PostHog is a product analytics platform with session replay and feature flags built-in, while Matomo is a web analytics alternative to Google Analytics focused on privacy and data ownership. PostHog excels for product teams needing behavioral insights, while Matomo suits organizations prioritizing visitor tracking and GDPR compliance.
PostHog vs Matomo — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
All-in-one product analytics platform with integrated feature flags, session replay, and A/B testing.
Privacy-focused web analytics platform offering Google Analytics alternative with self-hosting capability.
Primary Use Case. Pricing Model. Session Replay Included. Feature Flag/Experimentation. Data Ownership (Self-Hosted). Learning Curve. Real-time Reporting
Choose PostHog if you're a product-focused team needing session replay, feature flags, and comprehensive behavioral analytics in one platform. Choose Matomo if you prioritize visitor analytics, privacy compliance, predictable pricing, and easier onboarding for traditional web analytics use cases.
PostHog: Yes (self-hosted unlimited) | Matomo: N/A
PostHog: Yes (native feature) | Matomo: N/A
PostHog: Configurable (36+) | Matomo: N/A
PostHog: $120 (PostHog Plus) | Matomo: N/A
PostHog: Full multivariate support | Matomo: N/A
PostHog: $39 (cloud) / $0 (self-hosted) | Matomo: $19/month (cloud) or Free (self-hosted)
PostHog: Standard with limitations | Matomo: N/A
PostHog: Open-source available | Matomo: N/A
PostHog: Unlimited with self-hosting | Matomo: N/A
PostHog: Basic analytics only | Matomo: N/A
PostHog: $0 (self-hosted) / $450 (cloud) | Matomo: N/A
PostHog: Not native (requires external tool or custom development) | Matomo: N/A
PostHog: Yes, full session replay native | Matomo: Yes (in all plans)
PostHog: Full self-host option available | Matomo: N/A
PostHog: 1,000,000 | Matomo: None (self-hosted only)
PostHog: Included in all tiers | Matomo: Not available
PostHog: Yes, built-in | Matomo: Via third-party plugins
PostHog: Yes - full open-source | Matomo: Yes, open-source
PostHog: Yes, anonymization included | Matomo: Yes, privacy-first design
PostHog: Unlimited | Matomo: 25 months (standard)
PostHog: $0 (self-hosted) / $450 (cloud starter) | Matomo: N/A
PostHog: Yes, native feature flags | Matomo: No, not available
PostHog: 100+ integrations | Matomo: N/A
PostHog: ~0.4% of all websites | Matomo: N/A
PostHog: 30-120 (depends on setup type) | Matomo: N/A
Setup Time (implementation to first insights)
PostHog: 7-14 days (self-hosted) / 2-4 days (cloud) | Matomo: N/A
PostHog: Unlimited (open-source) / 1 year (cloud) | Matomo: N/A
PostHog: Unlimited (self-hosted) | Matomo: N/A
PostHog: Basic cohort analysis, no ML models | Matomo: N/A
PostHog: All paid plans ($369+/month) | Matomo: N/A
PostHog: Community + Enterprise support available | Matomo: N/A
PostHog: User-controlled (any region) | Matomo: N/A
PostHog: $450 starter (3 users) | Matomo: N/A
PostHog: 50+ standard properties | Matomo: N/A
PostHog: Yes (open-source available) | Matomo: Yes (Free open-source)
PostHog: No (manual instrumentation) | Matomo: N/A
PostHog: Integrated natively | Matomo: N/A
PostHog: Open source (AGPL/Enterprise) | Matomo: N/A
PostHog: $0 (self-hosted) or $450 (cloud) | Matomo: N/A
PostHog: Pay-per-event ($0.0001-$0.00025 per event) | Matomo: N/A
PostHog: Basic feature flags only | Matomo: N/A
PostHog: Native multivariate A/B testing and flags | Matomo: N/A
PostHog: 1000+ per second (self-hosted unlimited) | Matomo: N/A
PostHog: 1-2 days (SDK integration) | Matomo: N/A
PostHog: Yes, included in all plans | Matomo: No, requires integration
PostHog: Unlimited (events-based) | Matomo: 20
PostHog: $0 (scales with usage) | Matomo: $19
PostHog: Yes, full open source | Matomo: Yes, open source (Matomo On-Premise)
PostHog: GDPR-compliant (self-hosted) | Matomo: GDPR-certified and audited
PostHog: $0 (self-hosted) or $369/month (cloud) | Matomo: N/A
PostHog: Unlimited (no per-event charge) | Matomo: N/A
PostHog: Yes (native with targeting) | Matomo: N/A
PostHog: Yes (Open-source) | Matomo: N/A
PostHog: N/A | Matomo: $19 (Cloud Starter)
PostHog: N/A | Matomo: 60-180 (self-hosted) / 5 (cloud)
PostHog: N/A | Matomo: Unlimited (self-hosted) / 13 (cloud)
PostHog: N/A | Matomo: Yes (live visitors feed)
PostHog: N/A | Matomo: Unlimited (self-hosted) / 120 (cloud)
PostHog: N/A | Matomo: 20+ (Slack, Zapier, Google Sheets, etc.)
PostHog: N/A | Matomo: $300-3,000/year (cloud) or $0 (self-hosted)
PostHog: N/A | Matomo: No sampling on any plan
PostHog: N/A | Matomo: 4% of tracked websites
PostHog: N/A | Matomo: Compliant by default
PostHog: N/A | Matomo: 100% user/organization owned
PostHog: N/A | Matomo: 0 (basic analytics only)
PostHog: N/A | Matomo: $19/month (cloud) or Free (self-hosted)
PostHog: N/A | Matomo: Requires configuration
PostHog: N/A | Matomo: Full REST API & webhooks
PostHog: N/A | Matomo: Unlimited (self-hosted)
PostHog: N/A | Matomo: 8-16 hours (self-hosted)
PostHog: N/A | Matomo: Basic (manual creation)
PostHog: N/A | Matomo: $228 (cloud) or $0 (self-hosted)
PostHog: N/A | Matomo: 30-60 (cloud), 120+ (self-hosted)
PostHog: N/A | Matomo: Manual configuration required
PostHog: N/A | Matomo: User-controlled or Matomo servers
PostHog: N/A | Matomo: 24/7 support available
PostHog: N/A | Matomo: Yes (full ownership on self-hosted)
PostHog: N/A | Matomo: ~50 basic segments
PostHog: N/A | Matomo: Basic (limited ML)
PostHog: N/A | Matomo: 5-10 days (self-hosted), 1-2 days (cloud)
PostHog: N/A | Matomo: Unlimited pageviews
PostHog: N/A | Matomo: 5 minutes (Cloud) / 2-4 hours (Self-hosted)
PostHog: N/A | Matomo: Yes (full ownership)
PostHog: N/A | Matomo: Yes (native anonymization)
PostHog: N/A | Matomo: $19/month (Cloud)
How to choose between PostHog and Matomo
PostHog vs Matomo — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for PostHog vs Matomo. Contains 141 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
PostHog vs Matomo — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for PostHog vs Matomo.
Which has better integrations with product development tools?
PostHog integrates seamlessly with Slack, webhooks, and data warehouses for product teams. Matomo focuses on CMS and ecommerce integrations (WooCommerce, Shopify). PostHog wins for product development workflows.
Can I self-host both PostHog and Matomo?
Yes, both offer self-hosted options. PostHog has a full open-source version with unlimited self-hosting, while Matomo offers Matomo On-Premise with flexible licensing. Self-hosting eliminates usage-based costs but requires infrastructure maintenance.
Matomo holds explicit GDPR certification and conducts regular audits, making it the safer choice for organizations with strict compliance requirements. PostHog is GDPR-compliant when self-hosted but doesn't carry formal certification on its cloud offering.
PostHog can supplement Google Analytics with superior session replay and feature flags, but it focuses on behavioral analytics rather than traditional web metrics like bounce rate and traffic sources. Both tools excel at different aspects.
What's the total cost at scale for high-traffic websites?
PostHog costs can exceed $5,000/month at 500M+ events/month, while Matomo's self-hosted option remains free or Matomo Cloud costs $199/month maximum regardless of traffic volume. Matomo offers more predictable pricing.
How to Choose Between PostHog and Matomo
Primary Use Case: PostHog has Product analytics, session replay, feature flags, A/B testing, while Matomo has Web analytics, visitor tracking, conversion funnels.
Pricing Model: PostHog has Free tier + usage-based ($0-5,000+/month); Self-hosted free, while Matomo has Free tier (20GB) + $19-199/month; Self-hosted free.
Session Replay Included: PostHog has Yes, native feature included in all plans, while Matomo has No, requires separate third-party integration.
Feature Flag/Experimentation: PostHog has Native feature flags and A/B testing built-in, while Matomo has Not natively available, requires integration.
Data Ownership (Self-Hosted): PostHog has Full data ownership with open-source version available, while Matomo has Full data ownership with self-hosted option; GDPR-certified.
Learning Curve: PostHog has Steeper; requires understanding of events, properties, cohorts, while Matomo has Gentler; more familiar interface similar to Google Analytics.
Real-time Reporting: PostHog has Real-time dashboards and event streaming available, while Matomo has Real-time reports with 5-minute data freshness.