Northbeam
Northbeam attributes clicks. BlueAlpha measures what every channel causes, including the ones a pixel can't see, and moves budget accordingly.
What’s the difference between BlueAlpha and
Northbeam
?
Northbeam is an attribution-first platform for ecommerce, combining a first-party pixel with MMM+ and incrementality testing. BlueAlpha starts from a weekly causal MMM calibrated by tests, so channels without clean click paths are measured on the same footing, then executes the budget changes you approve. Pick Northbeam for daily click-level attribution. Pick BlueAlpha for causal budget decisions across every channel.
Northbeam leads with pixel attribution. BlueAlpha leads with causal MMM and tests.
BlueAlpha forecasts each move before you make it.
BlueAlpha executes approved changes in your stack.
Northbeam suits click-heavy DTC brands. BlueAlpha suits omnichannel spend that Finance must defend.
Should you choose
BlueAlpha or
Northbeam
?
Both are serious measurement tools. They're built for different jobs, so the right pick depends on the decision you need to make every week.
Choose if
Northbeam
if
Daily, click-level attribution in a pixel-based dashboard is the main job.
You're a DTC ecommerce brand with most spend in click-measurable channels.
Your media buyers want creative and ad-level reporting first.
Choose BlueAlpha if
You spend on channels a pixel can't see, like CTV, podcast, retail or out-of-home.
Finance wants causal evidence rather than attributed credit.
You want approved budget moves executed for you, with guardrails.
You need a forecast before you commit spend.
BlueAlpha vs
Northbeam
feature comparison
Included
Not Included/Documented
Partial
Section | Capability | BlueAlpha | Competitor | Competitor Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Measurement | Causal marketing mix model | Causal MMM retrained weekly, backtested and forecast-scored | MMM+ alongside pixel attribution | partial |
Incrementality and geo testing | Causal incrementality tests designed in the platform | Incrementality testing offered | yes | |
Test results update one model | Each completed test updates the model | Attribution, MMM and tests combined; ask how | partial | |
How often the read updates | Weekly, across every channel | Daily attribution dashboards | yes | |
Published model accuracy | 92.6% weekly backtesting accuracy | Not publicly documented | no | |
Planning | Forecasting and scenario planning | Forecast any proposed move before you make it | Forecasting available; confirm scope | partial |
Pricing, promo, LTV and churn models | Custom decision models on your data | Not offered | no | |
Action | Executes approved budget changes in your stack | Approved changes pushed to your ad platforms | Not publicly documented | no |
AI agents with guardrails you set | Agents monitor, recommend, execute and automate within your limits | Not publicly documented | no | |
Data in Claude and other assistants (MCP) | BlueAlpha MCP with Google, Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok and MMM plugins | Not publicly documented | no | |
Data and Delivery | One definition per business metric | Semantic layer shared by every model and agent | Ecommerce metrics defined in the platform | partial |
Hands-on expert team | Forward-deployed team works inside your stack | Onboarding and support team | partial | |
Pricing | Custom, by quote | See vendor for current plans |
Speed to Decision
Is BlueAlpha or Northbeam better for budget planning?
Attribution tells you which clicks preceded a sale. Budget planning needs to know what would have happened without the spend. BlueAlpha models that causally for every channel each week and forecasts the move before it ships. Northbeam is strongest for daily optimization inside click-measurable channels.
What to ask any vendor: how many of your channels get a fresh causal read each week, and how many days pass between that read and the budget actually changing?
Run it like a portfolio
What does rebalancing on marginal return look like?
Every channel saturates. Set a monthly mix, then rebalance: the same budget moves until each channel’s next dollar returns about the same.
Illustrative response curves, not customer data. Figures are modeled monthly incremental revenue for a $500K budget. BlueAlpha fits these curves on your own data and retrains them weekly.
Prove it. Then move it.
“Most measurement stops at media. BlueAlpha has helped us build a clearer understanding of media effectiveness and efficiency across channels, then translate those insights into actionable budget decisions. They don’t just hand us a report, they work alongside our team.”
Joshua Egan, VP of Growth Marketing, Wonder
45%
Increase in monthly order volume at Wonder within five months of engagement.
$0
Measured incremental lift from a channel whose dashboard reported 2–16x ROAS at Cann. About $480K a year moved to channels that worked.
Switching
How do you move from Northbeam to BlueAlpha?
Keep the pixel if your buyers rely on it. BlueAlpha sits above attribution: we model incremental impact causally and reconcile it against platform-reported numbers.
Week 1–2
Forward deploy
Our team connects your marketing, sales and product data and agrees one definition for revenue, conversions and CAC.
Week 3–6
Diagnose
We build your causal model, backtest it weekly and bring in results from past lift tests, including Measured readouts.
Week 6 onward
Build
You get a forecasted budget plan, and agents carry out the changes you approve in the platforms you already use.
BlueAlpha vs
Northbeam
What is the difference between BlueAlpha and Northbeam?
Northbeam is an attribution-first platform for ecommerce, combining a first-party pixel with MMM+ and incrementality testing. BlueAlpha starts from a weekly causal MMM calibrated by tests, so channels without clean click paths are measured on the same footing, then executes the budget changes you approve. Pick Northbeam for daily click-level attribution. Pick BlueAlpha for causal budget decisions across every channel.
Is BlueAlpha or Northbeam better for budget planning?
Attribution tells you which clicks preceded a sale. Budget planning needs to know what would have happened without the spend. BlueAlpha models that causally for every channel each week and forecasts the move before it ships. Northbeam is strongest for daily optimization inside click-measurable channels.
Can I use BlueAlpha and Northbeam together?
Yes. Some teams keep Northbeam for the job it does best and use BlueAlpha to plan the whole budget and execute approved changes. Keep the pixel if your buyers rely on it. BlueAlpha sits above attribution: we model incremental impact causally and reconcile it against platform-reported numbers.
How long does it take to switch from Northbeam to BlueAlpha?
BlueAlpha works in three stages: Forward Deploy, Diagnose and Build. Timing depends on how many data sources you connect; your team sees the first causal read during diagnosis, before any budget moves.
Does BlueAlpha replace incrementality testing?
No. BlueAlpha runs causal incrementality tests and uses each result to calibrate the marketing mix model, so tests sharpen the model where it is least certain.
How much does BlueAlpha cost compared with Northbeam?
BlueAlpha is priced by scope, by quote. Northbeam's current pricing: see vendor for current plans. Ask both for a quote based on the same channels and data sources.
Who is Northbeam best for?
Northbeam fits DTC ecommerce brands that want daily, click-level attribution and creative reporting in one dashboard.
How accurate is BlueAlpha's model?
BlueAlpha reports 92.6% weekly backtesting accuracy. The model retrains weekly and is scored against what actually happened, and you can review backtests on your own data before acting on a recommendation.
Ask AI
Bring one quarter of spend data. We’ll show you which channels are driving incremental revenue and where the next dollar should go.
