PostHog vs Heap: Which is better in 2026?
A side-by-side comparison of pricing, features, and use cases to help you decide between PostHog and Heap.
All-in-one product analytics, open source
Auto-capture analytics — no tagging required
Head-to-head comparison
| Feature | PostHog | Heap |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free/mo | Free/mo |
| Free plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Pricing model | freemium | freemium |
| G2 rating | 4.4/5 | 4.4/5 |
| Capterra rating | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Founded | 2020 | 2012 |
PostHog: pros & cons
- ✓Open source with self-hosted option
- ✓All-in-one platform
- ✓Very generous free tier
- ✓Developer-friendly
- ✗Less polished UI than Amplitude/Mixpanel
- ✗Self-hosting requires technical expertise
- ✗Usage-based pricing can surprise
Heap: pros & cons
- ✓No manual event tagging needed
- ✓Retroactive analysis
- ✓Good session replay
- ✓Easy to get started
- ✗Pricing not transparent
- ✗Can generate too much noise
- ✗Advanced features expensive
Choose PostHog if...
- →Your engineering team wants analytics, feature flags, session recording, and A/B testing in one tool without managing four separate vendor contracts
- →You handle sensitive data and need the option to self-host on your own infrastructure for full data ownership and privacy compliance
- →You're an early-stage startup that wants a generous free tier covering 1M events per month plus all core analytics features
Choose Heap if...
- →You want to analyse user behaviour retroactively — answering questions about events that happened before you thought to track them
- →Your team lacks engineering bandwidth to manually tag every click and form interaction before analysis can begin
- →You need to combine session recordings with funnel data to pinpoint exactly where users drop off in a specific flow
Our verdict
PostHog and Heap are closely matched on user ratings. The right pick depends on your team size and workflow.
PostHog vs Heap: frequently asked questions
Is PostHog better than Heap?
Both tools have similar G2 ratings. The best tool depends on your specific use case and budget.
Which is cheaper, PostHog or Heap?
Both start at Free/mo.
What is the main difference between PostHog and Heap?
PostHog focuses on event analytics, session recording, feature flags. Heap focuses on auto-capture events, funnel analysis, retention analysis. Both serve similar use cases but differ in approach and pricing model.
Can I migrate from PostHog to Heap?
Most teams migrate between PostHog and Heap within a day or two. Export your data from PostHog (typically as CSV or via API), then use Heap's import wizard to bring it across. Check each tool's help centre for a step-by-step migration guide before switching.