Blended vs. Single Accounts: What Is the Difference?

Quick Summary

The Key Concept: 1 Account = 1 Data Source (Always)

Both single and blended accounts connect exactly one data source each. The difference is not how many sources they hold (both hold one), but what you can do with them.

What Is a Single Account?

A single account connects one data source from one platform to your reporting destination (Looker Studio, Google Sheets, or BigQuery). It reports on that source individually. It cannot be combined with other accounts in a unified view.

Examples:

• 1 single account for Meta Ads = see Meta Ads data only

• 1 single account for Google Ads = see Google Ads data only

• 1 single account for GA4 = see GA4 data only

Each one lives in its own chart or dashboard section. You cannot merge their data into a combined view.

What Is a Blended Account?

A blended account also connects one data source from one platform. The difference is that blended accounts can be combined with other blended accounts into a single unified cross-channel view.

Porter Metrics automatically maps common metrics (impressions, clicks, spend, conversions) across the blended accounts so you see totals in one chart.

How Blending Works: A Practical Example

You want a dashboard that shows total ad spend across Meta Ads, Google Ads, and TikTok Ads in one chart. Here is what you need:

Each blended account holds one source. The three accounts are then combined by Porter into a unified view where you see total spend, total impressions, blended ROAS, etc.

Cost Comparison: Single vs. Blended for 3 Platforms

The $10 premium per account ($25 vs. $15) pays for Porter's cross-platform data mapping that makes blending possible.

When Should You Use Single Accounts?

Use single accounts when:

• You only report on one platform at a time (e.g., a dedicated Meta Ads dashboard)

• You need platform-specific metrics that do not exist across channels (e.g., Meta's Frequency, Google Ads Quality Score)

• You want the lowest cost per connection

• Your client or team only uses one advertising platform

• You do not need to see combined totals across platforms

When Should You Use Blended Accounts?

Use blended accounts when:

• You run ads on multiple platforms and need to see total spend, total conversions, and blended ROAS in one dashboard

• Your client wants a single executive summary covering all channels without switching between pages

• You need to compare performance across platforms side by side (e.g., cost per lead on Meta vs. Google vs. TikTok)

• You are building a cross-channel marketing dashboard for an agency client

Can You Mix Single and Blended on the Same Plan?

Yes. Your Porter Metrics subscription can include both single and blended accounts. For example:

• 2 single accounts: GA4 ($15) + Google Search Console ($15)

• 3 blended accounts: Meta Ads ($25) + Google Ads ($25) + TikTok Ads ($25) combined into one view

• Total: $105/month for 5 accounts

The single accounts report individually. The blended accounts are combined into a unified cross-channel view.

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Thinking one blended account holds multiple data sources

One blended account connects one data source, exactly like a single account. The difference is that blended accounts can be combined with each other. If you want to blend Meta Ads + Google Ads + TikTok Ads, you need to purchase 3 blended accounts (one per platform).

Mistake 2: Buying blended when you only need single

If you connect Meta Ads and Google Ads but report on them in separate charts (not combined into unified totals), you do not need blended accounts. Two single accounts at $30/month total will work. Only choose blended when you actually need the cross-channel unified view.

Mistake 3: Expecting blended accounts to show platform-specific metrics

Blended views show shared metrics that exist across platforms: impressions, clicks, spend, conversions, CTR, CPC, CPM. Platform-specific metrics (like Meta's Frequency or Google Ads' Quality Score) are not available in blended views because they do not have equivalents on other platforms.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many blended accounts do I need to blend 5 platforms?

You need 5 blended accounts, one per platform. At $25/account/month, that would be $125/month (or $104.15/month on annual billing at $20.83/account).

Can I switch from single to blended or vice versa?

Yes. You can change an account from single to blended (or the reverse) at any time from your Porter Metrics dashboard. The pricing adjusts on your next billing cycle.

Are blended accounts available on the Free Forever plan?

Yes. You can use blended accounts on the free plan within the 3-account limit and 30-day historical data restriction. For example, you could have 3 blended accounts combining Meta Ads, Google Ads, and TikTok Ads into one view at no cost.

Do blended accounts work with BigQuery?

Yes, but BigQuery actually eliminates the need for blended accounts in most cases. With BigQuery, all your data sources are stored in one dataset and can be combined freely using SQL or Porter's AI query builder. There is no limit on the number of sources you can combine. If you plan to blend many sources, BigQuery is often the more cost-effective choice.

What connectors can I blend?

You can blend any of Porter's 22+ connectors. The most common blends are ad platforms (Meta Ads + Google Ads + TikTok Ads), but you can also blend analytics sources (GA4 + HubSpot) or e-commerce data (Shopify + Meta Ads). Each source in the blend requires its own blended account.

Is there a limit to how many blended accounts I can combine?

Porter supports blending up to 5 accounts in a single unified view through the direct connector. If you need to combine more than 5 sources, BigQuery is the recommended path since it has no blending limit.