Open Web Analytics vs PostHog
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted web analytics options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Open Web Analytics
Self-hosted web analytics with click and heatmap tracking
VS
PostHog
Open-source product analytics platform
| Feature | Open Web Analytics | PostHog |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Web Analytics | Web Analytics |
| License | GPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | PHP | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 4,096 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, kubernetes |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,682 | ★ 37,548 |
| First released | 2008 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Google Analytics | Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude |
Why pick each one
Choose Open Web Analytics if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.7k GitHub stars)
- Written in PHP
Frequently asked questions
Is Open Web Analytics or PostHog better?
Neither is universally better. PostHog has the larger community, while Open Web Analytics is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Open Web Analytics and PostHog free and open-source?
Yes. Open Web Analytics is licensed under GPL-2.0 and PostHog under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Open Web Analytics and PostHog with Docker?
Open Web Analytics: yes. PostHog: yes.