Open source vs Open source
Plausible vs PostHog: Which One Should You Choose in 1970?
Plausible Analytics is a open source Product & Web Analytics tool priced as pageview-based Cloud / Free Self-Hosted, starting at $9/mo or Free Self-Hosted. 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 Plausible for
- Plausibleultra-lightweight tracking script (< 1 KB, 45x lighter than GA4)
- Choose PostHog for
- PostHogproduct analytics, session replay, feature flags and experiments in one stack
Plausible vs PostHog: feature comparison
| Feature | Plausible AnalyticsOpen SourceSelf-Hostable | PostHogOpen SourceSelf-Hostable |
|---|---|---|
| Open-Source Available | Yes | Yes |
| Self-Hostable | Yes | Yes |
| Self-Hosting Difficulty | Low (Docker Compose) | Medium (Docker hobby deploy; production needs Kubernetes) |
| Pricing Model | Pageview-based Cloud / Free Self-Hosted | Free tier then usage-based per product |
| Starting Price | $9/mo or Free Self-Hosted | $0 (1M events/mo free) then usage-based |
| Free Tier | Free 30-day cloud trial; 100% Free Self-Hosted forever | Free 1M events and 5,000 session replays/mo |
| GitHub Stars | 19.5k | 40.7k |
Pricing takeaway
Plausible Analytics starts at $9/mo or Free Self-Hosted (free 30-day cloud trial; 100% Free Self-Hosted forever). PostHog starts at $0 (1M events/mo free) then usage-based (free 1M events and 5,000 session replays/mo).
- Plausible Analytics
- Pageview-based Cloud / Free Self-Hosted. Starts at $9/mo or Free Self-Hosted. Free 30-day cloud trial; 100% Free Self-Hosted forever.Full Plausible 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
Plausible Analytics
Visit PlausiblePros
- Ultra-lightweight tracking script (< 1 KB, 45x lighter than GA4)
- No cookies, 100% GDPR, CCPA, and PECR compliant without cookie consent banners
- Clean, single-page intuitive dashboard that non-technical team members love
Cons
- No advanced complex multi-touch attribution or deep custom funnels
- Cloud version has no perpetual free tier (paid after 30-day trial)
- User-level funnels and cohort views are limited compared with product analytics tools
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
Plausible vs PostHog: FAQ
Is PostHog a good alternative to Plausible?
Plausible Analytics is a open source Product & Web Analytics tool priced as pageview-based Cloud / Free Self-Hosted, starting at $9/mo or Free Self-Hosted. 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, Plausible or PostHog?
Plausible Analytics starts at $9/mo or Free Self-Hosted (free 30-day cloud trial; 100% Free Self-Hosted forever). PostHog starts at $0 (1M events/mo free) then usage-based (free 1M events and 5,000 session replays/mo).
Is Plausible or PostHog open source?
Plausible Analytics is open source (github.com/plausible/analytics). PostHog is open source (github.com/PostHog/posthog).
Can I self-host Plausible or PostHog?
Plausible Analytics can be self-hosted. Difficulty: Low (Docker Compose). PostHog can be self-hosted. Difficulty: Medium (Docker hobby deploy; production needs Kubernetes).
Do Plausible and PostHog have a free tier?
Plausible Analytics: Free 30-day cloud trial; 100% Free Self-Hosted forever. PostHog: Free 1M events and 5,000 session replays/mo.