What is the difference between Umami and Heap?

Umami is best for Developers who want free, self-hosted, privacy-first analytics, while Heap is best for Teams wanting auto-captured analytics without tagging. Umami starts at Free and Heap starts at Free.

Is Umami or Heap cheaper?

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

Is there a free alternative to Heap?

Both Umami and Heap offer free tiers.

Umami vs Heap

Umami is open-source, privacy-focused web analytics you can self-host, while Heap is digital analytics platform that auto-captures every user interaction without manual event tracking. Umami is open source and can be self-hosted, giving you full control over your data. Umami is built for developers who want free, self-hosted, privacy-first analytics, whereas Heap targets teams wanting auto-captured analytics without tagging.

At a glance

	Umami	Heap
Best for	Developers who want free, self-hosted, privacy-first analytics	Teams wanting auto-captured analytics without tagging
Starting price	Free	Free
Free tier	✓	✓
Open source	✓	—
Free tier available	✓	✓
Open source	✓	—
Auto-Capture	—	✓
Cookieless	✓	—
Custom Events	✓	—
Funnels	—	✓
Open Source	✓	—
Real-Time Dashboard	✓	—
Segments	—	✓
Self-Hosted	✓	—
Session Replay	—	✓

Umami

Strengths

Free and open source
Easy to self-host (Docker, Vercel, Railway)
Clean, modern dashboard
Privacy-focused, no cookies

Weaknesses

Requires self-hosting for free use
Fewer features than GA or even Plausible
Limited integrations
Cloud pricing not competitive with Plausible

Try Umami → 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 Umami and Heap are free. You can try both without spending a dollar.

Feature gaps: Umami offers Cookieless, Custom Events and Open Source that Heap lacks. Heap brings Auto-Capture, Funnels and Segments that Umami does not have.

Team fit: Umami is geared toward individual users and small setups, 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: Umami 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: Umami's biggest strengths are: free and open source. easy to self-host (docker, vercel, railway). 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 Umami, users commonly note that requires self-hosting for free use. With Heap, the main complaint is that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade.

Choose Umami if...

Your profile matches its sweet spot: developers who want free, self-hosted, privacy-first analytics
You need self-hosting, data sovereignty, or the ability to audit source code
You specifically need Cookieless and Custom Events
You care about easy to self-host (docker, vercel, railway)
Your team size fits the individuals profile Umami 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