PostHog: Self-Hosted Product Analytics That Respects Privacy
PostHog replaces Google Analytics, Mixpanel, and Hotjar in one platform. Self-host it for privacy and unlimited events.
What Is PostHog?
PostHog is an all-in-one product analytics platform. It combines:
All in one self-hosted application.
Why Self-Host PostHog?
Cost
PostHog Cloud charges per event. At scale, it's expensive:
Self-hosted PostHog: unlimited events for the cost of your server.
Privacy
No data leaves your infrastructure. Full GDPR compliance without third-party data processing agreements.
No Data Sampling
PostHog Cloud samples data at high volumes. Self-hosted processes every event.
Key Features
Product Analytics
Track events, create funnels, analyze retention. Understand how users interact with your product.
Session Replay
Watch real user sessions to identify UX issues. See exactly where users struggle.
Feature Flags
Roll out features to specific users or percentages. Test in production safely.
A/B Testing
Run experiments with statistical significance calculations built in.
Correlation Analysis
Automatically identify what events correlate with conversion or churn.
Deploying PostHog
PostHog is resource-intensive compared to simpler analytics tools:
Deploy it on a dedicated TinyPod server or alongside lightweight apps if resources allow.
PostHog vs Alternatives
| Feature | PostHog | Plausible | Matomo |
|---------|---------|-----------|--------|
| Product analytics | Yes | No | Basic |
| Session replay | Yes | No | Yes |
| Feature flags | Yes | No | No |
| A/B testing | Yes | No | Yes |
| Resource usage | Heavy | Light | Medium |
| Best for | Product teams | Marketing | Marketing |
Use Plausible for simple website analytics. Use PostHog when you need deep product insights.