LiveStats vs. Google Analytics

When comparing Visits for our current web statistics software, LiveStats, and our possible new web statistics solution, Google Analytics, I noticed quite a discrepancy:

• Google Analytics reported 9,692 visits on September 4, 2008


• LiveStats reported 13,376 visits on September 4, 2008

I learned this is the case because Google Analytics user sessions expire in 30 minutes and LiveStats expire in 15 minutes. I suspect I'll run into a lot of differences like this.

I've started documenting my findings on our staff Intranet for posterity's sake.