What is the difference between Heap and Countly?

Heap is best for Teams wanting auto-captured analytics without tagging, while Countly is best for Mobile app teams wanting open-source analytics. Heap starts at Free and Countly starts at Free.

Is Heap or Countly cheaper?

Heap starts at Free with a free tier. Countly starts at Free and is free.

Is there a free alternative to Countly?

Both Heap and Countly offer free tiers.

Heap vs Countly

Heap is digital analytics platform that auto-captures every user interaction without manual event tracking, while Countly is open-source product analytics for mobile, web, and desktop with crash reporting. Countly is open source and can be self-hosted, giving you full control over your data. Heap is built for teams wanting auto-captured analytics without tagging, whereas Countly targets mobile app teams wanting open-source analytics.

At a glance

	Heap	Countly
Best for	Teams wanting auto-captured analytics without tagging	Mobile app teams wanting open-source analytics
Starting price	Free	Free
Free tier	✓	✓
Open source	—	✓
Free tier available	✓	✓
Open source	—	✓
Auto-Capture	✓	—
Crash Reports	—	✓
Funnels	✓	—
Mobile Analytics	—	✓
Push Notifications	—	✓
Segments	✓	—
Session Replay	✓	—
Surveys	—	✓

Heap

Strengths

Includes Auto-Capture as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows
Includes Session Replay as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows
Free up to 10K sessions/mo — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
Established product with 13+ years on the market and a mature ecosystem

Weaknesses

Free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Data accuracy depends on tracking setup — misconfigured events give misleading results
Mobile experience lags behind the desktop version in features and polish

Try Heap → Full review

Countly

Strengths

Open source and transparent
Includes Mobile Analytics as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows
Fully open-source — you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in
The core product is free with no paywalled essentials

Weaknesses

May lack some advanced features
Self-hosting is free but requires server maintenance and DevOps knowledge
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Data accuracy depends on tracking setup — misconfigured events give misleading results

Try Countly → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Both Heap and Countly are free. You can try both without spending a dollar.

Feature gaps: Heap offers Auto-Capture, Funnels and Segments that Countly lacks. Countly brings Crash Reports, Mobile Analytics and Push Notifications that Heap does not have.

Team fit: Both tools target mid-size teams teams, so the decision hinges on features and workflow fit rather than scale.

Open source: Countly is open source, meaning you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in. Heap is proprietary — you are trusting the vendor with your data and uptime.

Where each tool shines: Heap's biggest strengths are: includes auto-capture as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows. includes session replay as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows. Countly's biggest strengths are: open source and transparent. includes mobile analytics as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows.

Watch out for: With Heap, users commonly note that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade. With Countly, the main complaint is that may lack some advanced features.

Choose Heap if...

Your profile matches its sweet spot: teams wanting auto-captured analytics without tagging
You specifically need Auto-Capture and Funnels
You care about includes session replay as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows
The free tier works for you: free up to 10k sessions/mo

Choose Countly if...

You need a tool built for mobile app teams wanting open-source analytics
You need self-hosting, data sovereignty, or the ability to audit source code
You specifically need Crash Reports and Mobile Analytics
You care about includes mobile analytics as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows