PostHog vs Mixpanel vs Amplitude: Complete Comparison 2025

Choosing the right product analytics platform is crucial for understanding user behavior and driving product growth. PostHog, Mixpanel, and Amplitude are three of the most popular solutions, but which one is right for you?

This comprehensive comparison breaks down everything you need to know about these platforms, from features and pricing to use cases and limitations.

Quick Comparison Table

PostHog: The All-in-One Open Source Platform

What is PostHog?

PostHog is an open-source product analytics platform that combines analytics, session replay, feature flags, A/B testing, and more into one integrated solution.

Key Features

1. Comprehensive Feature Set

• Product analytics and funnel analysis
• Session recordings and heatmaps
• Feature flags and experimentation
• User surveys and feedback
• Data warehouse (beta)

2. Deployment Flexibility

• Self-hosted option (full data control)
• Cloud-hosted managed service
• Hybrid deployment options

3. Privacy-First Approach

• GDPR and CCPA compliant out of the box
• Self-hosting for complete data ownership
• Cookie-less tracking options

PostHog Pricing

• Open Source: Free forever (self-hosted)
• Cloud Free: 1M events/month free
• Cloud Paid: Usage-based from $0.00031/event
• Enterprise: Custom pricing with SLA

PostHog Pros

✅ All-in-one platform (no need for multiple tools) ✅ Open source with self-hosting option ✅ Session replay included ✅ Feature flags and A/B testing built-in ✅ Transparent pricing ✅ Active development and community

PostHog Cons

❌ Newer player (less mature than competitors) ❌ Self-hosting requires technical expertise ❌ Some enterprise features still in development ❌ Smaller ecosystem than established players

Best Use Cases for PostHog

• Startups needing an all-in-one solution
• Privacy-conscious companies requiring data ownership
• Developer-focused teams comfortable with self-hosting
• Companies wanting to minimize tool sprawl

Mixpanel: The Event-Tracking Specialist

What is Mixpanel?

Mixpanel is a mature product analytics platform focused on event-based tracking and user behavior analysis. It's been a market leader since 2009.

Key Features

1. Powerful Event Analytics

• Advanced funnel analysis
• Cohort analysis and segmentation
• Retention tracking
• Impact reports

2. User-Friendly Interface

• Intuitive dashboard design
• No-code event tracking (Autocapture)
• Visual report builder
• Mobile SDK support

3. Data Governance

• Data pipeline tools
• Group analytics for B2B
• Cross-platform tracking
• Warehouse connectors

Mixpanel Pricing

• Free: Up to 100K monthly tracked users (MTU)
• Growth: Starting at $20/month (1K MTU)
• Enterprise: Custom pricing with dedicated support

Mixpanel Pros

✅ Mature platform with extensive features ✅ Excellent documentation and support ✅ Strong mobile analytics capabilities ✅ Generous free tier ✅ Beautiful, intuitive UI ✅ No-code event tracking

Mixpanel Cons

❌ Can get expensive at scale ❌ No built-in session replay ❌ No native A/B testing ❌ Limited feature flag capabilities ❌ Requires third-party tools for full product suite

Best Use Cases for Mixpanel

• SaaS companies focused on event tracking
• Mobile app developers
• Product teams needing detailed user segmentation
• Startups with generous free tier needs

Amplitude: The Enterprise Analytics Powerhouse

What is Amplitude?

Amplitude is an enterprise-grade product analytics platform known for sophisticated behavioral analytics and data science capabilities.

Key Features

1. Advanced Analytics Engine

• Behavioral cohort analysis
• Predictive analytics
• Revenue analytics (LTV tracking)
• Retention and engagement metrics

2. Amplitude Experiment

• Feature flagging
• A/B testing and multivariate testing
• Statistical significance engine
• Progressive rollouts

3. Enterprise Capabilities

• Data governance and taxonomy
• Cross-platform identity resolution
• Warehouse-native analytics (Beta)
• Enterprise security and compliance

Amplitude Pricing

• Starter: Free (10M actions/month, 1 year data retention)
• Plus: From $61/month (min 100M events/year)
• Growth: Custom pricing (1B+ events)
• Enterprise: Custom with advanced features

Amplitude Pros

✅ Most powerful analytics engine ✅ Excellent for data-driven organizations ✅ Built-in experimentation platform ✅ Strong data governance features ✅ Predictive analytics capabilities ✅ Great for enterprise scale

Amplitude Cons

❌ Steeper learning curve ❌ More expensive than alternatives ❌ Can be overwhelming for small teams ❌ No built-in session replay ❌ Complex pricing structure

Best Use Cases for Amplitude

• Enterprise companies with complex analytics needs
• Data science teams requiring advanced capabilities
• B2C products with millions of users
• Organizations prioritizing statistical rigor

Head-to-Head Feature Comparison

Event Tracking & Analytics

Winner: Amplitude

• Most sophisticated analytics engine
• Mixpanel close second with simpler UX
• PostHog solid but less mature

Session Replay & Qualitative Data

Winner: PostHog

• Built-in session recordings and heatmaps
• Both Mixpanel and Amplitude require integrations (Hotjar, FullStory, etc.)

A/B Testing & Experimentation

Winner: Tie between PostHog and Amplitude

• PostHog: Built-in feature flags and experiments
• Amplitude: Powerful Amplitude Experiment platform
• Mixpanel: Requires third-party tools

Ease of Use

Winner: Mixpanel

• Most intuitive interface
• PostHog second (developer-friendly)
• Amplitude steeper learning curve

Pricing & Value

Winner: PostHog

• Open-source option (free forever)
• Transparent usage-based pricing
• All features included (no upsells)

Mixpanel has best free tier (100K MTU) Amplitude most expensive but justified for enterprise

Self-Hosting & Data Privacy

Winner: PostHog

• Only option with self-hosting
• Complete data ownership
• Ideal for regulated industries

Which Should You Choose?

Choose PostHog if:

• You want an all-in-one platform (analytics + session replay + flags)
• Data privacy and self-hosting are priorities
• You're a startup or SMB minimizing tool costs
• Your team is developer-focused
• You value open-source software

Choose Mixpanel if:

• You need powerful event analytics without complexity
• You're building a mobile app
• You want the best free tier
• Ease of use is paramount
• You're comfortable integrating other tools for session replay/testing

Choose Amplitude if:

• You're an enterprise with complex analytics needs
• You need advanced statistical analysis
• You have millions of monthly active users
• Data science is core to your product strategy
• Budget is less of a concern than capabilities

Migration Considerations

Moving from Google Analytics to Product Analytics

All three platforms offer migration support:

• PostHog: Direct GA4 import tools
• Mixpanel: GA to Mixpanel migration guide
• Amplitude: White-glove enterprise migration

Multi-Tool Strategy

Many companies use combinations:

• Mixpanel + Hotjar (analytics + session replay)
• Amplitude + LaunchDarkly (analytics + feature flags)
• PostHog standalone (all-in-one approach)

Real-World Use Cases

Startup Example (PostHog)

Early-stage SaaS with 5K users

• Started with self-hosted PostHog (free)
• Uses session replay to understand UX issues
• Runs A/B tests with built-in flags
• Total cost: $0 (self-hosted)

Growth Company Example (Mixpanel)

Mobile app with 500K MAU

• Uses Mixpanel for event tracking
• Integrates with Appsflyer for attribution
• Hotjar for session recordings
• Monthly cost: ~$500 (Mixpanel Growth plan)

Enterprise Example (Amplitude)

B2C platform with 10M MAU

• Amplitude for behavioral analytics
• Amplitude Experiment for A/B tests
• Segment for data pipeline
• Monthly cost: ~$5,000+ (Enterprise plan)

Conclusion

There's no one-size-fits-all answer. Each platform excels in different areas:

• PostHog is the best all-in-one solution for privacy-focused teams
• Mixpanel offers the most user-friendly event analytics
• Amplitude provides enterprise-grade advanced analytics

Start with your primary use case, budget, and team expertise. Many teams begin with free tiers to test before committing.

Next Steps

1. Try the free tiers of 2-3 platforms
2. Define your key metrics and see which platform tracks them best
3. Consider total cost of ownership (including integrations)
4. Evaluate technical requirements (self-hosting, compliance, etc.)

Ready to get started? Compare these tools side-by-side on our comparison page.

Last updated: November 2025