In 2024, performance marketers are under constant pressure to optimize ad spend and returns. But with countless marketing channels, advanced funnels, and growing privacy concerns, an essential part of campaign optimization, which is accurate tracking, has become increasingly complex.
This is where third-party tracking tools like ClickFlare and RedTrack come into play. By providing granular insights into campaign performance, these platforms empower marketers to optimize their efforts, increase ROI, and achieve growth.
In this article, we will do a complete ClickFlare vs RedTrack comparison to help you choose the best tracking tool for your needs.
ClickFlare vs RedTrack: Integrations
The key benefit of any tracking platform is that it allows users to track various campaign data from one place. One way to do this is by providing direct, easy-to-implement integrations with popular traffic and revenue platforms.
Both ClickFlare and RedTrack offer a large range of integrations
For the purpose of this article, we will break integrations down into four categories:
- Conversion API Integrations: These are integrations with ad platforms that allow you to post data from your tracker back to the traffic source. These types of integrations are very important, because they allow you to collect and post first-party data, independent from ad blockers, cookie limitations, iOS 14 updates, and other privacy regulations that prevent accurate data collection. This leads to improved ad performance and lower advertising costs.
- Cost API Integrations: These are direct integrations with popular traffic sources, and they essentially allow you to pull ad spend automatically from your ad platform to your tracker.
- Revenue API Integrations: On the other side, we have revenue integrations with affiliate networks, search feed providers, or other platforms that contain data regarding your revenue. These give you a complete view of your campaign performance and allow you to get accurate campaign ROI data.
- Server-to-Server Integrations: Instead of using a direct API integration, the server-to-server method relies on postbacks. Both ClickFlare and RedTrack offer various plug-and-play templates to simplify your setup.
1. Conversion API Integrations
Both ClickFlare and RedTrack allow you to send first-party data back to the following ad platforms: Facebook (Meta), Google Ads, TikTok, Bing Microsoft Ads, and Snapchat.
Although they support the same platforms, ClickFlare has a more advanced and flexible Conversion API where users have control over which data they send back to the traffic sources. Under Event Mapping, you can indicate which tracker events to send to Facebook, and how you wish to map them. The benefit of this is that you can send only the data you need to optimize your campaigns.
On RedTrack, you can connect your pixel, but you cannot map the events as shown above.
2. Cost API Integrations
Once again, both ClickFlare and RedTrack support automatic cost syncing with top advertising platforms such as: Facebook, TikTok, Google Ads, Bing Ads, Taboola, Outbrain, NewsBreak and RevContent.
With ClickFlare, you get a real-time cost estimation on all campaign levels. Every hour, this number is automatically updated via API to reflect real costs. This process is the same for all the different pricing plans.
RedTrack offers faster cost syncing, starting from every 30 minutes, but you can only see as far as the ad set level with their starter plan. You will need to upgrade to a higher plan, which costs $250 more per month, in order to be able to see ad spend on an ad level. They also give you the option to pay an additional $200-2,000 depending on your ad spend to increase the cost update frequency to 15 or even 5 minutes.
3. Revenue API Integrations
When it comes to revenue platforms, both ClickFlare and RedTrack have a direct integration with affiliate network ClickBank and search feed providers Ads.com and Sedo.
RedTrack offers a few more direct integrations with other affiliate networks and e-commerce platforms, including Mobidea, ClickFunnels, Shopify and more.
On the other hand, ClickFlare has more search arbitrage integrations with platforms such as Tonic, System1, ExplorAds, DomainActive, Media.net, and CodeFuel, as well as a direct integration with call tracking platform Ringba for lead generation campaign tracking.
4. Server-to-Server Integrations
Apart from all these direct integrations, both ClickFlare and RedTrack provide more than 200 ready-made tracking templates with all the top ad, affiliate and other revenue platforms. You simply select a template, and all the required parameters will be automatically generated like in this example from ClickFlare:
Both trackers offer a wide variety of integrations to choose from, making it easy to track your data automatically and simplify your setup process.
ClickFlare allows users to connect an unlimited number of ad accounts or business managers on all plans, while RedTrack has a limit of 5 accounts on the basic plan.
ClickFlare vs RedTrack: Reporting
Reporting is a key functionality of any tracking platform, and both ClickFlare and RedTrack excel at this. Both platforms support data-grouping, filters and drill-downs that enable users to dive deeper into their data.
However, on RedTrack you can only apply data-groupings on one campaign at a time. For example, if you want to see which country visitors are coming from for all your campaigns, you would need to do this one-by-one for each individual campaign on RedTrack. On ClickFlare, you can see breakdowns for all your campaigns at once.
We believe that this feature, combined with ClickFlare’s modern and simple UI, makes it easier for users to find the data they need. Here is how reporting looks like on ClickFlare:
This is campaign reporting on RedTrack:
While RedTrack offers 5 parallel group buys, ClickFlare’s user interface currently supports 3. However, ClickFlare provides virtually unlimited group by options. Simply clicking on an element’s (campaign or offer) name allows you to dive deeper into the campaign and view its specific groupings. This not only lets you quickly isolate reporting for a single element but also enables you to explore its details endlessly.
Both ClickFlare and RedTrack give users access to Logs, through which they can see the entire journey of a visitor.
They also provide a traffic filtering functionality to exclude certain traffic events from your campaign reporting based on IP, IP range, ISP, Referrer, User Agent and more filters.
ClickFlare has recently introduced the new Shared Reports feature, which enables users to share specific, automatically-updated, view-only reports with internal and external associates via a shareable link.
On ClickFlare you can also use a formula to calculate custom metrics of your own. RedTrack has just recently announced that they are introducing custom metrics.
Another consideration is the multi-currency support. Both ClickFlare and RedTrack support multi-currency, which is very important if your accounts are in different currencies. However, on RedTrack you can only set the default currency once, and you would need to contact their support to change it. On ClickFlare you can change the currency directly from the platform.
ClickFlare vs RedTrack: Multi-User Feature
If you are working with a team of media buyers, you might be interested in the multi-user feature.
On ClickFlare, this feature allows you to create separate workspaces for different teams or projects. You can then invite users and give them access to their relevant workspaces.
You can also invite users and manage access through RedTrack, but you cannot create workspaces to organize your accounts.
ClickFlare vs RedTrack: Client Support
ClickFlare and RedTrack are both dedicated to helping their clients by offering a free demo and onboarding call for each user.
Beyond these initial calls, ClickFlare provides live-chat support for all plans, starting from $89 per month, while with RedTrack you would need to upgrade to a Team plan starting from $399 per month to get access to this feature. With the higher plans, you also get a dedicated account manager on ClickFlare who will privately support you via your preferred channel of communication.
ClickFlare vs RedTrack: Advanced Tracking Functions
Differently from other trackers, ClickFlare also includes several advanced tracking functions.
The first one is the Double Meta Refresh. As the name suggests, this is a Meta refresh that is performed twice in a row. This method is used to hide the original source of web traffic, making it very safe and reliable.
You can also create conditional paths for your campaigns on ClickFlare. For example, if you wish to direct your US visitors to one page, and your UK visitors to another, you can do this within the same campaign using our conditions.
Another unique feature of ClickFlare’s is the built-in Tag Manager. This allows you to track any events such as form submissions or button clicks on your page with a single script without the help of a developer.
Finally, based on a case study on AffLift, ClickFlare has the fastest redirect speed amongst other trackers. This is very important for anyone tracking their campaigns with the redirect method, because it can significantly improve your conversion rates if the user does not have to wait long for the page to load.
ClickFlare vs RedTrack: Automations
Both ClickFlare and RedTrack allow you to split-test different landers or offer pages within the same campaign, and based on earnings they will prioritize the best performing page. ClickFlare offers this from the starter plan at $89 per month, while RedTrack only offers it starting from their Team plan at $399.
For search arbitrage, ClickFlare simplifies keyword optimization through the keyword builder. Essentially, this allows you to rotate different keyword sets within the same offer and pinpoint the top performing ones.
When it comes to campaign automation, ClickFlare works alongside TheOptimizer. The two platforms are from the same parent company, and thus are natively integrated. Starting from $199 per month on TheOptimizer, you can access all automation rules such as pausing campaigns, cloning, or adjusting bids and budgets. You can also use TheOptimizer as an ad manager by launching campaigns directly from the platform, managing all your creatives, and performing manual changes.
With RedTrack’s basic plan, you will only be able to automatically pause campaigns, ads or ad sets. To access other rules such as scaling or making manual adjustments, you will need to pay an additional $400-1,000 based on your ad spend.
So, while RedTrack does offer a larger range of in-platform automations, it is generally cheaper to use ClickFlare in combination with TheOptimizer and access a larger variety of rules and campaign management features.
ClickFlare vs RedTrack: Pricing
Since both tracking tools provide significantly different pricing plans, it is more difficult to do a one-on-one comparison between them. However, we have discussed most of the pricing differences throughout the article regarding specific features.
Generally speaking, ClickFlare is more affordable for starting affiliate plans, while RedTrack is more affordable for starting ecommerce / DTC plans.
ClickFlare also offers a larger variety of pricing plans, which gives you more freedom to choose something that works for you.
Compared to other trackers in the industry, both ClickFlare and RedTrack offer an unlimited amount of tracked campaigns, offers and landers even with the Starter plan. Additionally, they both have the option to select a custom plan for larger companies with more demanding tracking needs.
ClickFlare vs RedTrack: Conclusion
The key takeaway from this article is that both ClickFlare and RedTrack are industry leaders when it comes to campaign tracking. As highlighted throughout this comparison, each platform offers unique strengths and features.
When it comes to choosing the best tracking tool in 2024, it all comes down to your personal needs and preferences.
Need more information on how ClickFlare can help you get accurate data for your campaigns? Book a call with our team through our website.
Disclaimer: This comparison is based on information readily available at the time the article was written, and thus it is subject to change. It is meant to give you a general overview, but we encourage you to do your own research before using any tracking platforms.
