- Varify.io is a European Google Optimize alternative with visual editor, native GA4 integration, and unlimited A/B tests from €149/month
- Cookie-less by design — no consent banner needed, GDPR-compliant with servers in Frankfurt
- No traffic limits or MTU pricing — your cost stays flat as your traffic grows
- 11.5 KB snippet, loads in under 30ms, works on SPAs (React, Vue, Angular)
Google Optimize was shut down in September 2023, leaving hundreds of thousands of websites without a free A/B testing tool. Varify.io is a European Google Optimize alternative that offers what made Google Optimize popular — a visual editor for no-code changes, native GA4 integration, and quick setup — but without the known limitations: max 5 concurrent tests, traffic caps, missing support, and flickering issues.
Varify starts at €149/month with unlimited A/B testing, unlimited team members, and no traffic limits. The snippet is 11.5 KB, loads in under 30ms, and sets no cookies — no consent banner required, GDPR-compliant by design with servers in Frankfurt. For teams coming from Google Optimize who want comparable simplicity with stronger analytics (GA4 + BigQuery) and European data protection, Varify.io is the natural successor — cookie-less, fast, and built for the post-Google-Optimize era.
Why Google Optimize was discontinued
In January 2023, Google announced that Google Optimize and Optimize 360 would be sunset by September 2023. The official reason: the tool lacked features customers needed. The unofficial context: Google Optimize was a freemium product that was difficult to monetize, and the transition from Universal Analytics to GA4 made its technical foundation obsolete.
Google pointed users to VWO, Optimizely, and AB Tasty as migration partners — but these tools start at $299/month or more. The typical Google Optimize user chose it because it was free and simple. Since then, an entire segment of users has been left without a suitable solution.
Making matters worse, VWO and AB Tasty merged in early 2026, pushing prices further upward and marginalizing smaller teams. At the same time, new options have emerged: open-source tools like GrowthBook and PostHog, specialized alternatives like Kirro, and European platforms like Varify that fill the gap for teams with data protection requirements.
What made Google Optimize great — and what Varify does better
1. Visual Editor
Google Optimize had a visual editor that let marketers make changes without code. Varify offers a similar visual editor with drag-and-drop plus a code editor with code helpers for complex changes. The critical difference: Varify works on Single Page Applications (React, Vue, Angular) with built-in dynamic content detection. Google Optimize had well-documented problems with SPAs and dynamically rendered pages.
2. GA4 Integration
Google Optimize was built for Universal Analytics. The GA4 integration came late, was buggy, and was never properly finished. Varify has native GA4 integration: all GA4 events and metrics are automatically available as goals via the Tracking Setup Wizard — no manual goal setup required. Additionally, Varify offers an optional BigQuery connection for raw data access without SQL: product-level filtering, outlier smoothing, duplicate user event exclusion. That's a level deeper than Google Optimize ever went.
3. Pricing without traffic limits
Google Optimize was free but limited to 5 concurrent tests with no support. Optimize 360 cost six figures per year. Varify closes this gap: from €149/month with unlimited tests, unlimited concurrent experiments, unlimited team members, and no traffic-based pricing. Your price doesn't increase as your traffic grows. This sets Varify apart from VWO, AB Tasty, and Optimizely, which all charge based on Monthly Tracked Users or pageviews.
A/B testing tool with unlimited experiments. One fixed price.
No more traffic limits or hidden pricing. A/B testing for just €149 per month. With expert support that helps you move faster.
4. Cookie-less and GDPR by design
Google Optimize set cookies and required a consent banner. In Europe, that meant 30–40% of visitors rejected cookies and were never tested. Varify uses no cookies. It relies on localStorage/sessionStorage for variant assignment, stores no personal data, and requires no consent banner. Hosting on AWS in Frankfurt, all data processing within the EU. For European teams who used Google Optimize and always felt uneasy about the consent issue, Varify solves this problem architecturally.
Honest comparison: Varify vs. the most common Google Optimize replacements
| Criteria | Varify.io | VWO | Crazy Egg | GrowthBook | PostHog |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | from €149/mo flat | from $299/mo | from $99/mo | Free (self-host) | Free tier |
| Traffic limit | None | Visitor-based | Pageview-based | None | Event-based |
| Visual Editor | Basic | ||||
| GA4 Integration | Native + BQ | Basic | Warehouse | ||
| Cookie-less | Possible | Configurable | |||
| GDPR | Servers in DE | US-based | US-based | Self-hosted | EU Cloud opt. |
| Setup effort | Low (1 snippet) | Medium | Low | High (devs) | Medium–High |
| Unlimited tests | Plan-dep. | Plan-dep. |
Source: Claude Research, May 1, 2026
VWO (merged with AB Tasty)
VWO is the most powerful all-in-one platform with heatmaps, session recordings, surveys, and A/B testing combined. After merging with AB Tasty in early 2026, it's even more comprehensive. The downside: pricing starts at $299/month and scales with traffic, the free plan no longer exists, and the learning curve is steep. For teams who liked Google Optimize for its simplicity, VWO is often overkill.
Crazy Egg
Crazy Egg is the closest option to Google Optimize in price and offers a simple visual editor plus heatmaps. However, the A/B testing features are basic — no advanced segmentation, no BigQuery connection, limited statistical depth. Sufficient for quick headline or button tests on landing pages. Too thin for a systematic experimentation program.
GrowthBook
GrowthBook is the strongest open-source option, ideal for teams with developer resources who want full control. The downside: no visual editor. Every variant is defined via code. If you used Google Optimize because you didn't need a developer, GrowthBook won't be the right fit.
PostHog
PostHog combines product analytics and feature flags with a generous free tier. But it's primarily an analytics tool with experimentation as an add-on, not a dedicated A/B testing tool. No visual editor, no GA4 integration — PostHog wants to replace your analytics entirely, not integrate with it. A fundamentally different architectural approach.
Varify.io
Varify fills the gap Google Optimize left for teams with three requirements: simplicity (visual editor, no dev needed), analytics integration (GA4 native plus BigQuery for deep analysis), and European data protection (cookie-less, servers in Frankfurt, no data transfer to the US). The limitation: Varify is not an all-in-one like VWO — no built-in heatmaps or session recordings. It focuses on experimentation and works with existing qualitative tools (Hotjar, Clarity, Contentsquare) instead of replacing them. Read our full A/B testing tools comparison for more details.
How to switch from Google Optimize to Varify in 30 minutes
- Install the Varify snippet: A lightweight script (11.5 KB) in your site's head or via Google Tag Manager. Replaces the old Google Optimize snippet. Takes about 5 minutes.
- Connect GA4: Use the Tracking Setup Wizard to connect your existing GA4 property. All GA4 events and metrics become available as experiment goals automatically. About 5 minutes.
- Recreate your tests: Open the visual editor and rebuild your test ideas. For complex changes, use the code editor. Typically under 10 minutes per test.
- Run an A/A validation test: Run a short A/A test across your domain to ensure all visitors are measured correctly. Cross-check via GA4 Explorations.
- Launch your first A/B test: Create a variant, set traffic split, configure targeting, go live. Results flow into Varify's reporting and GA4 in parallel.
Most teams go from signup to first live A/B test in under 30 minutes.
