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Google Analytics vs PostHog: Which is Better in 2026?

Analytics

Choosing between Google Analytics and PostHog? Both are popular analytics tools. Below we compare them on pricing, free tiers, features, and pros & cons so you can pick the right fit for your stack.

Google Analytics is for: Sites and apps of any size that want free traffic and conversion reporting tied into Google Ads and BigQuery.

PostHog is for: Product teams who want analytics, session replay, feature flags, experiments and error tracking in one tool with a free monthly allowance.

Quick verdict

There’s no single winner; pick on your constraint. Choose Google Analytics if you want free analytics and are fine with Google processing the data. Choose PostHog if you want product analytics, session replay and feature flags without stitching three tools together.

Google Analytics vs PostHog — Side by Side

Google AnalyticsPostHog
CategoryAnalyticsAnalytics
What it isHosted web and app analyticsProduct analytics suite
What it measuresTraffic, events and conversionsProduct events, replays, flags, errors
Self-hostingNo (hosted by Google)Hobby deploy (about 100K events a month)
How you payFree; Analytics 360 is paidFree allowance, then per-product usage
Free accessFull standard product1M events and 5K recordings a month
PricingFreeFree · then usage-based
Starting priceFree tier availableFree tier available
Free tier
Best forAnalytics — free, Google Ads, BigQuery exportAnalytics — product analytics, session replay, feature flags

Pros & Cons

  • Standard version is free
  • Links to Google Ads and BigQuery
  • Free BigQuery export up to 1M events a day
  • Event data kept 14 months at most on standard
  • Higher limits need Analytics 360 (price not listed)
  • Hosted by Google only; no self-hosting
  • Free monthly allowance: 1M events and 5,000 recordings
  • Analytics, replay, flags and error tracking in one tool
  • Billing limit per product
  • Usage is billed separately for each product
  • Self-hosted hobby deploy suits about 100,000 events a month
  • Free plan keeps 1 year of data and 1 project

Key Features Compared

Google Analytics

  • Standard Google Analytics is free
  • Event data kept for 2 or 14 months on standard; up to 50 months on Analytics 360
  • 30 key events (conversions) and 50 event-scoped custom dimensions per property
  • BigQuery export: up to 1 million events a day, plus unlimited streaming export
  • Analytics 360 raises the limits; its price is not listed

PostHog

  • Free every month: 1M analytics events, 5,000 session recordings, 1M feature flag requests
  • Also free monthly: 100,000 error-tracking exceptions and 1,500 survey responses
  • Usage above the free allowance is billed per product, with a billing limit per product
  • Paid plans keep events 7 years (1 year on free) and allow 6 projects (1 on free)
  • Open source under MIT, except the ee directory; self-hosted hobby deployments suit about 100,000 events a month

Choose Google Analytics if…

  • You want free analytics and are fine with Google processing the data.
  • You run Google Ads and want conversions in the same account.
  • You want raw event data in BigQuery without paying for an export.

Choose PostHog if…

  • You want product analytics, session replay and feature flags without stitching three tools together.
  • You want a free tier that resets monthly, with or without a card on file.
  • You want to cap spend per product with billing limits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Google Analytics better than PostHog?⌄

There’s no single winner; pick on your constraint. Choose Google Analytics if you want free analytics and are fine with Google processing the data. Choose PostHog if you want product analytics, session replay and feature flags without stitching three tools together.

What is the difference between Google Analytics and PostHog?⌄

What it is — Google Analytics: Hosted web and app analytics. PostHog: Product analytics suite. What it measures — Google Analytics: Traffic, events and conversions. PostHog: Product events, replays, flags, errors. Self-hosting — Google Analytics: No (hosted by Google). PostHog: Hobby deploy (about 100K events a month). How you pay — Google Analytics: Free; Analytics 360 is paid. PostHog: Free allowance, then per-product usage. Free access — Google Analytics: Full standard product. PostHog: 1M events and 5K recordings a month.

Google Analytics vs PostHog: which is cheaper?⌄

Google Analytics pricing: Free. PostHog pricing: Free · then usage-based. Confirm current pricing on each tool's official site, as plans change.

When should I skip both Google Analytics and PostHog?⌄

Skip Google Analytics if you want to avoid a cookie banner for analytics. Plausible and Fathom sell cookie-free analytics. Skip PostHog if you only need simple website traffic stats. Plausible and Fathom are simpler.

Sources · tool facts checked November 2026

  1. 1.Analytics 360 vs standard limits (Google Analytics Help)support.google.com
  2. 2.PostHog pricingposthog.com
  3. 3.PostHog on GitHubgithub.com

See more options in our guide to the best analytics tools for startups.

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