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PostHog vs Simple Analytics: Which is Better in 2026?

Analytics

Choosing between PostHog and Simple Analytics? 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.

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

Simple Analytics is for: Site owners who want a cookie-free traffic dashboard, with a free plan for hobby sites.

Quick verdict

There’s no single winner; pick on your constraint. Choose PostHog if you want product analytics, session replay and feature flags without stitching three tools together. Choose Simple Analytics if you want a free plan for small sites and can show a badge.

PostHog vs Simple Analytics — Side by Side

PostHogSimple Analytics
CategoryAnalyticsAnalytics
What it isProduct analytics suitePrivacy-friendly web analytics
What it measuresProduct events, replays, flags, errorsWebsite traffic
Self-hostingHobby deploy (about 100K events a month)No (hosted)
How you payFree allowance, then per-product usageMonthly plan by pageviews, plus per extra user
Free access1M events and 5K recordings a month5 sites, 1 month of data, badge required
PricingFree · then usage-basedFree · paid from $20/mo
Starting priceFree tier availableFree tier available
Free tier
Best forAnalytics — product analytics, session replay, feature flagsAnalytics — cookie-free, EU data, free hobby plan

Pros & Cons

  • 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
  • One-page dashboard
  • No personal data collected
  • Free plan for hobby sites
  • Limited depth for product analysis
  • Free plan keeps 1 month of data
  • Extra users cost $20 a month each

Key Features Compared

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

Simple Analytics

  • Free for hobby sites: 5 websites, 1 user, 1 month of data, badge required
  • Self-serve from $20 a month for 100,000 pageviews; $20 a month per extra user
  • Yearly billing gives 2 months free
  • 14-day free trial, no credit card
  • AI assistant available; data leaves the EU only if you opt in to such features
  • Enterprise: custom pricing with a 30-day proof of concept

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.

Choose Simple Analytics if…

  • You want a free plan for small sites and can show a badge.
  • You want analytics data kept in the EU by default.
  • You want a trial without entering a card.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is PostHog better than Simple Analytics?⌄

There’s no single winner; pick on your constraint. Choose PostHog if you want product analytics, session replay and feature flags without stitching three tools together. Choose Simple Analytics if you want a free plan for small sites and can show a badge.

What is the difference between PostHog and Simple Analytics?⌄

What it is — PostHog: Product analytics suite. Simple Analytics: Privacy-friendly web analytics. What it measures — PostHog: Product events, replays, flags, errors. Simple Analytics: Website traffic. Self-hosting — PostHog: Hobby deploy (about 100K events a month). Simple Analytics: No (hosted). How you pay — PostHog: Free allowance, then per-product usage. Simple Analytics: Monthly plan by pageviews, plus per extra user. Free access — PostHog: 1M events and 5K recordings a month. Simple Analytics: 5 sites, 1 month of data, badge required.

PostHog vs Simple Analytics: which is cheaper?⌄

PostHog pricing: Free · then usage-based. Simple Analytics pricing: Free · paid from $20/mo. Confirm current pricing on each tool's official site, as plans change.

When should I skip both PostHog and Simple Analytics?⌄

Skip PostHog if you only need simple website traffic stats. Plausible and Fathom are simpler. Skip Simple Analytics if you need more than a month of history for free. Umami Hobby keeps 6 months.

Sources · tool facts checked November 2026

  1. 1.PostHog pricingposthog.com
  2. 2.PostHog on GitHubgithub.com
  3. 3.Simple Analytics pricingsimpleanalytics.com

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

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