Plausible Analytics vs PostHog
Self-host pick — both replace Amplitude (Product analytics / event tracking / funnels).
Both Plausible Analytics and PostHog self-host as a replacement for Amplitude (Product analytics / event tracking / funnels). Pick Plausible Analytics if you want the lighter footprint — 10min docker-compose (Elixir app + ClickHouse + Postgres), $10 vps; clickhouse is the heaviest piece but tiny at startup volumes. Pick PostHog if you need teams whose Amplitude use is funnel + retention + feature flags — PostHog matches that surface and adds session replay and surveys — 20min docker-compose (the official `hobby` deploy is one command) and $20-40 vps — clickhouse + postgres + kafka + redis + the app; demanding stack but absorbs serious event volume.
| Plausible Analyticsopen-source | PostHogopen-source | |
|---|---|---|
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Setup time | 10min docker-compose (Elixir app + ClickHouse + Postgres) | 20min docker-compose (the official `hobby` deploy is one command) |
| Monthly cost | $10 VPS; ClickHouse is the heaviest piece but tiny at startup volumes. | $20-40 VPS — ClickHouse + Postgres + Kafka + Redis + the app; demanding stack but absorbs serious event volume. |
| GitHub | plausible/analytics | PostHog/posthog |
| Replaces | Amplitude + 3 other | Amplitude + 2 other |
Good fit for
Plausible Analytics
Lightweight product/web analytics with great UX and a privacy-first stance; a step down in depth from Amplitude/PostHog.
Weak at:No funnels-as-first-class, no retention cohorts the way Amplitude or PostHog do them.
PostHog
Teams whose Amplitude use is funnel + retention + feature flags — PostHog matches that surface and adds session replay and surveys.
Weak at:Heavy resource footprint vs. lighter analytics tools; ClickHouse is excellent but adds an ops surface most small teams don't have.
Both also replace
- Mixpanel— Product analytics
In a terminal? npx -y github:SolvoHQ/os-alt-cli amplitude prints Amplitude's self-host options including both —
how the CLI works →
FAQ
Which is easier to self-host, Plausible Analytics or PostHog?
Plausible Analytics: 10min docker-compose (Elixir app + ClickHouse + Postgres). PostHog: 20min docker-compose (the official `hobby` deploy is one command).
What does each cost to run?
Plausible Analytics: $10 VPS; ClickHouse is the heaviest piece but tiny at startup volumes.. PostHog: $20-40 VPS — ClickHouse + Postgres + Kafka + Redis + the app; demanding stack but absorbs serious event volume.. Both projects are free and open source.
Do Plausible Analytics and PostHog replace the same SaaS?
Yes — both are open-source alternatives to Amplitude (and 1 other SaaS).