One platform, not three products
Tealium splits its capabilities across iQ Tag Management, EventStream, and AudienceStream — each with separate pricing. utag.js adds 60KB+ to every page before vendor extensions load. And per-connector pricing means costs escalate as you add destinations. Signal replaces all of it with a single, all-inclusive platform.
Head-to-head comparison
A direct comparison across the capabilities that matter most to your marketing and data teams.
Browser footprint
Datafly Signal
Tealium iQ + EventStream
60 KB+ (utag.js + extensions)
Product complexity
Datafly Signal
Tealium iQ + EventStream
Three separate products (iQ, EventStream, AudienceStream)
First-party setup
Datafly Signal
Tealium iQ + EventStream
CNAME proxy (detectable by browsers)
Attribution window
Datafly Signal
Tealium iQ + EventStream
7 days in Safari (client-set cookies)
Vendor identity
Datafly Signal
Tealium iQ + EventStream
Requires vendor JavaScript in the browser
Data governance
Datafly Signal
Tealium iQ + EventStream
AudienceStream (separate product, additional cost)
Integration pricing
Datafly Signal
Tealium iQ + EventStream
Per-connector pricing
Infrastructure
Datafly Signal
Tealium iQ + EventStream
Shared multi-tenant
Delivery guarantee
Datafly Signal
Tealium iQ + EventStream
Best-effort delivery
Pricing
Datafly Signal
Tealium iQ + EventStream
Per-event + per-connector + per-product
Key differences
The specific areas where Signal and Tealium take fundamentally different approaches — and what that means for your business.
Three products where one should do
Tealium splits tag management (iQ), event streaming (EventStream), and audience management (AudienceStream) into separate products with separate pricing. Signal is a single platform that handles collection, governance, and delivery in one place — simpler to manage, simpler to budget.
Per-connector pricing punishes integration
Every time you add a new destination in Tealium, you pay more. This creates friction — teams hesitate to connect new tools, or finance pushes back on adding the integration they need. Signal includes every integration in the base price. Add as many destinations as your business needs without incremental costs.
60KB+ of utag.js before your first vendor loads
Tealium’s utag.js library is 60KB+ before any vendor extensions are loaded. Extensions add more weight. The result: slower pages, lower Core Web Vitals scores, and fewer conversions. Signal’s 4.2KB collector replaces the entire Tealium client-side library and all vendor tags combined.
Shared infrastructure, limited control
Tealium runs on shared multi-tenant infrastructure. You can’t control where your data is processed, and your data shares systems with other Tealium customers. Signal provides single-tenant infrastructure dedicated to your organisation — your data never touches shared systems.
Safari attribution is limited to 7 days
Like most tag management platforms, Tealium relies on client-set cookies that Safari limits to 7 days. This means you lose attribution for any customer journey longer than a week in Safari. Signal’s server-set cookies give you 400 days of recognition across every browser.
Is it time to switch?
If any of these sound familiar, Signal may be the right next step for your team.
Your connector costs keep growing
If Tealium's per-connector pricing is making you think twice about adding integrations, Signal includes every destination at no extra cost.
You're managing three products instead of one
If juggling iQ, EventStream, and AudienceStream creates complexity, Signal consolidates everything into a single platform with unified management.
You need data governance without extra cost
If AudienceStream's additional pricing puts governance out of reach, Signal includes company-wide data governance in every plan.
You want infrastructure you control
If shared infrastructure and data residency concerns keep you up at night, Signal's single-tenant deployment gives you full control.
Ready to simplify your data infrastructure?
See exactly how Signal compares to your Tealium setup — with your real data and integrations.