Integration of Google Analytics 4 and BigQuery. How much does it cost? Calculator
Key takeaways Why export GA4 data to BigQuery? The export doesn’t backfill: BigQuery only contains data from the day you link it. That’s why we recommend turning it on early, even if you don’t use it yet. What does BigQuery charge for? Cost item Price (US / EU multi-region) Free tier Active logical storage (modified […]
Key takeaways
- The export itself is free. Linking GA4 to BigQuery costs nothing; you pay BigQuery for storage, queries and, optionally, streaming.
- Typical cost is low: a site with 15 million events a month pays about $25 a year for storage, and most small teams stay within the free 1 TiB of queries per month.
- Free tier: 10 GiB of storage and 1 TiB of queries per month.
- Limit to know: standard GA4 properties can export up to 1 million events per day in the daily export. Above that, use streaming (about $0.05 per GB), filter events or upgrade to GA4 360.
- Queries are usually the bigger cost at scale; dashboards that scan raw event tables can get expensive.
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Why export GA4 data to BigQuery?
- Raw, unsampled data at event and user level, with no thresholds.
- No retention limit. GA4 keeps user-level data for 2 or 14 months; BigQuery keeps it as long as you want.
- Reliable reporting. Looker Studio reports on the GA4 connector are limited by GA4 Data API quotas; BigQuery has no such limits.
- Joining data with CRM, ad spend or margin, for example in Looker Studio or Power BI.
The export doesn’t backfill: BigQuery only contains data from the day you link it. That’s why we recommend turning it on early, even if you don’t use it yet.
What does BigQuery charge for?
| Cost item | Price (US / EU multi-region) | Free tier |
|---|---|---|
| Active logical storage (modified in last 90 days) | $0.02 per GiB per month | First 10 GiB per month |
| Long-term logical storage (not modified for 90 days) | $0.01 per GiB per month | Included in the 10 GiB |
| On-demand queries | $6.25 per TiB scanned | First 1 TiB per month |
| Capacity (BigQuery Editions) | From about $0.04 per slot-hour (Standard, pay-as-you-go) | — |
| GA4 streaming export | About $0.05 per GB | — |
| GA4 daily export | Free (up to 1M events/day for standard properties) | — |
Sources: BigQuery pricing, GA4 BigQuery Export. Prices in single regions (e.g. Frankfurt, Zurich) are higher; check the pricing page for your region.
Rule of thumb: 1 GB of storage holds about 600,000 GA4 events (Google’s estimate; it depends on how many parameters you send).
How much does storage cost? Two examples
Assumptions: EU multi-region, logical storage, 600,000 events per GB, data older than 90 days moves to long-term storage, first 10 GiB free.
| Month | Site A: 15M events/month (25 GB/month) | Site B: 150M events/month (250 GB/month) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 GB · $0.30 | 250 GB · $4.80 |
| 3 | 75 GB · $1.30 | 750 GB · $14.80 |
| 6 | 150 GB · $2.05 | 1,500 GB · $22.30 |
| 12 | 300 GB · $3.55 | 3,000 GB · $37.30 |
| Storage, first year | about $25 | about $275 |
| Export method | Daily export (free): about 500k events/day | About 5M events/day: above the 1M limit, so streaming (about $12.50/month) or GA4 360 |
How much do queries cost?
With on-demand pricing you pay for the bytes each query scans, and the first 1 TiB per month is free. BigQuery shows the estimated bytes before you run a query.
- Site A: a query on all columns for a full month scans about 25 GB, so the free 1 TiB covers about 40 such queries a month.
- Site B: a Looker Studio dashboard that scans 30 days of raw events (about 250 GB) and refreshes 20 times a month scans about 5 TiB: roughly 4 TiB × $6.25 = $25 per month. Ten such dashboards: $250.
How to keep query costs down
- Select only the columns you need. BigQuery charges by column, so avoid SELECT *.
- Filter by date with _TABLE_SUFFIX on events_* tables, so only the needed days are scanned.
- Build aggregated tables (for example daily sessions by channel) with scheduled queries, and connect dashboards to them, not to raw events.
- Exclude unneeded events or streams from the export.
- Set cost controls: a maximum bytes billed limit per query and budget alerts in Google Cloud.
- Consider BigQuery Editions only for heavy, regular workloads; for most GA4 projects on-demand is cheaper. See cost optimization.
GA4 BigQuery cost calculator
Annual storage cost (EU, logical) ≈ sum over 12 months of: (active GB − 10) × $0.02 + long-term GB × $0.01, where monthly GB = monthly events ÷ 600,000. Add streaming (monthly GB × $0.05) if you exceed 1 million events per day, and query costs above 1 TiB per month (× $6.25 per TiB).
Where to find your number of events: in GA4, go to Reports → Engagement → Events and sum the event count for the last 30 days.
GA4 → BigQuery storage cost calculator (EU multi-region, 2026 prices)
Assumptions: 600,000 events per GB, active storage $0.02/GiB (first 10 GiB free), long-term storage $0.01/GiB after 90 days without changes, streaming $0.05/GB above 1 million events per day, on-demand queries $6.25/TiB after the first free 1 TiB per month. Estimate only, check the current BigQuery price list.
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FAQ
Is GA4 BigQuery export free?
The daily export is free for all GA4 properties (up to 1 million events per day for standard properties). You pay BigQuery for storage and queries above the free tier, and about $0.05 per GB for streaming export.
What happens if I exceed 1 million events per day?
Google may pause the daily export. Exclude events or data streams from the export, switch to streaming export (no event limit) or upgrade to GA4 360.
Can I export historical GA4 data to BigQuery?
No. The export starts from the day you link the property; there’s no backfill. Link it as early as possible.
Does BigQuery still have flat-rate pricing?
No. Since 5 July 2023, flat-rate and flex slots have been replaced by BigQuery Editions, priced per slot-hour. On-demand pricing per TiB is still available.
Sources
- Google Cloud: BigQuery pricing
- Google Cloud: Introducing BigQuery editions (2023)
- Google Analytics Help: GA4 BigQuery Export
- Google Analytics Help: Set up BigQuery Export
- Google for Developers: GA4 Data API quotas
- DoiT: BigQuery cost optimization in 2026
About the author: Joanna Jelenik is Delivery Manager at Insightland. Insightland is a Wrocław-based SEO and GEO agency, part of the Hexe Capital Tech Hub. Contact us.
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