PostHog Pricing: Usage-Based Analytics & Experimentation (2026)

Pricing overview

PostHog's pricing model is structured around usage, primarily calculating costs based on the volume of events ingested and the number of session replays consumed. This approach is common among product analytics platforms, where the value derived often correlates with the amount of user interaction data processed Google Cloud Analytics documentation. PostHog offers a free tier, providing a baseline of services without charge, and scales its paid plans to accommodate increasing data volumes and feature requirements PostHog pricing details.

The core components contributing to PostHog's pricing include:

• Events: Each data point sent to PostHog, such as a page view, button click, or custom action, is counted as an event. This is the primary driver of cost within the usage-based model.
• Session Replays: These recordings of user sessions contribute to costs based on the number of unique replays viewed or stored.
• Data Warehousing: For users leveraging PostHog's data warehousing capabilities, storage and query costs may also apply, depending on the volume of data stored and the frequency of querying.
• Feature Flags and A/B Testing: While core features, their usage can indirectly influence event volume if extensive experimentation leads to more event tracking.

PostHog also provides an open-source option, allowing organizations to self-host the platform. While self-hosting eliminates direct subscription fees to PostHog for the software itself, it introduces infrastructure, maintenance, and operational costs that the user manages PostHog official documentation.

Plans and tiers

PostHog offers several plans designed to cater to different organizational needs, from individual developers and small teams to large enterprises. Each plan builds upon the previous one, offering higher usage limits, advanced features, and dedicated support options. The primary differentiation between tiers lies in event volume, session replay capacity, and access to specific enterprise-grade functionalities.

The Growth plan's pricing for events typically decreases at higher volumes, offering a tiered discount structure as event ingestion scales. Session replay costs are often bundled or offered at a reduced rate for higher-tier plans. For the Enterprise plan, pricing is custom-quoted, reflecting the specific needs for volume, support, and custom features PostHog's detailed pricing page.

Free tier and limits

PostHog provides a free tier that allows users to access a substantial portion of its features without incurring costs, making it suitable for new projects, personal use, or evaluating the platform. The free tier includes:

• Events: Up to 1 million events per month. This limit is generally sufficient for early-stage products or projects with moderate user activity.
• Session Replays: Up to 5,000 session replays per month. This allows for initial debugging and understanding user behavior patterns.
• Projects: Limited to one project.
• Core Features: Access to product analytics, feature flags, and basic data insights.

Exceeding these limits on the free tier typically requires an upgrade to a paid plan. PostHog's free tier is designed to provide a comprehensive experience of the platform's capabilities before a financial commitment is required PostHog pricing information.

Real-world cost examples

Understanding PostHog's usage-based pricing in practical scenarios can help in estimating potential costs. These examples illustrate how event volume and session replay usage translate into costs under the Growth plan.

Scenario 1: Small Startup with Moderate Usage

• Events: 2 million events/month
• Session Replays: 10,000 replays/month
• Calculation:
• Initial 1M events: Free
• Remaining 1M events: 1,000,000 * $0.0003 = $300
• Session replays: 10,000 (within included 50K for Growth plan) = $0 (for replays)
• Estimated Monthly Cost: $300
• Considerations: This scenario is typical for a product with a few thousand active users performing several actions per session.

Scenario 2: Growing Product with High Event Volume

• Events: 15 million events/month
• Session Replays: 75,000 replays/month
• Calculation:
• Initial 1M events: Free
• Remaining 14M events: 14,000,000 * $0.0003 = $4,200 (note: volume discounts may apply at this scale, reducing per-event cost)
• Session replays: 75,000 (exceeds included 50K) = Additional cost for 25,000 replays (price per replay varies but could be around $0.01-$0.02 based on typical market rates for additional replays). Assuming $0.015/replay for additional: 25,000 * $0.015 = $375
• Estimated Monthly Cost: ~$4,575 (before any potential volume discounts for events)
• Considerations: This usage level suggests a product with tens of thousands of active users, or a product with very granular event tracking. Engaging with PostHog sales for volume discounts would be advisable.

Scenario 3: Enterprise-Level Usage with Specific Needs

• Events: 100 million+ events/month
• Session Replays: 500,000+ replays/month
• Calculation: This level of usage falls under the Enterprise plan, where pricing is custom-negotiated. Factors like dedicated support, security requirements (SSO, advanced access controls), and self-hosting options would heavily influence the final cost.
• Estimated Monthly Cost: Varies significantly, requires direct consultation with PostHog.
• Considerations: Large organizations benefit from customized pricing and service level agreements (SLAs) tailored to their infrastructure and compliance needs.

These examples are illustrative. Actual costs depend on the specific pricing tiers and any custom agreements in place PostHog's official pricing page for current rates.

How the pricing compares

PostHog's usage-based pricing model, particularly its event-centric approach, is consistent with many product analytics platforms. However, its open-source foundation and self-hosting options provide a distinct alternative to fully managed SaaS solutions like Mixpanel and Amplitude.

• Mixpanel: Mixpanel generally employs a usage-based model focused on Monthly Tracked Users (MTUs) or event volume. Its pricing tiers often include a set number of MTUs, with additional costs for exceeding those limits. Mixpanel's free tier is typically more restrictive in terms of features or data history compared to PostHog's 1M event free tier Mixpanel pricing overview.

• Amplitude: Amplitude also uses a MTU-based pricing model, offering a free starter plan with limited MTUs and data retention. As usage scales, Amplitude's enterprise plans are custom-quoted, similar to PostHog's Enterprise tier. Amplitude often emphasizes its advanced analytics and experimentation features, which are reflected in its pricing structure Amplitude's pricing page.

• Heap: Heap differentiates itself with an autocapture feature, aiming to collect all user interaction data without explicit tagging. Its pricing is typically based on sessions or events, with tiers offering different levels of data retention and access to advanced features. Heap's free tier also provides a limited number of sessions or events Heap pricing information.

A key differentiator for PostHog is the ability to self-host. While self-hosting involves managing infrastructure, it can offer greater control over data privacy and potentially lower long-term costs for organizations with the necessary engineering resources. SaaS alternatives, while simplifying infrastructure, often have higher recurring costs at scale. PostHog's model presents a hybrid approach, balancing managed cloud services with the flexibility of open source PostHog self-hosting guide.