Aptabase vs PostHog
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted web analytics options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Aptabase
Privacy-first analytics for apps and games
VS
PostHog
Open-source product analytics platform
| Feature | Aptabase | PostHog |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 82 · Excellent | 99 · Excellent |
| Category | Web Analytics | Web Analytics |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 4,096 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, kubernetes |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,821 | ★ 39,909 |
| First released | 2023 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Firebase Analytics, Mixpanel | Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude |
What are Aptabase and PostHog?
Aptabase
Aptabase is a privacy-first, open-source analytics platform built for mobile, desktop, and web applications. It records anonymous usage events and renders simple dashboards.
- App usage analytics
- Privacy first
- SDKs for many platforms
- Simple dashboards
PostHog
PostHog is an open-source product analytics platform with event tracking, session replay, feature flags, and A/B testing. It targets product teams wanting an all-in-one analytics suite. It is deployed via Docker or Kubernetes.
- Product analytics and funnels
- Session replay
- Feature flags and experiments
- Self-hostable all-in-one
Aptabase vs PostHog: key differences
Aptabase is written in TypeScript, while PostHog is built with Python. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Aptabase versus MIT for PostHog. Aptabase is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 4,096 MB for PostHog. PostHog is the more established project (first released 2020), while Aptabase arrived in 2023. PostHog has the considerably larger community, at 39,909 GitHub stars versus 1,821.
Why pick each one
Choose Aptabase if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.8k GitHub stars)
- Written in TypeScript
Choose PostHog if…
- Comprehensive product suite
- Session replay included
- Open-core model
Watch out for
- Heavy to self-host
- Self-host edition is scaled down
Frequently asked questions
Is Aptabase or PostHog better?
Neither is universally better. PostHog has the larger community, while Aptabase is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Aptabase and PostHog free and open-source?
Yes. Aptabase is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and PostHog under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Aptabase and PostHog with Docker?
Aptabase: yes. PostHog: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Aptabase or PostHog?
Aptabase has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 4,096 MB for PostHog. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.