Counter.dev Selfhost vs PostHog
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted web analytics options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
PostHog
Open-source product analytics platform
| Feature | Counter.dev Selfhost | PostHog |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 78 · Good | 99 · Excellent |
| Category | Web Analytics | Web Analytics |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 4,096 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, kubernetes |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,009 | ★ 39,900 |
| First released | 2020 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Google Analytics | Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude |
What are Counter.dev Selfhost and PostHog?
Counter.dev Selfhost
Counter.dev is a minimalist, privacy-respecting web analytics service that can be self-hosted. It records page visits without cookies and shows a compact stats view.
- Cookie-free analytics
- Minimal dashboard
- Easy embed
- Privacy respecting
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
Counter.dev Selfhost vs PostHog: key differences
Counter.dev Selfhost is written in JavaScript, while PostHog is built with Python. Counter.dev Selfhost is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 4,096 MB for PostHog. PostHog has the considerably larger community, at 39,900 GitHub stars versus 1,009.
Why pick each one
Choose Counter.dev Selfhost if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1k GitHub stars)
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 Counter.dev Selfhost or PostHog better?
Neither is universally better. PostHog has the larger community, while Counter.dev Selfhost is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Counter.dev Selfhost and PostHog free and open-source?
Yes. Counter.dev Selfhost is licensed under MIT and PostHog under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Counter.dev Selfhost and PostHog with Docker?
Counter.dev Selfhost: yes. PostHog: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Counter.dev Selfhost or PostHog?
Counter.dev Selfhost has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 4,096 MB for PostHog. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.