Triple Whale vs Northbeam vs BlackBox: The $999/Month Attribution Scam
Let's compare the top attribution tools for Shopify stores. One costs 75% less and doesn't lie to you.
| Feature | Triple Whale | Northbeam | BlackBox |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $129-399/mo | $999-2500/mo | $29-49/mo |
| Data Source | Facebook API (modeled) | Facebook API (modeled) | First-party (accurate) |
| iOS 14+ Accuracy | ~40% guessed | ~40% guessed | 100% real clicks |
| Setup Time | 2-4 hours | 4+ hours | 2 minutes |
| Learning Curve | Steep | Very steep | Simple |
BlackBox
$29-49/moTriple Whale
$129-399/moNorthbeam
$999-2500/moThe Truth About Triple Whale
Triple Whale costs $129/month minimum. They pull data from Facebook's Conversions API, which is 40-50% "modeled" (made up) for iOS users. Their "Creative Cockpit" shows you which ads Facebook CLAIMS worked. Not which ads actually worked.
Triple Whale Pros:
- ✓ Pretty dashboards
- ✓ Automated data pulling
- ✓ Good for agencies with many clients
- ✓ Integrates with all major ad platforms
Triple Whale Cons:
- ✗ $129/month for Facebook's guesswork
- ✗ Complex setup requiring developer
- ✗ Shows modeled data as fact
- ✗ 2-3x over-attribution is common
The Truth About Northbeam
Northbeam charges $999-2500/month. They claim "machine learning" makes their attribution better. It doesn't. They're taking Facebook's guess, adding their guess, and charging you 10x more for compounded guessing.
Northbeam Pros:
- ✓ Enterprise features
- ✓ Custom attribution models
- ✓ White-glove onboarding
- ✓ Impressive visualizations
Northbeam Cons:
- ✗ $999/month MINIMUM
- ✗ Still using Facebook's broken data
- ✗ Requires data science team to understand
- ✗ "Machine learning" = sophisticated guessing
Why BlackBox Costs 75% Less
We don't pretend to have data we don't have. We track actual clicks with UTM parameters. When someone clicks your ad and buys, we track it. No modeling. No guessing.
BlackBox: Honest Attribution
- ✅ $29-49/month (75% cheaper)
- ✅ 2-minute setup
- ✅ 100% accurate click tracking
- ✅ No made-up data
- ✅ You control your data
- ✅ Simple, clear dashboards
Who Should Use Which Tool?
Use Triple Whale if: You're an agency managing 20+ accounts and need automation at any cost
Use Northbeam if: You have $999/month to waste and enjoy complex dashboards
Use BlackBox if: You want to know what actually drives sales for 75% less money
The Bottom Line
Triple Whale and Northbeam are built on a broken foundation: Facebook's modeled attribution data. Post iOS-14, this data is 40-50% guesswork. You're paying premium prices for statistical fiction.
BlackBox tracks real clicks. When someone clicks your ad and buys, we know. No modeling. No AI. No machine learning. Just honest tracking at an honest price.