PostHog vs Shynet
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
Shynet
Modern, privacy-friendly, detailed web analytics
| Feature | PostHog | Shynet |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 99 · Excellent | 69 · Good |
| Category | Web Analytics | Web Analytics |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Python | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 39,909 | ★ 3,155 |
| First released | 2020 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude | Google Analytics |
What are PostHog and Shynet?
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
Shynet
Shynet is a modern, privacy-friendly, and detailed web analytics platform that works without cookies and even without JavaScript. It targets users wanting solid analytics with strong privacy. It is deployed via Docker.
- Works without JavaScript or cookies
- Detailed session insights
- Multiple sites and users
- Privacy-respecting
PostHog vs Shynet: key differences
Both projects are written in Python. Licensing differs — MIT for PostHog versus Apache-2.0 for Shynet. Shynet is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 4,096 MB for PostHog. PostHog has the considerably larger community, at 39,909 GitHub stars versus 3,155.
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 Shynet if…
- Strong privacy
- Works without JS
- Detailed sessions
Watch out for
- Smaller community
- Fewer integrations
Frequently asked questions
Is PostHog or Shynet better?
Neither is universally better. PostHog has the larger community, while Shynet is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are PostHog and Shynet free and open-source?
Yes. PostHog is licensed under MIT and Shynet under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run PostHog and Shynet with Docker?
PostHog: yes. Shynet: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, PostHog or Shynet?
Shynet 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.