In January of 2012, Google announced development of Urchin Software would be discontinued. We were disappointed to hear the news, although we can’t say we were overly surprised. Google’s focus on Urchin dwindled in 2011, coinciding with the launch of a paid version of Google Analytics.
We’ve been contacted by a variety of customers since the announcement – the most popular questions and answers are below. Feel free to contact us if you’d like us to clarify anything.
Will my Urchin installation stop working?
The good news is that Urchin isn’t going to turn into a pumpkin at midnight. If you’re currently using Urchin, it will continue to work indefinitely. Google will also maintain the licensing server for the indefinite future. This means that even though the product won’t be updated, it will keep running. And if you want to move to another product, you have ample time to make your selection.
Can I still get support for Urchin?
Unfortunately…it’s been more than 6 years since Google canceled Urchin, so you’re pretty much on your own if anything breaks.
Why did Google decide to retire Urchin?
Google began making efforts to put more wood behind fewer arrows in 2011, and Urchin seems to be a casualty of this initiative. We understand the decision but there’s still a market for on-premises web analytics software.
Is there an alternative to Urchin?
Yes! Angelfish Software allows you to migrate config and report data from Urchin to Angelfish, and provides a bunch of new features like nested segments, broken link reports, bulk update utilities, date ranges as small as one second, and a long list of other improvements. Plus, Angelfish has an up-to-date list of browsers, platforms, and geolocation info.
Learn more about Angelfish Web Analytics Software