> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.littledata.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.littledata.io/accounts-and-billing/littledata-subscription-saas.md).

# Why is Littledata a subscription vs a one-off cost?

Littledata is a subscription, billed monthly, or yearly on the Scale and Plus plans. You see better revenue tracking and data quality right away, but accurate tracking isn't a one-time fix. Here's why Littledata is an ongoing service rather than a one-off setup like a Google Tag Manager implementation.

### Server-side tracking runs all the time

Every customer touchpoint, including every order update, flows through [Littledata's cloud infrastructure](https://help.littledata.io/advanced/developer/shopify-data-security). That's how Littledata attributes, enriches and de-duplicates your events before sending them to your destinations.

Running this pipeline has an ongoing cost. In return, you get accuracy and attribution that standard web page tags can't deliver.

### Tracking keeps changing

Browsers, Shopify and platforms like Google and Meta change their tracking and APIs all the time. Littledata releases updates regularly so your tracking keeps working, and tests changes to data quality before rolling them out to all customers.

### Support is included

Our support team helps you set up and troubleshoot your connections. With the [Plus plan](https://www.littledata.io/plus), you also get support SLAs, so incidents and questions are handled quickly.

### No maintenance for you

If you're comparing Littledata with server-side Google Tag Manager (sGTM), keep in mind that Littledata is a fully maintained data pipeline. You don't pay for servers, update tags, or spend time debugging. That's all included in your subscription.

### Related articles

* [Choosing the right plan for your store](https://help.littledata.io/accounts-and-billing/choosing-a-plan)
* [Shopify data security](https://help.littledata.io/advanced/developer/shopify-data-security)