PostHog vs Rybbit
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
VS
Rybbit
Open-source, privacy-friendly Google Analytics alternative
| Feature | PostHog | Rybbit |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 99 · Excellent | 94 · Excellent |
| Category | Web Analytics | Web Analytics |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 39,909 | ★ 13,061 |
| First released | 2020 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude | Google Analytics, Mixpanel |
What are PostHog and Rybbit?
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
Rybbit
Rybbit is an open-source and privacy-friendly web and product analytics platform. It is cookieless, GDPR compliant, and offers an intuitive dashboard for tracking traffic and user behavior.
- Cookieless and GDPR compliant
- Real-time dashboard
- Funnels and user journeys
- Web and product analytics
PostHog vs Rybbit: key differences
PostHog is written in Python, while Rybbit is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — MIT for PostHog versus AGPL-3.0 for Rybbit. Rybbit 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 Rybbit arrived in 2024. PostHog has the considerably larger community, at 39,909 GitHub stars versus 13,061.
Why pick each one
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
Choose Rybbit if…
- Modern intuitive UI
- Combines web and product analytics
Watch out for
- Newer project
- Requires ClickHouse
Frequently asked questions
Is PostHog or Rybbit better?
Neither is universally better. PostHog has the larger community, while Rybbit is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are PostHog and Rybbit free and open-source?
Yes. PostHog is licensed under MIT and Rybbit under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run PostHog and Rybbit with Docker?
PostHog: yes. Rybbit: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, PostHog or Rybbit?
Rybbit 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.