We’ve noticed pretty large discrepancies between what Shopify Analytics reports as our YTD sessions count (1.03 M total sessions) and what Google Analytics reports as our YTD sessions count (841k total sessions). Typically, the live view of each shows different numbers for current visitors on the site. I understand that this is likely due to different algorithms used to collect this data. What I don’t know is what those differences are. Does Google require a slightly longer visit time to count as a session? Would those using private browsers make a difference? This is a pretty large difference (almost 18%) so any insights into which figure might be more accurate would be helpful.
Topic summary
Large discrepancy in session counts between Shopify Analytics and Google Analytics: Shopify reports 1.03M YTD sessions vs Google Analytics at 841k (~18% lower). Live visitor counts also differ between the two tools.
Key questions raised:
- Whether different session definitions/algorithms explain the gap (e.g., minimum visit duration, how a session starts/ends).
- Whether private browsing or similar privacy-related behavior affects counting.
- Which platform’s session figure is likely more accurate given the size of the difference.
No resolution or explanation is provided in the text; the discussion remains open and is seeking technical clarification.
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