at AirBNB), headquartered in Paris, acts as your personal data whisperer. It takes all the metrics from your various sales channels, mixes it with some machine learning magic, and presents you with insights that you can actually act upon. It operates ona SaaS model. The company is working with customers in over 26 countries — the United States, United Kingdom, France and Australia are top markets — and Polar Analytics is growing 300% year over year. Want to know your Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) last month compared to this month? Done. Want to delve deeper into conversion rates and marketing analytics? Done. Need to find out which products are flying off the virtual shelves? Consider it sorted.

What Primary Purpose It Serves

At its core, Polar Analytics serves one main purpose: to simplify your life as a Shopify brand. It gathers all your sales, customer, and marketing data in one unified dashboard. No more tab-hopping between Shopify, Amazon, Google Analytics, and who knows what else. It's like having a super-smart assistant who's always on top of things, ready to give you the intel you need to make smarter business decisions. And it does all this without making you slog through spreadsheets or sit through endless tutorials.

Who's It For? Who Is It NOT For?

Target Audience

If you're a Shopify store owner drowning in a sea of data, Polar Analytics might just be your lifesaver. It's designed for those who are serious about growing their online business through data-driven decisions. Whether you're a solo entrepreneur or part of a larger team, this app can help you make sense of complex metrics without needing a Ph.D. in data science. Specifically, if you're juggling multiple sales channels like Shopify, Amazon, and Google, this app brings all that data into one cohesive dashboard. You can even customize metrics and set alerts for real-time insights.

Who Is It NOT For?

Now, let's get real. Polar Analytics isn't for everyone. If you're just dipping your toes into the e-commerce world, the advanced features and pricing tiers could be overwhelming. We're talking $400 a month, folks—definitely not pocket change. Plus, if you're running a simple store with a single sales channel and minimal inventory, Polar Analytics might be overkill. It's also not the best fit for you if quick mobile access to comprehensive reports is a priority, given the app's limitations on mobile reporting. Lastly, if you're looking for a quick plug-and-play solution with no learning curve, you might want to look elsewhere.

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Features

  • Import Data Easily: Connect data from multiple data sources like Shopify, Amazon, Google, Meta, Tiktok, Klaviyo, and more, in a single click. Visualize key metrics with our pre-built dashboards.
  • Track Core KPIs: Monitor crucial business metrics like CAC, LTV, ROAS, Retention Cohorts, and more and gain data-driven insights to grow your store. You can also define your own metrics, and personalize charts as per your requirements.

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  • Smart Alerts: Get notified of every lost conversion or loss in revenue by scheduling reports filled with smart insights. Spot anomalies and potential opportunities with real-time alerts in Slack or email and take action accordingly

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  • Dedicated AI Analyst: Turn data queries into powerful reports and playbooks. Ask questions like “What was my CAC last month vs this month?” or “What were my top selling 3 products last week?” and get accurate, actionable insights for your marketing team.

Pricing

Polar Analytics offers a 2-tiered pricing: 

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  1. ANALYZE & ACTIVATE ($400/month)

Pricing on monthly tracked orders

  • All Business Intelligence features (KPIs, Analytics Templates, Custom report builder)
  • Automated scheduled reports
  • Benchmarks
  • Alerts & Insights
  • Unlimited historical data
  • Unlimited users
  • Unlimited connectors
  • CSM Onboarding Session

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  1. CUSTOM 

All Analyze & Activate features plus:

  • Hourly data refresh
  • Attribution Model
  • Snowflake Database access
  • Automation workflows
  • 99% SLA
  • Priority support with personal DM channel

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  • Training & Done-for-you Report building

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Comes with a 7-day free trial. Switching to an annual plan saves you 17%.

Rating

4.9 / 5 

What do real users have to say about it?

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Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Analytics templates for conversion, profit, and ad spend, built by experts
  • Set goals and get predictive forecasts to make sure you’re on track. You can define absolute, or weekly, monthly or yearly targets for any kinds of metrics, ratios or dollar amount.
  • Polar Pixel - Accurate first-party attribution to eliminate duplicate conversions, identify successful campaigns, and train your ad algorithm effectively
  • Conversion API Enhancer to enhance your ROAS by 20%

Cons

  • Switching between views and reports can be slow sometimes
  • You can view only a limited number of reports on mobile
  • Expensive paid plans which might be a stumbling block for teams just starting out

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Our Review of Polar Analytics

We've really rolled up our sleeves to dig deep into Polar Analytics, and it's time to share our comprehensive findings. We've looked at everything from the user interface to customer support, and we've even spent some late nights pouring over the data analytics just to see how it measures up. Here's what we found:

The User Interface: A Double-Edged Sword

The dashboard is sleek and uncluttered, which is a relief. We all know that handling a complicated analytics dashboard is cumbersome. Yet, we encountered some hitches when we were transitioning between different views and reports. The lag was noticeable. Even though it wasn’t a deal-breaker, it's something that irritated us because we were trying to quickly go through the data.

Data Integration: A Seamless Affair

We tried several ecommerce integrations, actually. One of the first things we did was integrate our Shopify store data. Then we added Amazon, Google, and even TikTok metrics. The process was straightforward. It saved us from the manual labor of inputting data ourselves or using different platforms for different data sets. So, thumbs up for that. That was a good thing.

Customization: Your Data, Your Way

The customization options are quite robust. We set up custom metrics that were relevant to our store and even scheduled smart alerts. These alerts went straight to our Slack and email, giving us real-time insights into our performance. The feature worked like a charm; it's almost like having another team member keeping an eye on things when you're swamped with other tasks.

Analytics & Reporting: A Mixed Bag

The analytics feature is robust; we'll give it that. We appreciated the dashboard's ability to offer us quick insights into complex metrics like Customer Acquisition Costs (CAC) and Lifetime Value (LTV). However, when we tried to check these reports on mobile, we were limited. So if you're someone who likes to keep tabs while on the move, this could be a setback.

Pricing

Budget is a significant factor in whether or not Polar Analytics is the right fit for you. The starting price point is $400 per month, and that falls under their "Analyze & Activate" tier. With the "Analyze & Activate" package, you're getting a lot more than just basic data tracking. This includes not just your run-of-the-mill KPIs and analytics templates but also features like automated scheduled reports, benchmarks, and an assortment of alert types. Additionally, there's the benefit of unlimited historical data, an unlimited number of users, and an endless array of connectors for integrating various platforms. Plus, there's a Customer Success Management (CSM) Onboarding Session included, which is a nice touch for those who may be new to data analytics platforms or want to ensure they're utilizing the tool to its fullest extent.

Then, there's the custom pricing option, which includes everything from the "Analyze & Activate" package and then some. We're talking about hourly data refresh rates, a more sophisticated attribution model, and access to a Snowflake Database. On top of that, there's a 99% Service Level Agreement (SLA) and priority support that comes complete with a personal DM channel.

Customer Support

We all know that even the best tools can lose their luster if customer support is lacking. During our time with Polar Analytics, we had a couple of reasons to contact their support team, and each interaction we had was a positive one. Responses were not just quick but also informative and actionable.

Now, if you opt for the custom pricing package, you're in for a treat. The priority support takes customer service to a whole other level. You have a direct line—your very own DM channel—to reach out for any queries or issues. In a business where time is money, this immediate line of communication can be invaluable, especially when you're dealing with complex data analytics issues that you can't afford to wait on.

However, it's important to note that this level of customer service comes with the custom pricing tier. So you need to assess whether your business requirements warrant this kind of immediate attention and whether you're willing to pay the premium for it.

Final Thoughts

After putting Polar Analytics through its paces and integrating it into our daily operations, we've gathered some crucial insights to share. For those who've moved beyond the basics in Shopify and are looking for a tool with robust analytics capabilities, Polar Analytics is a strong contender. It packs in a ton of features and presents data in a way that's actionable, not just readable.

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However, it's not without its caveats. The mobile reporting could use some improvement, especially if you're someone who likes to keep tabs on your business when you're away from your desk. Moreover, the lag time when toggling between views and reports can be a minor annoyance if you're short on patience. The cost is also a significant factor to consider; this is not a budget-friendly option by any stretch.

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So, what's our bottom line on Polar Analytics? It's a formidable tool with a lot to offer. If its limitations aren't a deal-breaker for you—or better yet, if those limitations don't affect your specific needs—then we'd highly recommend giving it a shot. We're confident you now have the information you need to make a well-informed choice.

FAQs

How does it stack up against other similar apps available on the Shopify app store or elsewhere?

Polar Analytics does very well compared to its competitors. You can check out a few comparisons like Supermetrics, Data Studio, Triplewhale etc. on its homepage.

How is the customer support?

We found it to be strong but it has its own limitations

Julien Mamalian
CEO, Bloggle

After an exciting 5 years of designing and optimizing Shopify sites for well-known French startups, I launched Bloggle. Our mission? To assist merchants worldwide in crafting compelling articles that rank high in SEO and truly engage their audience. In just 3 years, over 2,000 clients have trusted us, publishing more than 55,000 articles through Bloggle. Thanks to them, I’ve learned the keys to success and the pitfalls to avoid.

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