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Amplitude vs Heap 2026: Analytics Platform Comparison

Amplitude excels in product analytics with advanced behavioral cohorts and multi-touch attribution, while Heap focuses on automatic session replay and requires no implementation code. Amplitude suits data-driven product teams, whereas Heap serves companies prioritizing ease of deployment and user session understanding.

A

Amplitude

Product analytics platform specializing in behavioral cohorts, funnels, and multi-touch attribution modeling.

Data-driven product teams, SaaS platforms, mobile apps, and companies with dedicated analytics engineering resources

Score71%
VS
H

Heap

Digital analytics platform with automatic session capture and visual session replay for zero-code implementation.

Small to mid-market SaaS, e-commerce, B2B companies, and teams without dedicated analytics engineers

Score63%
182 attributes7 differences15 pros/cons

Quick Answer

AI Summary

Amplitude excels in product analytics with advanced behavioral cohorts and multi-touch attribution, while Heap focuses on automatic session replay and requires no implementation code. Amplitude suits data-driven product teams, whereas Heap serves companies prioritizing ease of deployment and user session understanding.

Our Verdict

AI-assisted

Choose Amplitude if your team has strong data engineering capabilities and needs sophisticated cohort analysis, multi-touch attribution, and long-term data retention for product optimization. Choose Heap if you want immediate insights without implementation complexity, value session replay for user behavior understanding, and need a faster time-to-value with lower upfront costs.

Community feedback

Was this verdict helpful?

A
Amplitude
8.2/10
Heap
6.8/10
H
A

Choose Amplitude if

Best pick

Data-driven product teams, SaaS platforms, mobile apps, and companies with dedicated analytics engineering resources

H

Choose Heap if

Small to mid-market SaaS, e-commerce, B2B companies, and teams without dedicated analytics engineers

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Key Differences at a Glance

  • Implementation Approach:Heap wins(Automatic data capture (no code) vs Manual event instrumentation required)
  • Session Replay Capability:Heap wins(Built-in core feature vs Limited/add-on feature)
  • Behavioral Cohorts & Segmentation:Amplitude wins(Advanced multi-dimensional cohorts vs Basic segmentation options)
See all 7 differences

Key Facts & Figures

104 numeric metrics compared

MetricAmplitudeHeapRatio
Starting Monthly Price(USD)$1,295
Event Processing Latency(milliseconds)300-600ms
Maximum Data Retention(months)60 months
Pre-built Templates(count)40+
Native Integrations(count)450+
Free Trial Duration(days)14 days
Customer Satisfaction (NPS)(points)68
Free Trial Period(days)14 days14 days
Starting Price(USD)$995$500
Data Retention(months)25 months24 months
API Rate Limits(requests/minute)100001000
Free Tier Event Limit(events/month)10,000,000
Native Data Warehouse Support(platforms)0 (custom setup required)
Starting Monthly Price (USD)(USD)$995–$1,500
API Rate Limits (Standard Plan)(calls/hour)500,000 events/month
Setup Time (typical)(minutes)7–14 days (event tracking setup)
Monthly Cost (10M events)(USD)$2,150-5,000
Setup Time (implementation to first insights)(days)1-2 days
Data Retention (Free Tier)(months)90 days
Event Volume Capacity (standard plan)(Million events/month)100M events/month standard
Geographic Data Centers(count)4+ regions (US, EU, Asia-Pacific, China)
Monthly Base Cost (Paid Entry Plan)(USD)$995/month
Average Setup Time(days)6 hours
Custom Event Properties(limit)200+ properties
Real-time Dashboard Updates(seconds)Real-time (0-5 seconds)
Max Monthly Events (Free Tier)(events)10 million events
Global Market Share(%)3.2% of analytics market0.4%
Starting Price (Monthly Subscription)(USD)$995
Free Tier Data Retention(days)30 days3 months
Third-party Integrations(count)200+ integrations50+
Event Tracking Capacity(events)700+ custom events
Funnel Analysis Stages Supported(stages)10+ stages
API Rate Limit (Requests/Minute)(requests)600
Entry Price(USD/month)$995 minimum
Data Retention (Free/Base Tier)(months)24
Mobile App SDKs Available(count)12+ native SDKs
Setup Time (Hours)(hours)4-8
Free Trial Length(days)14
Market Share (2024)(percent)8.2%
Base Monthly Price (Cloud)(USD)$995 base + $0.75/user
Cohort Size Limit(properties)200+ custom properties
Free Tier Monthly Event Limit(million events)10M events
Data Latency(seconds)300-600 seconds
Starting Enterprise Price (annual)(USD)$14,400
API Rate Limit (Free Tier)(requests/second)50 req/sec
Free Tier Team Members(users)5 team members
Time to First Insights(minutes)1,440+ minutes (2-4 weeks)15 minutes
Data Retention (Paid)(months)13 months (with extended)12 months
Native Integrations Available(platforms)200+ integrations80+ integrations
Seats Per Starter Plan(users)50 users25 users
Session Replay Monthly Limit(sessions/month)Not included10,000 (Pro)
Manual Event Configuration Required(percentage)100% (required)0% (fully automatic)
Free Tier Event Monthly Limit(events/month)10M events/month
Event Processing Latency(milliseconds)24-48 hours
Starting Paid Plan Price(USD/month)$995/month
SQL Query Access Entry Price(USD/month)$4,995/month (Enterprise)
Pre-Built Integrations(count)350+ integrations
Historical Data Retention (Free Tier)(months)12 months
Monthly Event Capacity(billion events)100+ billion
Pre-built Cohort Templates(templates)50+
Integration Partners(integrations)200+
Setup Time for Non-Technical Users(weeks)120-180 minutes (requires dev team)
Monthly Active Users (Max Tier)(users)500 million+
Number of Integrations(integrations)100+
Data Retention (Standard)(months)24 months24 months
Starting Price (Monthly)(USD)$995 (Growth tier)$600/month
Free Trial Duration(days)14 days14 days
Base Monthly Cost (USD)(USD)$995/month
Per-Event Cost(USD per million events)$100-200 per million
Starting Monthly Cost(USD)$995
Maximum Cohort Properties(properties)50+
Retention Metrics Available(count)5+ (curves, cohort, churn prediction, survival)
Mobile SDK Quality Rating(score out of 10)9.2 (native, event-rich)
Implementation Time (Days)(days)14-30 (requires data modeling)
Multi-Touch Attribution Models(count)Custom rules only
Average Setup Cost (Professional Services)(USD)$5,000-$15,000
Starting Monthly Price(USD)$995$420
Data Retention(months)25 months12 months
Event Capacity (High-Volume)(events/month (millions))100+ million10+ million
Attribution Models Available(count)7+ models1-2 models
Gartner Customer Reviews Rating(stars out of 5)4.4 stars4.4 stars
Number of Gartner Reviews(reviews)23 reviews23 reviews
Minimum Monthly Cost(USD)$600$600
Implementation Time to First Insights(days)2-3 days2-3 days
Maximum Funnel Steps(steps)1515
API Event Rate Limit(events per second)50,00050,000
Learning Curve (1-5 scale)(difficulty)4 (steep)4 (steep)
Setup Time to First Insights(minutes)20 minutes20 minutes
Base Plan Monthly Cost(USD)$995/month$995/month
Max Funnel Depth(steps)5 steps5 steps
Native Integrations(count)50+ integrations50+ integrations
Retroactive Data Lookback(months)6-12 months6-12 months
Available Integrations(integrations)300+300+
Typical Implementation Time(weeks)1-2 weeks (auto-tracking)1-2 weeks (auto-tracking)
Non-Technical User Dashboard Usability(1-10 scale)8/10 (visual, intuitive)8/10 (visual, intuitive)
Monthly Events (free tier limit)(millions)Up to 100M eventsUp to 100M events
Starting Price (paid tier)(USD/month)$990/month$990/month
Base Monthly Cost (Starter Plan)(USD)$668$668
Data Retention Period(months)13 months13 months
Implementation Time Required(hours)2 hours2 hours
Third-Party Integrations Available(integrations)80+80+
Base Monthly Pricing(USD)$1,000$1,000
Monthly Tracked Events (Starter Plan)(million)10 million10 million
Data Retention Period (Free Tier)(days)365 days365 days

Sourced from publicly available data ·

Key Differences

7 attributes compared head-to-head

A
4Amplitude
Amplitude leads
H
3Heap
  • Implementation Approach

    Amplitude

    Manual event instrumentation required

    Heap

    Automatic data capture (no code)(winner)

  • Session Replay Capability

    Amplitude

    Limited/add-on feature

    Heap

    Built-in core feature(winner)

  • Behavioral Cohorts & Segmentation

    Amplitude

    Advanced multi-dimensional cohorts(winner)

    Heap

    Basic segmentation options

  • Multi-Touch Attribution

    Amplitude

    Native attribution modeling(winner)

    Heap

    Limited attribution features

  • Starting Price (Monthly)

    Amplitude

    $995 for starter plan

    Heap

    $420 for starter plan(winner)

  • Data Retention Period

    Amplitude

    25 months standard(winner)

    Heap

    12 months standard

  • API Event Volume Limit

    Amplitude

    100M+ events/month at scale(winner)

    Heap

    10M+ events/month at scale

Full Comparison

AAmplitude
HHeap
Starting Monthly Price(USD)
$1,295
Free Trial Period(days)
14 days
14 days
Starting Monthly Price (USD)(USD)
$995–$1,500
Monthly Cost (10M events)(USD)
$2,150-5,000
Monthly Base Cost (Paid Entry Plan)(USD)
$995/month
Show 13 more attributes
Starting Price (Monthly Subscription)(USD)
$995
Base Monthly Price (Cloud)(USD)
$995 base + $0.75/user
Starting Paid Plan Price(USD/month)
$995/month
Starting Price (Monthly)(USD)
$995 (Growth tier)
$600/month
Base Monthly Cost (USD)(USD)
$995/month
Per-Event Cost(USD per million events)
$100-200 per million
Starting Monthly Cost(USD)
$995
Average Setup Cost (Professional Services)(USD)
$5,000-$15,000
Starting Monthly Price(USD)
$995
$420
Minimum Monthly Cost(USD)
$600
Base Plan Monthly Cost(USD)
$995/month
Starting Price (paid tier)(USD/month)
$990/month
Base Monthly Cost (Starter Plan)(USD)
$668
Event Processing Latency(milliseconds)
300-600ms
Free Tier Data Retention(days)
30 days
3 months
Data Latency(seconds)
300-600 seconds
Event Processing Latency(milliseconds)
24-48 hours
Maximum Data Retention(months)
60 months
Data Retention (Free Tier)(months)
90 days
Data Retention (Free/Base Tier)(months)
24
Data Retention (Paid)(months)
13 months (with extended)
12 months
Historical Data Retention (Free Tier)(months)
12 months
Show 3 more attributes
Data Retention (Standard)(months)
24 months
24 months
Data Retention(months)
25 months
12 months
Data Retention Period(months)
13 months
Pre-built Templates(count)
40+
Custom Segmentation Rules(limit)
Unlimited
Session Replay Included
Third-party integration only
Yes, all plans
Automatic Event Capture
No, requires manual setup
Yes, core feature
Data Retention(months)
25 months
24 months
Show 32 more attributes
Multi-workspace Support
Yes, unlimited
Yes, with limits
In-App Messaging Capability(null)
Requires third-party integration
SQL Query Access(Plan tier)
Enterprise only ($50K+/year)
Native Mobile SDKs(count)
iOS, Android, React Native, Flutter, Web
Real-time Dashboard Updates(seconds)
Real-time (0-5 seconds)
Session Recordings
Not included (add-on required)
Heatmaps & Click Maps
No
Recordings Per Month (Starter Plan)(recordings)
Unlimited (paid plans)
In-App Guidance Tools
Limited (basic analytics only)
Session Recording(included/excluded)
Not included
A/B Testing Platform(included/excluded)
Requires integration
Feature Flags(included/excluded)
Not included
Predictive Analytics Capabilities
Churn, LTV, propensity scoring, retention forecasting
Session Replay Monthly Limit(sessions/month)
Not included
10,000 (Pro)
Predictive Analytics Capability
ML-powered churn & propensity models
Basic segmentation only
Cohort Analysis Complexity
Multi-event behavioral cohorts with retention curves
Pre-Built Integrations(count)
350+ integrations
Mobile SDK Support(platforms)
iOS, Android, React Native, Flutter
Session Recording Capability(recordings)
Not available
Heatmap Coverage(heatmaps per site)
Not available
Session Replay Included(Yes/No)
No (requires integration)
Yes (native)
Feature Flags Included(Yes/No)
No (requires external tool)
Maximum Cohort Properties(properties)
50+
AI-Powered Insights
Standard analytics without advanced AI
Session Recordings Per Month (Basic Plan)(sessions)
Not included
Heatmaps as Core Feature
Advanced plan only
Automatic Event Tracking(Yes/No)
Yes (all interactions)
Retroactive Data Lookback(months)
6-12 months
Native Session Replay Included
Yes (unlimited)
Automatic Event Capture (No Code)
Yes (all interactions)
SEO & Organic Search Insights
No
Data Retention Period (Free Tier)(days)
365 days
Native Integrations(count)
450+
Native Integrations Available(platforms)
200+ integrations
80+ integrations
Free Trial Duration(days)
14 days
Customer Satisfaction (NPS)(points)
68
Starting Price(USD)
$995
$500
Entry Price(USD/month)
$995 minimum
Base Monthly Pricing(USD)
$1,000
Predictive Analytics Models
Advanced ML models (churn, LTV, propensity)
Basic forecasting
Funnel Analysis Capabilities
Advanced multi-step with drop-off attribution
Cohort Analysis Sophistication(capability score)
ML-powered predictive cohorts + behavioral
Custom Event Tracking Limit(events)
Unlimited
Retention Metrics Available(count)
5+ (curves, cohort, churn prediction, survival)
Show 6 more attributes
Session Replay Capability
No - Analytics-only, no replay
Root Cause Analysis
Limited - Behavioral focus only
Funnel & Retention Analysis
Yes - Primary strength
SQL Query Builder
Advanced SQL-like interface
Retention Cohort Analysis
Basic cohorts only
Multi-touch Attribution
Not available
API Rate Limits(requests/minute)
10000
1000
API Rate Limits (Standard Plan)(calls/hour)
500,000 events/month
API Rate Limit (Free Tier)(requests/second)
50 req/sec
Free Tier Event Limit(events/month)
10,000,000
Free Tier Event Monthly Limit(events/month)
10M events/month
SQL Query Access Entry Price(USD/month)
$4,995/month (Enterprise)
Real-Time Audience Activation
No (requires export)
Auto-Capture Event Tracking
Yes - Fully automatic without coding
Automatic Event Capture(null)
Yes (zero-code)
Native Data Warehouse Support(platforms)
0 (custom setup required)
Third-party Integrations(count)
200+ integrations
50+
Mobile App SDKs Available(count)
12+ native SDKs
Data Export Limit (BigQuery/SQL)(events per month)
Unlimited
Supported Mobile Platforms
iOS, Android, React Native
Cohort Retention Analysis
Advanced with curves & LTV
Cohort Segmentation Depth(segmentation dimensions)
Unlimited multi-dimensional
Basic 2-3 dimensions
Funnel Analysis Depth
Multi-step funnels with granular drop-off analysis
Attribution Models Available(count)
7+ models
1-2 models
Max Funnel Depth(steps)
5 steps
Enterprise Compliance(certifications)
SOC 2 Type II only
Setup Time (typical)(minutes)
7–14 days (event tracking setup)
Non-Technical User Dashboard Usability(1-10 scale)
8/10 (visual, intuitive)
Setup Time Required(hours)
0.5-2 hours
Setup Time (implementation to first insights)(days)
1-2 days
Setup Time (Hours)(hours)
4-8
Time to First Insights(minutes)
1,440+ minutes (2-4 weeks)
15 minutes
Manual Event Configuration Required(percentage)
100% (required)
0% (fully automatic)
Setup Time to First Insights(minutes)
20 minutes
Event Volume Capacity (standard plan)(Million events/month)
100M events/month standard
Event Capacity (High-Volume)(events/month (millions))
100+ million
10+ million
Customer Support Tier(level)
Email, chat, phone (enterprise), dedicated CSM
Geographic Data Centers(count)
4+ regions (US, EU, Asia-Pacific, China)
Average Setup Time(days)
6 hours
Setup Time for Non-Technical Users(weeks)
120-180 minutes (requires dev team)
Learning Curve (1-5 scale)(difficulty)
4 (steep)
Custom Event Properties(limit)
200+ properties
Max Monthly Events (Free Tier)(events)
10 million events
Global Market Share(%)
3.2% of analytics market
0.4%
Event Tracking Capacity(events)
700+ custom events
Funnel Analysis Stages Supported(stages)
10+ stages
Cohort Size Limit(properties)
200+ custom properties
API Rate Limit (Requests/Minute)(requests)
600
Feature Experimentation
Available (via Amplitude Experiment add-on)
Cohort Creation Complexity(feature depth)
Advanced nesting (unlimited filters)
Free Trial Length(days)
14
Free Trial Duration(days)
14 days
14 days
Implementation Time (Days)(days)
14-30 (requires data modeling)
Market Share (2024)(percent)
8.2%
Self-Hosting Option
No (SaaS only)
Implementation Time(weeks)
1-2 weeks
1-3 days
Self-Hosted Option(Yes/No)
No (Cloud only)
Implementation Complexity(weeks to production)
4-8 weeks
1-2 days
Self-Hosting Available
Cloud-only
Free Tier Monthly Event Limit(million events)
10M events
Starting Enterprise Price (annual)(USD)
$14,400
Free Tier Team Members(users)
5 team members
Built-in A/B Testing
Yes, native experimentation platform
Native A/B Testing & Feature Flags(null)
Not included
Customer Retention Focus
Deep retention & behavioral cohorts
Seats Per Starter Plan(users)
50 users
25 users
Monthly Event Capacity(billion events)
100+ billion
API Event Rate Limit(events per second)
50,000
In-App Guide Builder
Plugin-based only
Survey & Feedback Tools
Third-party integration required
Session Recording & Heatmaps
Add-on required
Mobile App Support(platforms)
iOS/Android analytics only
Custom Events Limit(events)
Unlimited
Pre-built Cohort Templates(templates)
50+
Integration Partners(integrations)
200+
Monthly Active Users (Max Tier)(users)
500 million+
Number of Integrations(integrations)
100+
Real-time Segmentation
Yes, via Amplitude Audiences
Event Tracking Limit(events/month)
Unlimited
HIPAA Compliance(Yes/No)
Yes
FedRAMP Authorization(Yes/No)
Ready (In Progress)
Mobile SDK Quality Rating(score out of 10)
9.2 (native, event-rich)
Multi-Touch Attribution Models(count)
Custom rules only
Session Replay Feature(built-in capability)
Add-on/Limited
Core Feature
Gartner Customer Reviews Rating(stars out of 5)
4.4 stars
Number of Gartner Reviews(reviews)
23 reviews
Implementation Time to First Insights(days)
2-3 days
Event Instrumentation Required
Automatic capture (no code)
Implementation Time Required(hours)
2 hours
Maximum Funnel Steps(steps)
15
Predictive Cohort Modeling
No
Session Replay Built-In
Yes (native)
Data Sampling
Zero sampling, 100% capture
Event Tracking Limit (Standard Plan)(events)
Unlimited
Monthly Tracked Events (Starter Plan)(million)
10 million
Native Integrations(count)
50+ integrations
Available Integrations(integrations)
300+
Third-Party Integrations Available(integrations)
80+
Retention Prediction Models
Basic cohort view
Typical Implementation Time(weeks)
1-2 weeks (auto-tracking)
Monthly Events (free tier limit)(millions)
Up to 100M events
Open Source License
Proprietary
Mobile App Analytics Support
Limited (web-first)

Pros & Cons

10 pros·5 cons across both

A
H
A

Amplitude

+5-2

Pros

  • Advanced behavioral cohorts with unlimited segmentation dimensions
  • Native multi-touch attribution with 7+ attribution models
  • 25-month data retention vs competitors' 12 months
  • Handles 100M+ events/month with high-volume scalability
  • Powerful SQL-based warehouse integration and custom queries

Cons

  • Requires manual event instrumentation—slower initial setup (4-8 weeks typical)
  • Steeper learning curve for non-technical stakeholders
H

Heap

+5-3

Pros

  • Automatic data capture requires zero manual event instrumentation
  • Industry-leading session replay with visual user interactions
  • Fast deployment—insights within 24 hours of setup
  • Lower starting cost at $420/month vs competitors
  • Intuitive UI designed for non-technical product managers

Cons

  • Basic segmentation compared to advanced cohort platforms
  • Limited to 12-month data retention vs 25 months for Amplitude
  • Attribution modeling features are minimal—poor for multi-touch analysis

Frequently Asked Questions

5 questions

  1. Yes, Amplitude requires manual event instrumentation, meaning a technical team (data engineer or product engineer) must define and implement events in your code. Setup typically takes 4-8 weeks. Heap, by contrast, automatically captures all user interactions without code changes, making it accessible to non-technical users within 24 hours.

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