Amplitude vs PostHog
Amplitude is the enterprise product analytics leader. PostHog is the open-source all-in-one. One charges per event, the other lets you self-host for free.
Last updated: 2026-02-26
⚡ Quick Verdict
PostHog has evolved from a simple analytics tool into a full product OS — analytics, session replay, feature flags, experiments, surveys, and a data warehouse. Amplitude remains the gold standard for deep behavioral analytics, but PostHog's all-in-one approach and open-source model make it the better choice for most growing companies.
Enterprise product teams, growth teams at scale, and organizations that need deep behavioral analytics with polished reporting.
Startups, engineering-led teams, and companies that want analytics + feature flags + session replay in one open-source platform.
Pricing scales aggressively with events. No session replay, feature flags, or experiments included.
Less polished UI. Behavioral cohorts and advanced analytics aren't as deep as Amplitude.
Choose Amplitude if…
- →You need deep behavioral analytics with advanced cohort analysis
- →Executive-friendly dashboards and reporting are critical
- →You're a large enterprise with dedicated analytics teams
- →You need Amplitude's Pathfinder for user journey analysis
- →Your team is non-technical and needs a polished, visual interface
Choose PostHog if…
- →You want analytics, session replay, feature flags, and experiments in one tool
- →Open-source and self-hosting are important to your team
- →You're a startup that wants to avoid vendor lock-in
- →Your team is engineering-led and comfortable with a developer-first tool
- →You want a generous free tier (1M events/mo) before paying anything
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Don't pick Amplitude if…
- ✕Budget is tight — Amplitude's pricing scales aggressively
- ✕You need session replay or feature flags — you'll need separate tools
- ✕Self-hosting or data ownership is a requirement
- ✕You're a small team that doesn't need enterprise features
Don't pick PostHog if…
- ✕You need polished, executive-ready dashboards
- ✕Deep behavioral cohort analysis is central to your analytics
- ✕Your team is non-technical and needs a guided experience
- ✕You need Amplitude's Pathfinder-style journey mapping
Feature Comparison
Pricing
| Feature | Amplitude | PostHog |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | 50K MTU | 1M events/mo |
Features
| Feature | Amplitude | PostHog |
|---|---|---|
| Session replay | ✗ | Built-in (5K free/mo) |
| Feature flags | Experiment (paid add-on) | Built-in (1M free/mo) |
| A/B testing | Experiment product (paid) | Built-in |
| Surveys | ✗ | Built-in |
Analytics
| Feature | Amplitude | PostHog |
|---|---|---|
| Behavioral cohorts | Advanced — best-in-class | Good — covers most use cases |
| Funnel analysis | Deep with conversion windows | Solid funnel analysis |
| User journey mapping | Pathfinder (unique and powerful) | User paths available |
| Retention analysis | Excellent | Good |
Platform
| Feature | Amplitude | PostHog |
|---|---|---|
| Open source | ✗ | ✓ |
| Self-hosting | ✗ | ✓ |
Data
| Feature | Amplitude | PostHog |
|---|---|---|
| Data warehouse | Export to warehouse | Built-in data warehouse |
UX
| Feature | Amplitude | PostHog |
|---|---|---|
| Dashboard quality | Polished, presentation-ready | Functional, engineer-friendly |
Developer
| Feature | Amplitude | PostHog |
|---|---|---|
| SQL access | Limited | Full SQL access (HogQL) |
Honest Tradeoffs
Every tool has tradeoffs. Here's what you're actually choosing between.
Scope
Focused: product analytics only. Best-in-class at what it does.
Broad: analytics + session replay + feature flags + experiments + surveys.
PostHog replaces 4-5 tools (Amplitude + Hotjar + LaunchDarkly + Optimizely + Typeform). Whether you want one tool doing everything or best-of-breed depends on your team.
Pricing
Free up to 50K MTU. Growth plan pricing isn't transparent — varies by contract.
Free: 1M events + 5K session recordings/mo. Pay-as-you-go beyond that.
PostHog's pricing is transparent and generous. Amplitude's enterprise pricing is notoriously opaque and expensive.
Analytics Depth
Deep behavioral analytics: funnels, retention, cohorts, Pathfinder, predictive.
Solid analytics: funnels, retention, trends, paths. Less deep than Amplitude.
Amplitude's analytics engine is more mature and powerful for complex behavioral analysis. PostHog covers 90% of use cases but lacks Amplitude's advanced features.
Developer Experience
Good SDKs, but primarily designed for product managers.
Developer-first: open-source, self-host, API-first, SQL access.
If your team is engineering-led, PostHog feels natural. If product managers drive analytics, Amplitude's visual tools are better.
Data Ownership
Cloud-only. Your data lives on Amplitude's servers.
Self-host on your infrastructure, or use cloud. Full data ownership.
For regulated industries or privacy-conscious companies, PostHog's self-hosting option is a genuine differentiator.
Pricing
Pros & Cons
Amplitude
Pros
- +Deepest behavioral analytics — funnels, cohorts, retention, Pathfinder
- +Polished, executive-friendly dashboards and reporting
- +Predictive analytics and anomaly detection
- +Strong data governance and taxonomy management
- +Excellent for cross-platform and multi-product analytics
Cons
- −Expensive at scale — enterprise pricing is opaque
- −No session replay, feature flags, or experiments included
- −Requires separate tools for a complete product stack
- −No self-hosting option
- −Free tier is limited to 50K monthly tracked users
PostHog
Pros
- +All-in-one: analytics, session replay, feature flags, experiments, surveys
- +Open-source with self-hosting option for full data control
- +Generous free tier — 1M events + 5K recordings per month
- +Transparent, usage-based pricing — no enterprise sales calls
- +Developer-first with great SDKs, API, and SQL access
Cons
- −Analytics depth doesn't match Amplitude for complex behavioral analysis
- −UI is functional but less polished than Amplitude
- −Self-hosting requires significant DevOps investment
- −Less mature data governance and taxonomy tools
- −Can be overwhelming — many features, steep learning curve
What the Data Says
Real numbers, real quotes, real outcomes — not marketing copy.
PostHog has grown to 70,000+ companies using it, including Y Combinator startups and teams at Airbus and Phantom.
Source: PostHog website, 2025
Amplitude serves 2,700+ enterprise customers including Atlassian, NBCUniversal, and Walmart.
Source: Amplitude Investor Relations
"We replaced Amplitude, Hotjar, and LaunchDarkly with PostHog. One tool, one bill, one data model. Best decision we made."
Source: Hacker News, 2025
A Series B startup switched from Amplitude to PostHog and saved $40K/year while gaining session replay and feature flags they previously had to pay for separately.
Source: VersusStack analysis
Detailed Breakdown
Analytics Depth
Amplitude winsAmplitude remains the leader in pure behavioral analytics. Its cohort analysis, Pathfinder, and predictive features are unmatched. If your growth team needs to answer complex questions like "what behaviors in the first 3 days predict 90-day retention for users from organic search who completed onboarding?" — Amplitude handles this elegantly. PostHog can answer most analytics questions, but for the deepest analysis, Amplitude has more tools.
All-in-One Value
PostHog winsPostHog's biggest advantage is scope. One tool covers product analytics, session replay, feature flags, A/B testing, surveys, and a data warehouse. With Amplitude, you need separate tools for each of these — Hotjar ($99/mo), LaunchDarkly ($200+/mo), Optimizely (enterprise pricing). PostHog gives you all of this with a generous free tier.
Developer Experience
PostHog winsPostHog is a developer's dream. Open-source, self-hostable, API-first, with HogQL for SQL queries against your data. SDKs are well-documented, and the community is active on GitHub. Amplitude is designed more for product managers — the visual tools are great, but engineers often find it limiting.
Enterprise Readiness
Amplitude winsAmplitude is the enterprise choice. SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA compliance, data governance tools, and dedicated support with enterprise contracts. PostHog is SOC 2 compliant and growing, but Amplitude has years of enterprise credibility and the polished reporting that executives expect.
Switching Costs
Already using one? Here's what it takes to switch.
Amplitude → PostHog
Moderate — a few daysPostHog → Amplitude
Moderate — a few daysEvent schemas need to be mapped. Historical data can be imported via batch APIs. The main effort is rebuilding dashboards, funnels, and cohorts. Budget 2-4 weeks for a full migration.
FAQ
Is PostHog really free? ▾
Should I self-host PostHog? ▾
Can PostHog replace Amplitude for a large company? ▾
Which is better for a startup? ▾
Neither feels right?
Consider Mixpanel — Mixpanel offers similar depth to Amplitude at a more transparent price point, with a generous free tier (20M events/mo).
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Ready to choose?
Both tools offer free plans. Try them and see which fits.