Proprietary vs Open source
Google Analytics vs PostHog: Which One Should You Choose in 1970?
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is a proprietary Product & Web Analytics tool priced as free standard / $50k+ year (GA360), starting at Free (Ad-supported / Data-harvested). PostHog is open source, priced as free tier then usage-based per product, starting at $0 (1M events/mo free) then usage-based.
Quick verdict
- Choose Google Analytics for
- Google Analyticsfree standard tier and native integration with Google Ads ecosystem
- Choose PostHog for
- PostHogproduct analytics, session replay, feature flags and experiments in one stack
Google Analytics vs PostHog: feature comparison
| Feature | Google Analytics 4 (GA4)Proprietary | PostHogOpen SourceSelf-Hostable |
|---|---|---|
| Open-Source Available | No | Yes |
| Self-Hostable | No | Yes |
| Self-Hosting Difficulty | N/A | Medium (Docker hobby deploy; production needs Kubernetes) |
| Pricing Model | Free standard / $50k+ year (GA360) | Free tier then usage-based per product |
| Starting Price | Free (Ad-supported / Data-harvested) | $0 (1M events/mo free) then usage-based |
| Free Tier | Free for most standard websites | Free 1M events and 5,000 session replays/mo |
| GitHub Stars | N/A | 40.7k |
Pricing takeaway
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) starts at Free (Ad-supported / Data-harvested) (free for most standard websites). PostHog starts at $0 (1M events/mo free) then usage-based (free 1M events and 5,000 session replays/mo).
- Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
- Free standard / $50k+ year (GA360). Starts at Free (Ad-supported / Data-harvested). Free for most standard websites.Full Google Analytics pricing breakdown
- PostHog
- Free tier then usage-based per product. Starts at $0 (1M events/mo free) then usage-based. Free 1M events and 5,000 session replays/mo.Full PostHog pricing breakdown
Pros and cons
Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
Visit Google AnalyticsPros
- Free standard tier and native integration with Google Ads ecosystem
- Direct export to Google BigQuery
- Ubiquitous documentation and industry adoption
Cons
- Horrible, unintuitive GA4 UI compared to legacy Universal Analytics
- Aggressive cookie banner requirements and EU GDPR privacy scrutiny
- Heavy script payload slows down Core Web Vitals
PostHog
Visit PostHogPros
- Product analytics, session replay, feature flags and experiments in one stack
- Autocapture means events start flowing without a tracking plan
- Open-source core with a self-hosted deployment option
Cons
- Usage pricing spread across several products is hard to forecast
- A full production self-host is infrastructure-heavy
- Each module is shallower than the single-purpose specialist it replaces
Google Analytics vs PostHog: FAQ
Is PostHog a good alternative to Google Analytics?
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is a proprietary Product & Web Analytics tool priced as free standard / $50k+ year (GA360), starting at Free (Ad-supported / Data-harvested). PostHog is open source, priced as free tier then usage-based per product, starting at $0 (1M events/mo free) then usage-based.
Which is cheaper, Google Analytics or PostHog?
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) starts at Free (Ad-supported / Data-harvested) (free for most standard websites). PostHog starts at $0 (1M events/mo free) then usage-based (free 1M events and 5,000 session replays/mo).
Is Google Analytics or PostHog open source?
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is proprietary. PostHog is open source (github.com/PostHog/posthog).
Can I self-host Google Analytics or PostHog?
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) cannot be self-hosted. PostHog can be self-hosted. Difficulty: Medium (Docker hobby deploy; production needs Kubernetes).
Do Google Analytics and PostHog have a free tier?
Google Analytics 4 (GA4): Free for most standard websites. PostHog: Free 1M events and 5,000 session replays/mo.