PostHog and FullStory compared

PostHog and FullStory are both product analytics platforms that help businesses understand user behavior and optimize digital experiences.

While PostHog is an open-source, self-hosted solution with a generous free tier, FullStory is a proprietary, cloud-based platform focusing on behavioral data analytics and user sentiment analysis.

What is PostHog?

PostHog is an open-source product analytics platform that helps companies understand user behavior and make data-driven decisions to improve their products. The platform provides a comprehensive suite of tools for analyzing user interactions, including product analytics, session recording, feature flags, and more.

PostHog's core offerings include:

• Product analytics: Track events, visualize user journeys, and gain insights into retention and stickiness

• Session recording: Replay user sessions to identify areas of friction and optimize user experience

• Feature flags: Test new features with minimal risk and roll out updates gradually

• Data visualization: Create custom dashboards and perform advanced analysis using SQL

PostHog is geared towards product teams, developers, and data analysts working on web and mobile applications. The platform's open-source model and extensive free tier make it an attractive choice for startups and businesses looking for flexibility and control over their analytics stack.

What is FullStory?

FullStory is a behavioral data analytics platform that captures and analyzes user interactions across web and mobile applications. By providing insights into user behavior, sentiment, and friction points, FullStory enables businesses to optimize their customers' digital experiences and drive revenue growth.

FullStory's core offerings include:

• Session replay: Watch real-time replays of user sessions to identify areas for improvement

• Heatmaps: Visualize user engagement and pinpoint where users are struggling or abandoning

• Funnels: Measure key metrics and identify drop-off points in user journeys

• User segmentation: Analyze behavior and sentiment for specific user groups or cohorts

FullStory caters to a wide range of industries, including retail and e-commerce, travel and hospitality, finance and insurance, SaaS, gaming, and food and beverage. The platform empowers product managers, engineers, and data teams to make data-driven decisions and create exceptional digital experiences for their customers.

Pricing comparison

PostHog offers a generous free tier that includes 1 million events per month and 5,000 session recordings, with usage-based pricing for additional volume and features.

FullStory's pricing is not publicly available, but it is based on the volume of sessions captured and the features included in each plan, with options ranging from a limited free plan to enterprise-level plans.

Considerations and limitations: PostHog

PostHog is well-suited for startups and small businesses due to its open-source model and generous free tier. The platform's comprehensive suite of product analytics tools, including event tracking, user journey visualization, and feature flagging, makes it an attractive choice for teams looking to gain insights into user behavior without breaking the bank. PostHog's self-hosting option also provides greater control over data privacy for companies with strict security requirements.

However, PostHog may have limitations for larger organizations or enterprises with more complex needs. While the platform offers a wide range of features, it may lack some of the advanced capabilities and enterprise-level support provided by more established competitors. Additionally, the open-source nature of PostHog requires a certain level of technical expertise to set up and maintain, which could be a challenge for teams without dedicated engineering resources.

• TL;DR: PostHog is better suited for startups and small businesses seeking an affordable, feature-rich product analytics solution, but may not be as well-equipped for larger enterprises with more advanced requirements.

Considerations and limitations: FullStory

FullStory is well-suited for businesses seeking comprehensive customer experience insights across various industries. The platform's powerful features, such as session replay, product analytics, and data integrations, enable companies to gain a deep understanding of user behavior and sentiment. FullStory's ability to capture and analyze hundreds of events and signals makes it an excellent choice for organizations looking to optimize their digital products and improve user experiences.

However, FullStory may have some limitations for certain use cases:

• Potential limitations could include pricing for high-volume usage, which may be a concern for businesses with large user bases or those generating significant amounts of data.

• As a proprietary platform, FullStory may lack the flexibility and customization options offered by open-source alternatives, which could be a drawback for organizations with specific requirements or a preference for open-source solutions.

• TL;DR: FullStory is better suited for businesses prioritizing comprehensive customer experience insights, but may not be the best fit for those with high-volume usage or a preference for open-source flexibility.

An alternative: Statsig

Statsig is an all-in-one platform that offers product analytics, session replay, feature flagging, and A/B testing. It's a great option for companies of all sizes — from startups to enterprises like Notion, Atlassian, and OpenAI. Sign up for a free account to get started, or contact us for a demo to see how Statsig can help your team ship faster and make data-driven decisions.