Google Tag Manager (GTM) has become one of the most popular tag management solutions for implementing and managing marketing and analytics tags on websites and mobile apps.
With its easy-to-use interface, built-in templates, and integration with major platforms, it’s no wonder over 75% of the top 10,000 websites now use GTM.
However, GTM isn’t the only tag management solution on the market. Several alternatives are worth considering if you’re looking for lower-cost options, more flexibility, or features unavailable in GTM.
In this article, we’ll compare five of the top alternatives to help you determine if switching makes sense for your business.
What Is A Tag Management Solution?
A tag management solution is a platform that allows you to manage tracking tags implemented on your website or mobile app through a user interface rather than code.
It provides a centralized way to implement and control analytics, marketing, and advertising tags from solutions like Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, Google Ads, etc.
Tag managers make adding or removing tags easy without involving IT or developers. They provide a faster, more agile approach to tag management.
Alternative TMSs (Tag Management Solutions)
Check the below options, which you can use instead of Google Tag Manager.
1. Tealium iQ
Tealium iQ provides enterprise-level features for managing tags across web, mobile, and offline channels. It goes beyond basic tag management, emphasising collecting and structuring customer data for analysis.
Some of the key features of Tealium iQ include:
- Unified customer profiles: Create a persistent, universal customer profile across devices by integrating data from your website, mobile apps, CRM, and more. This enables more targeted personalization.
- Robust data layer: Structured data collection ensures data consistency and accuracy for downstream uses. Tealium’s data layer is highly customizable.
- Event streaming: Send data to downstream platforms in real-time versus batch uploads. This enables instant analytics and optimizations.
- Predictive scoring: Machine learning creates propensity models to identify high-value visitors and guide personalization.
- On-premise option: The software can be deployed instead of the cloud for enterprise-level security.
Tealium iQ provides enterprise-level features at premium pricing, starting at around $50,000 annually. The interface may also be less intuitive than GTM. However, it offers more customization and control for companies with advanced needs.
2. Adobe Experience Platform Launch
Adobe Experience Platform Launch (formerly Adobe DTM) is a top alternative to Adobe’s marketing suite. It replaces Adobe’s original DTM product and integrates tightly with other solutions.
Key features of Launch include:
- Dynamic tags: Create reusable tags that can be configured through the UI without new code deployments. This simplifies tag management for non-devs.
- Visual editor: Drag-and-drop tag creation provides an intuitive workflow for link clicks, time delays, and other advanced implementation logic.
- Adobe integrations: Works seamlessly with Adobe Analytics, Audience Manager, Target, Campaign, and Real-time Customer Data Platform.
- AI-powered recommendations: Adobe Sensei suggests optimizations based on collected data, like adding certain tags or installing new extensions.
- Hybrid hosting options: Can be hosted on Adobe Cloud or self-hosted for more control.
Pricing starts at $50/month for up to 200,000 page views. Enterprise options are available but not published. It can provide seamless integration for existing Adobe customers but has limited third-party connections.
3. Ensighten
Ensighten provides an enterprise tag management system focused on privacy and security. It enables companies to meet privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA when implementing tracking technologies.
Some highlights of Ensighten’s tag management system:
- Consent Management: Collect, document, and manage user consent across channels through opt-in/opt-out controls.
- Tag auditing: Scan tags for cookies, personal data collection, and other factors relevant to privacy regulations.
- Tag blocking: Programmatically block tags based on privacy preferences and consent status.
- Data protection: Encrypts/scrambles sensitive data during collection and transfer.
- Privacy reports: Generate full reports showing how data is tracked and used to demonstrate compliance.
- Permissions system: Granular user permissions enable access control across marketing and IT teams.
Ensighten charges on an annual subscription model, with pricing customized based on the number of websites, volume of data, and desired functionality. The emphasis on privacy makes it ideal for heavily regulated industries.
4. Commanders Act
CommandersAct is a lightweight, self-hosted alternative to Google Tag Manager developed by an open-source community.
Here are some of its notable capabilities:
- Open source: The core software is open source and free on GitHub under the Apache 2.0 license. This enables full customization.
- Lightweight code: The snippet is less than 1kb compressed versus 15kb for Google Tag Manager. This provides faster page loads.
- Self-hosted: The software is installed on your servers rather than an external cloud platform. This provides more control.
- Tag library: It comes pre-built with many common marketing and analytics tags that can be enabled through the UI.
- Custom templates: Create reusable custom templates to simplify the implementation of common tag configurations.
- DataLayer: Includes a flexible DataLayer for passing data between tags as needed.
The open-source core software is free. Paid plans start at around $15/month for 1 website and include access to pre-built extensions. Hosting costs are additional for the self-hosted option.
5. Segment
The Segment provides a unique approach to customer data management. It creates a centralized data platform that other tools can plug into rather than a traditional tag manager.
Here’s an overview of how the Segment works:
- Sources and Destinations: Add data sources like your website, mobile apps, CRM, etc. Then, connect data destinations like Google Analytics, Facebook, data warehouses, email platforms, and more.
- Unified data pipeline: Segment ingests data from all sources, transforms and augments it, and routes it downstream to destinations in a unified data stream.
- Developer-friendly APIs: APIs make implementing Segments across data sources easy and integrate new destinations as needed.
- Out-of-the-box tracking: It has APIs for common event tracking like page views, clicks, and form submissions that automatically route data.
- Customer data platform (CDP): Combines first-party customer data from across your business to create unified customer profiles.
Pricing starts at $99/month for up to 100,000 API calls. Enterprise plans are customized and start at $1,999/month. The pipeline approach provides flexibility but requires more implementation work upfront.
Wrapping Up
Google Tag Manager simplifies basic tag management tasks with an intuitive interface. However, several alternatives are worth considering depending on your needs for data management, personalization, privacy, and marketing platform integrations.
Solutions like Tealium cater to enterprise-level needs, while open-source options like CommandersAct provide lower-cost, lightweight alternatives.
Consider your in-house technical capabilities, marketing stack, regulatory requirements, and budget when assessing alternatives.
The right solution provides a mix of usability, flexibility, and integration at a workable cost. Testing different options is the best way to determine which alternative works best for managing tags across your digital properties.
