Heap
Heap is a digital insights platform that automatically captures every user interaction on your website or app to help you understand customer behavior and improve conversion rates.
PostHog
PostHog is an all-in-one open-source product OS that provides you with essential tools like web analytics, session replays, feature flags, and A/B testing to build better products.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Heap | PostHog |
|---|---|---|
| Website | heap.io | posthog.com |
| Pricing Model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting Price | Free | Free |
| FREE Trial | ✓ 14 days free trial | ✘ No free trial |
| Free Plan | ✓ Has free plan | ✓ Has free plan |
| Product Demo | ✓ Request demo here | ✓ Request demo here |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 2013 | 2020 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, USA | San Francisco, USA |
Overview
Heap
Heap gives you a complete picture of how people use your digital products by automatically capturing every click, swipe, and pageview. Unlike traditional tools that require manual tracking code for every event, you can install a single snippet and start seeing data immediately. This means you never miss a critical insight because you forgot to track a specific button or form field.
You can use these insights to identify where users get stuck in your sign-up flow or which features drive long-term retention. The platform combines quantitative data with session replays, allowing you to see the 'why' behind the numbers. It is designed for product, marketing, and data teams at companies of all sizes who need to make fast, data-driven decisions to grow their business.
PostHog
PostHog gives you a complete suite of product tools in a single platform, so you don't have to stitch together multiple different services. You can track how users move through your application, identify where they get stuck using session recordings, and test new ideas with built-in A/B testing. It helps you understand the entire user journey from the first click to long-term retention.
Because it is open-source and offers a self-hosting option, you maintain full control over your data privacy and compliance. Whether you are a solo founder or part of a large engineering team, you can deploy features faster and make data-driven decisions without waiting for a data analyst to run manual queries for you.
Overview
Heap Features
- Autocapture Capture every web and mobile interaction automatically without writing manual tracking code or waiting for release cycles.
- Session Replay Watch exactly how users navigate your site to see where they struggle and why they drop off.
- Heatmaps Visualize user engagement across your pages to identify which elements grab attention and which are ignored.
- Funnel Analysis Track your conversion steps in real-time to pinpoint exactly where you are losing potential customers.
- Journeys Map out the diverse paths users take through your product to discover unexpected behaviors and opportunities.
- Data Enrichment Bring in external data from your CRM or warehouse to see how different customer segments behave.
PostHog Features
- Product Analytics. Track your conversion funnels and retention charts to see exactly where users drop off in your product journey.
- Session Replays. Watch real videos of how people use your app to find bugs and identify confusing UI elements instantly.
- Feature Flags. Roll out new features to specific user groups safely and toggle them off immediately if something goes wrong.
- A/B Testing. Run experiments on your features or UI changes to see which versions actually drive more conversions and engagement.
- Surveys. Collect feedback directly from your users while they are active in your app to understand the 'why' behind their actions.
- Data Warehouse. Link your production data with your product analytics to get a unified view of your entire business operations.
Pricing Comparison
Heap Pricing
- Up to 10k monthly sessions
- Unlimited licenses
- Core analytics charts
- 6 months of data retention
- Session replay (limited)
- Everything in Free, plus:
- Increased session limits
- 12 months of data retention
- Unlimited session replay
- Email and chat support
- Advanced CSV exports
PostHog Pricing
- 1M events per month
- 5,000 session recordings
- Unlimited feature flags
- 3 active surveys
- Community support
- Standard data retention
- Everything in Free, plus:
- Pay only for usage over limits
- Group analytics
- Advanced permissions
- Priority support
- Longer data retention
Pros & Cons
Heap
Pros
- Retroactive data analysis allows you to query past events
- Eliminates the need for constant developer support for tracking
- Combines quantitative charts with qualitative session recordings
- Easy setup with a single snippet installation
Cons
- Initial learning curve for the data definition UI
- Pricing can scale quickly with high traffic volumes
- Large data sets can occasionally lead to slower reports
PostHog
Pros
- Extremely generous free tier for early-stage startups
- Consolidates multiple tools into one single platform
- Open-source nature allows for deep customization
- Easy to set up with one-click autocapture
Cons
- Interface can feel overwhelming for non-technical users
- Self-hosting requires significant engineering resources
- Documentation is dense and sometimes hard to navigate