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battles / Analytics

Cometly vs Shopkeeper

Cometly ($399/mo/mo, vibe code 5/10) vs Shopkeeper ($45/mo/mo, vibe code 5/10). Cometly is the easier one to rebuild yourself — here is what you lose either way.

Cometly
NICHE

Analytics

$399/mo/mo

Vibe code5/10
Moat2/10
MVP
1 week
Full replacement
3-6 months, due to CAPI integration maintenance and browser identity resolution changes

easier to rebuild

get the build prompt →
Shopkeeper
NICHE

Analytics

$45/mo/mo

Vibe code5/10
Moat3/10
MVP
2-3 weeks
Full replacement
4-6 months, due to Amazon SP-API approval barriers and complex fee mapping
get the build prompt →

price gap / year

$4,248/mo

running both / year

$5,328/mo

our call

Start with Cometly — highest vibe code, weakest moat.

Cometly

Building a basic UTM recorder with a dashboard takes a weekend. Replicating multi-touch attribution, server-side CAPI event deduplication, and maintaining ad platform API connections against breaking changes across Meta, Google, and TikTok is a full-time engineering effort.

you can rebuild

  • UTM parameter capturing and first-party cookie tracking scripts
  • First-touch and last-touch attribution SQL query logic
  • Analytics dashboard displaying CAC, ROAS, and ROI per ad campaign
  • Shopify webhook receiver for sales conversion ingestion
  • Basic server-side event payload generation

what you lose

  • Turnkey client/server event deduplication across Meta, TikTok, and Google
  • Automated token refresh and API schema maintenance across ad platforms
  • Pre-packaged identity stitching across multi-device user journeys
  • Ad spend ingestion pipelines that handle API rate limits and currency conversions
  • No-code Shopify theme app integration

real moats

  • Maintained native integrations with rapidly evolving ad platform APIs
  • First-party identity graph infrastructure optimized for browser privacy limits
  • Turnkey server-side tracking bypassing Safari ITP and ad blockers without custom DNS configuration

open source escape hatches

Shopkeeper

Rebuilding the core calculation logic (Revenue - Amazon Fees - Ads - COGS = Net Profit) is simple. However, securing Amazon Selling Partner API (SP-API) developer access, adhering to Amazon Data Protection Policies, and mapping dozens of obscure Amazon fee codes requires significant technical effort.

you can rebuild

  • Real-time net profit dashboard per SKU and order
  • Manual COGS and freight cost input table per ASIN
  • Amazon PPC ad spend attribution per product
  • Refund and return cost impact calculator
  • Multi-marketplace currency conversion

what you lose

  • Pre-approved Amazon SP-API production credentials
  • Automated parsing of obscure Amazon fee types (inbound placement, long-term storage, disposal fees)
  • Mobile push notifications for real-time sales and profit metrics
  • Built-in compliance with Amazon Data Protection Policy updates
  • Automated historical data backfilling on initial connect

real moats

  • Amazon SP-API developer authorization barrier
  • Normalisation engine for dozens of changing Amazon fee line items
  • Historical snapshot data storage for long-term margin trends

open source escape hatches

Questions people ask

Which is easier to rebuild with AI, Cometly or Shopkeeper?

Cometly. It scores 5/10 on vibe code with a moat of 2/10, so an AI-assisted MVP takes about 1 week and a full replacement about 3-6 months, due to CAPI integration maintenance and browser identity resolution changes.

Which one costs less, Cometly or Shopkeeper?

Shopkeeper at $45/mo/mo for a typical mid-market store. The gap between the two is about $4,248/mo a year.

What do I lose if I replace Cometly?

Turnkey client/server event deduplication across Meta, TikTok, and Google Automated token refresh and API schema maintenance across ad platforms Pre-packaged identity stitching across multi-device user journeys

What do I lose if I replace Shopkeeper?

Pre-approved Amazon SP-API production credentials Automated parsing of obscure Amazon fee types (inbound placement, long-term storage, disposal fees) Mobile push notifications for real-time sales and profit metrics

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