Works with
When server-side is worth it
Meaningful spend
Small data gaps create expensive decisions
Multiple sites/clients
You need stability across the board
Browser changes
You want continuity during platform shifts
What Kickin does (plain version)
Client-side monitoring
Tells you if events fire in the browser
Server-side sending
Actually transmits events to the destination (Meta / GA4)
How event counting works
A server-side event is counted when Kickin successfully sends a unique event to a destination. Duplicates are deduped and not counted; failed sends and retries are not counted.
Capacity and scaling
Plans include monthly server-side event capacity, and you can add event packs when you need more.
Server-side vs sGTM: when each makes sense
Server-side Google Tag Manager (sGTM) and Kickin's server-side sending solve different problems. Here's a practical breakdown:
sGTM (Server-side GTM)
- •Full control over event transformation and routing
- •Requires GCP infrastructure and ongoing management
- •Best for teams with dedicated analytics engineering
- •Variable cost based on compute usage
Kickin Server-Side
- •Zero infrastructure to manage — just works
- •Built-in deduplication and retry logic
- •Best for teams focused on outcomes, not plumbing
- •Predictable pricing based on event volume
You can use both — sGTM for complex routing, Kickin for reliable delivery and monitoring.
Latency and ordering: what server-side can (and can't) solve
Server-side sending isn't magic. It's important to understand the tradeoffs.
What it solves
- ✓Ad blocker bypass — events send from your server, not the blocked browser
- ✓Page unload issues — user leaves before client event completes
- ✓ITP cookie limits — server maintains identity context
- ✓Retry on failure — network blips don't mean lost data
What it doesn't solve
- ✕Real-time sequencing — server events may arrive slightly out of order
- ✕Zero latency — there's always some delay vs. direct browser hits
- ✕100% user coverage — some users block all JavaScript
- ✕Attribution model differences — platforms still attribute differently
See also: Meta CAPI deduplication, Meta pixel monitoring, Pricing