mbuzz vs Cometly: All-Channel vs Paid-Ads Attribution (2026)

The Short Version

These tools answer fundamentally different questions. Cometly asks "how do I optimize my ad platforms?" with CAPI enrichment and AI recommendations. mbuzz asks "which channels actually drive revenue?" with all-channel attribution and 8 models. If your business is 90% paid ads, Cometly is the specialist. If you need to understand the full picture—organic, email, paid, direct—mbuzz covers what Cometly can't. Some teams benefit from both.

At a Glance

Where mbuzz Wins

All-Channel Attribution

This is the fundamental difference. Cometly sees Meta, Google, and TikTok ads. mbuzz sees everything—organic search, email campaigns, referral traffic, social, paid, direct. When your email marketing drives 25% of repeat revenue and organic search initiates 40% of first touches, Cometly has no visibility into either.

Model Transparency: 8 Models vs 4

Cometly gives you 4 basic models (first, last, linear, U-shaped). mbuzz adds time-decay, W-shaped, Markov Chain, and Shapley Value—plus a rule editor for custom logic. For teams making budget decisions across channels, comparing how credit shifts between models reveals what a single model hides.

Custom Attribution Rules

Cometly offers no custom attribution logic. mbuzz lets you build rules that match your business—weight touchpoints by channel, funnel stage, recency, or engagement depth:

within_window 90.days do
  within_window 30.days, weight: 0.6 do
    time_decay half_life: 7.days
  end

  within_window 30.days..60.days, weight: 0.4 do
    time_decay half_life: 14.days
  end
end

Transparent Pricing

mbuzz publishes every tier on its website. Cometly requires a demo call. For teams evaluating tools, this matters—you can assess mbuzz's fit before talking to sales.

Server-Side Data Quality

mbuzz captures events on your server—95%+ event capture regardless of browser privacy settings. Cometly uses client-side tracking enhanced by CAPI. Different approaches, but server-side fundamentally captures more data because it bypasses browser-level blocking entirely.

Incrementality Testing

mbuzz can validate whether attribution is accurate through incrementality testing—the gold standard of measurement. Cometly has no incrementality capability. Attribution without validation is just a more sophisticated guess.

Where Cometly Wins

CAPI Enrichment (Conversion Sync)

Cometly's standout feature. It enriches your Meta Conversions API data, improving match rates from ~4.5 to 9.4. This means Meta sees more of your conversions, which improves ad optimization, audience building, and campaign performance. If your business depends on Meta Ads, this alone can justify Cometly.

AI Recommendations

Cometly's AI Chat and AI Ads Manager tell you "scale this campaign, cut that one" based on attribution data. mbuzz shows you 8 models—you interpret them yourself. For non-technical paid media buyers, Cometly's AI is more actionable.

Deep Ad Platform Integrations

Cometly integrates deeply with Meta, Google, and TikTok ad platforms—not just tracking, but optimization feedback loops. If ad platforms are your world, Cometly speaks their language natively.

Social Proof

Simpler for Non-Technical Teams

Cometly is a pixel install + platform connection. mbuzz requires SDK integration. For marketing teams without developer resources, Cometly is faster to deploy.

The Pricing Reality

Direct comparison is difficult because Cometly doesn't publish pricing. Based on market research:

mbuzz is more transparent and generally cheaper, especially at scale. But pricing isn't apples-to-apples because the tools solve different problems.

Choose Cometly If...

• Paid ads (Meta, Google, TikTok) are 90%+ of your business
• CAPI enrichment and Meta match rate optimization are priorities
• You want AI to recommend "scale this, cut that"
• Your team is non-technical and wants pixel-based setup
• Ad platform optimization is more important than cross-channel attribution

Choose mbuzz If...

• Organic, email, and direct also drive significant revenue
• You want to compare 8 attribution models to understand the full picture
• Transparent, published pricing matters
• You need custom attribution logic for your business
• Server-side tracking accuracy is important
• You want incrementality testing to validate attribution

The Verdict

These tools answer different questions.

Cometly asks: "How do I optimize my ad platforms?" It excels at CAPI enrichment, improving Meta match rates, and giving AI-powered ad recommendations. If paid ads are your entire business, Cometly is purpose-built for that.

mbuzz asks: "Which channels actually drive revenue?" It sees organic, email, referral, paid, and direct through 8 attribution models with custom rules. If you need the full picture, mbuzz covers what Cometly can't.

Some teams use both—Cometly for ad platform optimization, mbuzz for cross-channel attribution. They're not mutually exclusive. But if you're choosing one, the question is simple: do you need ad optimization or channel-level attribution? The answer determines the tool.

Related Comparisons

• Cometly Alternatives — 7 alternatives compared
• Triple Whale Alternatives — E-commerce attribution
• GA4 Attribution Alternatives — Beyond Google's black box
• Multi-Touch Attribution Tools Compared — Full market overview

Holly Henderson

Co-Founder, mbuzz

Holly Henderson is Co-Founder of mbuzz. With 10+ years in marketing including roles at Westpac, Avon, and Forebrite, she's obsessed with making measurement actually useful.

Harvard Extension School Forebrite Westpac Avon