What is the difference between PostHog and Heap?

PostHog is best for Product teams that need analytics, session replay, and feature flags in one tool, while Heap is best for Teams wanting auto-captured analytics without tagging. PostHog starts at Free and Heap starts at Free.

Is PostHog or Heap cheaper?

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

Is there a free alternative to Heap?

Both PostHog and Heap offer free tiers.

PostHog vs Heap

PostHog is open-source product analytics suite with session replay, feature flags, A/B testing, and surveys, while Heap is digital analytics platform that auto-captures every user interaction without manual event tracking. PostHog is open source and can be self-hosted, giving you full control over your data. PostHog is built for product teams that need analytics, session replay, and feature flags in one tool, whereas Heap targets teams wanting auto-captured analytics without tagging.

At a glance

	PostHog	Heap
Best for	Product teams that need analytics, session replay, and feature flags in one tool	Teams wanting auto-captured analytics without tagging
Starting price	Free	Free
Free tier	✓	✓
Open source	✓	—
Free tier available	✓	✓
Open source	✓	—
A/B Testing	✓	—
Auto-Capture	—	✓
Feature Flags	✓	—
Funnels	—	✓
Product Analytics	✓	—
Segments	—	✓
Session Replay	✓	✓
Surveys	✓	—

PostHog

Strengths

All-in-one: analytics, session replay, feature flags, A/B tests
Generous free tier (1M events/mo)
Open source and self-hostable
Strong developer experience

Weaknesses

Can be overwhelming — lots of features
Self-hosting requires significant infrastructure
UI has a learning curve
Some features less mature than best-in-class alternatives

Try PostHog → Full review

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

The bottom line

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

Feature gaps: PostHog offers A/B Testing, Feature Flags and Product Analytics that Heap lacks. Heap brings Auto-Capture, Funnels and Segments that PostHog does not have. Both share Session Replay.

Team fit: PostHog is geared toward any size teams, while Heap is aimed at mid-size teams teams. Pick the one that matches where your team is today and where it is headed — migrating tools later is always painful.

Open source: PostHog 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: PostHog's biggest strengths are: all-in-one: analytics, session replay, feature flags, a/b tests. generous free tier (1m events/mo). 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.

Watch out for: With PostHog, users commonly note that can be overwhelming — lots of features. With Heap, the main complaint is that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade.

Choose PostHog if...

You need a tool built for product teams that need analytics, session replay, and feature flags in one tool
You need self-hosting, data sovereignty, or the ability to audit source code
You specifically need A/B Testing and Feature Flags
You care about generous free tier (1m events/mo)
Your team size fits the any size profile PostHog is designed for

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
Your team size fits the mid-size teams profile Heap is designed for
The free tier works for you: free up to 10k sessions/mo