Matomo vs PostHog
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted web analytics options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Matomo
Powerful, privacy-respecting web analytics platform
VS
PostHog
Open-source product analytics platform
| Feature | Matomo | PostHog |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 96 · Excellent | 99 · Excellent |
| Category | Web Analytics | Web Analytics |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | PHP | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 4,096 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, kubernetes |
| GitHub stars | ★ 21,893 | ★ 39,909 |
| First released | 2007 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Google Analytics | Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude |
What are Matomo and PostHog?
Matomo
Matomo is a powerful, open-source web analytics platform that gives full ownership of data as a privacy-friendly alternative to Google Analytics. It targets organizations that need detailed analytics with data control. It is deployed via Docker or a PHP stack.
- Full-featured analytics suite
- 100% data ownership
- Heatmaps and funnels via plugins
- GDPR-friendly configuration
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
Matomo vs PostHog: key differences
Matomo is written in PHP, while PostHog is built with Python. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Matomo versus MIT for PostHog. Matomo is the lighter option, starting around 1,024 MB of RAM against 4,096 MB for PostHog. Matomo is the more established project (first released 2007), while PostHog arrived in 2020.
Why pick each one
Choose Matomo if…
- Comprehensive analytics
- Privacy-respecting
- Mature and extensible
Watch out for
- Heavier to self-host
- Some features in paid plugins
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 Matomo or PostHog better?
Neither is universally better. PostHog has the larger community, while Matomo is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Matomo and PostHog free and open-source?
Yes. Matomo is licensed under GPL-3.0 and PostHog under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Matomo and PostHog with Docker?
Matomo: yes. PostHog: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Matomo or PostHog?
Matomo has the smaller minimum footprint at 1,024 MB of RAM, compared to about 4,096 MB for PostHog. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.