Analytics review
PostHog
Open-source product analytics that bundles events, session replay, feature flags, and A/B testing into one stack. Generous free tier and predictable pricing make it the right call over Mixpanel for most solos.
At a glance
- Pricing
- Free for 1M events/mo. Self-host free, cloud usage-based after the free tier
- Category
- Analytics
- Last reviewed
- Best for
- Indie SaaS, digital product, and content-product hybrid businesses that need real product analytics, not just page-views.
Disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links. I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend tools I've used and would happily suggest to a friend.
Benchmarks
How PostHog actually scores.
Five axes that matter for a one-person business. Each score is editorial, 1–10, higher is better. A tool that maxes every axis doesn't exist; the shape of the chart is the signal.
- Price
- Value for a one-person budget
- Solo fit
- Built with solo operators in mind
- Learning curve
- How fast a beginner gets useful work done
- Lock-in
- How easy it is to leave (high = easy)
- Support
- Quality and responsiveness of help
Scores are set by the editor after hands-on use and revised as the tool evolves. They're not paid for and don't change based on affiliate partnerships.
The case for
- One tool for events, session replay, feature flags, and A/B tests instead of four separate subscriptions
- Generous free tier covers most indie SaaS apps for the first year
- Self-host option for full data ownership; cloud is also EU-region available
- Open source with a strong dev community; the SDK works in everything
The case against
- Heavier conceptually than Plausible. The dashboard rewards investment
- Session replay storage is the cost driver; high-traffic apps can rack up quickly
- A11y and small-screen experience on the dashboard is rough
Why pick PostHog over Plausible or Mixpanel
Plausible is the right tool for content sites. PostHog is the right tool for products. The distinction matters: a content site cares about which articles drive traffic and which sources convert to email signups. A product cares about which features get used, where users drop off in the onboarding, and whether the new pricing page actually moved conversion.
For a one-person SaaS or digital product, PostHog gives you everything Mixpanel does, plus session replay, plus feature flags, plus A/B testing, in one tool with a free tier large enough to cover the first year. The math against three separate subscriptions is one-sided.
What it does well
Event tracking is the table stakes, and PostHog covers it. The SDK is mature in every framework that matters, and the dashboard groups events into funnels, retention curves, and trends with very little setup. Funnels are the killer feature for indie SaaS: you can see exactly where new signups stop, which is the single most actionable piece of product analytics for a solo.
Session replay is the unexpected hero. Watching ten real sessions of new users hitting your product onboarding is more useful than 100 hours of customer interviews. PostHog records sessions with privacy controls (PII masking, ignore list for sensitive fields), and the replay player is good enough that you actually watch the recordings.
Feature flags and A/B tests are bundled. For a one-person business that wants to experiment, this removes the case for a separate tool like LaunchDarkly or Optimizely. The flag and the analytics that measure the flag are in the same place.
Where it disappoints
The dashboard is denser than Plausible's. There is a learning curve, and the trade-off between flexibility and approachability lands on the flexibility side. Expect to spend a weekend setting it up properly for the first time.
Session replay storage is where the cost can sneak up. The free tier includes a generous number of replays, but a high-traffic free tier of your own product can blow through it. Set the sampling rate, exclude internal team sessions, and watch the usage.
The mobile and small-screen experience is rough. PostHog is built for the desktop dashboard pattern; do not expect to read it on a phone.
When it is overkill
Pure content sites do not need PostHog. Plausible does the job better with a tenth of the surface area. If you are not actively running experiments, watching session replays, or building features that need toggling, you are paying for capability you do not use. The right time to switch from Plausible to PostHog is when you have a real product with real users and you actually look at funnels.
Verdict
The right analytics stack for a one-person product business. Start on the free tier, self-host if data residency matters, and pay attention to session replay storage as you scale.
Bottom line
Ready to try PostHog?
Indie SaaS, digital product, and content-product hybrid businesses that need real product analytics, not just page-views.
Disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links. I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend tools I've used and would happily suggest to a friend.
Compare PostHog with the alternatives
Side-by-side reviews of the other Analytics tools we've covered.
3.5/5 vs 4.5/5 · From $15/mo (100k pageviews); 30-day trial
3.5/5 vs 4.5/5 · From $9/mo for up to 10,000 monthly pageviews
Living document
What did we miss about PostHog?
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