Plausible vs PostHog
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted web analytics options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Plausible
Lightweight, privacy-friendly website analytics
VS
PostHog
Open-source product analytics platform
| Feature | Plausible | PostHog |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 96 · Excellent | 99 · Excellent |
| Category | Web Analytics | Web Analytics |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Elixir | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 4,096 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, kubernetes |
| GitHub stars | ★ 29,197 | ★ 39,909 |
| First released | 2019 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Google Analytics | Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude |
What are Plausible and PostHog?
Plausible
Plausible is a lightweight, open-source, privacy-friendly web analytics tool that needs no cookies and is GDPR compliant. It targets site owners who want simple, ethical analytics. It is deployed via Docker.
- Cookie-free and GDPR compliant
- Tiny tracking script
- Clean single-page dashboard
- Goal and funnel tracking
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
Plausible vs PostHog: key differences
Plausible is written in Elixir, while PostHog is built with Python. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Plausible versus MIT for PostHog. Plausible is the lighter option, starting around 1,024 MB of RAM against 4,096 MB for PostHog.
Why pick each one
Choose Plausible if…
- Privacy-friendly by design
- Simple and fast
- Lightweight script
Watch out for
- Self-host needs Postgres and ClickHouse
- Fewer deep reports than Matomo
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 Plausible or PostHog better?
Neither is universally better. PostHog has the larger community, while Plausible is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Plausible and PostHog free and open-source?
Yes. Plausible is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and PostHog under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Plausible and PostHog with Docker?
Plausible: yes. PostHog: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Plausible or PostHog?
Plausible 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.