# **Northbeam** versus the alternatives. We’ve gone above and beyond to build the world’s most accurate and independent first–party attribution data. #### Trusted by 800+ companies ## Find your new **competitive advantage.** From in-house identity graphs to export-ready architecture, Northbeam’s data is designed for teams seeking extreme accuracy from their attribution. **Settle for nothing less.** **The Northbeam difference** ## 8 reasons to **choose Northbeam.** ## 1. Northbeam’s attribution data is more accurate. Northbeam’s independent dataset uses custom-built pixels, bespoke attribution models, and behind-the-scenes machine learning. The result is a new set of data you can trust for all your marketing decisions, from forecasting to daily optimization. Our customers consistently reference Northbeam data as the most accurate of all the modern attribution providers. Serious marketers trust Northbeam data. Ask your measurement provider: - Is this first party data or ad platform data? - Is this first-party data influenced by other third-party data solutions or inputs? - Who built your identity graph? How can you confirm its accuracy? ## 2. Northbeam’s accounting modes prevent bias toward bottom-of-funnel campaigns. Northbeam offers accrual accounting, crediting the full journey of marketing interactions, not just the last click. That means upper funnel campaigns finally get the credit they deserve, even if the purchase happens days or weeks after the initial touchpoint. [Learn more about our accounting modes here.](https://docs.northbeam.io/docs/accounting-modes#/) Ask your measurement provider: - Do they support accrual (impression-time) accounting? - Does accrual accounting apply across the entire customer journey? - Does their model correct recency bias even with short lookback windows? For example, can an awareness campaign receive credit weeks before a purchase? ## 3. Northbeam continually updates attribution, allowing you to track how your ad performance evolves over time. We take measuring marketing impact seriously. The best way to do that is by continuously recalculating attribution whenever new data arrives. Northbeam doesn’t ever “lock in” attribution - meaning the longer your ads run, the more conversions you can see attributed to them. Ask your measurement provider: - Can they retroactively update attribution if they discover missed data? For example, if an ad platform had a reporting outage, can they add delayed data? - How far back can they ingest historical data? - If you integrate a new ad platform with a year's worth of past data, will that data be included? ## 4. Northbeam gives you visibility into all customer interactions, including views. Northbeam tracks both deterministic and probabilistic interactions. This means you know who clicked your ad, but you can also know who only saw your ad and eventually purchased. Most advertisers have a huge blind spot when it comes to viewthroughs. [Even TikTok will admit that clicks-only attribution undervalues conversions on TikTok by 73%.](https://ads.tiktok.com/business/en/blog/beyond-click-attribution-views-impact-purchase) Now you can unequivocally prove the revenue impact of those campaigns with our [Clicks + Deterministic Views](https://www.northbeam.io/clicks-and-deterministic-views) model. Ask your measurement provider: - Do they offer deterministic view data? For which platforms? - Do they support probabilistic view modeling? - What are the limitations and lookback periods? ## 5. With Northbeam Apex, you can pass first-party performance data back to ad platforms and **optimize your ad delivery.** .avif) Northbeam has exclusive integrations with some of the world’s biggest ad platforms, meaning you can pass back your Northbeam data and influence your ad delivery algorithm using first-party data. This is a step deeper than CAPI or other targeting enrichment tools – and all it takes is the flip of a switch. [Learn more about Northbeam Apex here.](https://www.northbeam.io/features/apex) Ask your measurement provider: - Do they offer direct first-party integrations with ad platforms? - What are the opportunities to pass data back to the platform for more advanced algorithmic target directly in-platform? ## 6. Northbeam **precisely separates** new versus returning customer performance in your data. If a user buys twice in a week from the same ad, Northbeam will clearly measure them once as a new customer and once as a returning customer. This helps you understand how incremental your performance is across any channel, campaign or ad. Ask your measurement provider: - Do they clearly distinguish new versus returning visitors? - Can they accurately differentiate between new customers and repeat buyers? - For example, what if a user purchases twice from the same ad? ## 7. Northbeam calculates lookback windows precisely based on event timestamps, not reporting dates. Most attribution solutions slap attribution into arbitrary daily timeframes, meaning you don’t really know when a touchpoint is happening. Northbeam’s methodology means you have maximum granularity into conversion reporting, critical for measuring results during crunch times like Black Friday. Ask your measurement provider: - Do they use exact event timestamps to calculate lookback periods? - For example, does a "1-day lookback" mean exactly 24 hours from the purchase event? ## 8. **Northbeam’s data is customizable** to measure even the most complex customer journeys. You can adjust your Northbeam dashboards to show any combination of lookback windows, attribution models, and accounting modes. This means you can track your ad performance with more flexibility than what most platforms and measurement solutions can provide – critical for businesses with long consideration phases or omnichannel funnels. Ask your measurement provider: - What lookback windows do they provide? - What attribution models are available? - What accounting modes can you choose from? ## How Northbeam **compares.** | feature | Northbeam | Other Tools | | --- | --- | --- | | Multi-touch attribution | ✔️ | ✔️ | | Dashboard reporting | ✔️ | ✔️ | | Integrations with major ad platforms | ✔️ | ✔️ | | Independent first-party dataset | ✔️ | ✖️ | | Proprietary identity graph | ✔️ | ✖️ | | Accrual (impression-time) accounting | ✔️ | Click-based only | | Clicks + Deterministic Views attribution | ✔️ | ✖️ | | Apex: first-party passback to ad platforms | ✔️ | ✖️ | | Exact timestamp–based lookbacks | ✔️ | ✖️ | | Full customization of models, windows, and accounting modes | ✔️ | **Limited presets** | ## Northbeam is **the gold standard** of attribution. We built Northbeam to be the highest-quality attribution solution for marketers looking for serious accuracy.