PostHog vs Mixpanel in 2026
PostHog vs Mixpanel is an all-in-one product toolkit against a focused product analytics tool. PostHog's free tier renews every month with 1M analytics events, 5K session recordings, 1M feature flag requests and 100K error tracking exceptions. Mixpanel's free plan covers up to 1M events and 10K session replays a month, and Growth costs $100 a month for 1.5M events, billed yearly.
Facts and prices checked on against the sources listed below.
Quick verdict
Pick PostHog if you want analytics, session replay, feature flags and error tracking in one tool with one bill, and you like paying per product as you grow.
Mixpanel
Pick Mixpanel if product analytics is the main job, your team wants a polished reporting tool with unlimited seats, and you prefer event tiers to per-product pricing.
PostHog vs Mixpanel at a glance
| Feature |  PostHog | Mixpanel |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Analytics, session replay, feature flags, error tracking, data pipelines and more | Product analytics with session replay |
| Free events | 1M a month | Up to 1M a month |
| Free session replay | 5K recordings a month | 10K replays a month (20K on Growth) |
| Other free usage | 1M feature flag requests, 100K exceptions | Not part of the pricing page |
| Paid model | Pay as you go per product, no minimum spend | Growth tiers by events; Enterprise is custom |
| Example paid price | First 1M events free each month, then usage pricing | 1.5M events: $100 a month yearly, $140 monthly; 20M: $1,635 yearly |
| Data retention | Events 1 year on free, 7 years on paid | 2 years by default; replays 30 days |
| Surprise bills | Free plan stops at limits; billing limits on paid | Free plan capped at 1M events |
Pricing and free tier (checked Oct 2026)
PostHog prices each product separately, with a free allowance on every one that renews each month: 1M analytics events, 5K session recordings, 1M feature flag requests, 100K error tracking exceptions, 1M rows synced from data sources, 100K AI observability events and 10K workflow messages per channel. There is no minimum spend and no credit card needed to start. On the free plan, usage stops at the limits and extra events are dropped, so you cannot be charged by surprise. On the pay-as-you-go plan you pay for usage above the free allowance, and you can set billing limits per product.
Mixpanel has three plans. Free covers up to 1M events and 10K session replays a month, with unlimited seats. Growth includes the first 1M events free and goes up to 20M events a month; billed yearly, 1.5M events cost $100 a month, 5M $438, 10M $840 and 20M $1,635. Monthly billing costs more, for example $140 a month for 1.5M events. Above 20M, and for Enterprise, you ask sales.
One tool or a focused one
PostHog bundles many products: product and web analytics, session replay, feature flags and experiments, error tracking, data pipelines, AI observability and more. You pay only for the products you turn on, and billing is organization-wide, so every project shares one free allowance.
Mixpanel focuses on product analytics, with session replay included (10K a month free, 20K on Growth, up to 500K with add-ons). If you already have tools for flags and errors, a focused tool can be easier to roll out to a whole company.
Data retention
PostHog keeps events for 1 year on the free plan and 7 years on paid plans, and recordings for 1 month on free and 90 days on pay-as-you-go. Mixpanel keeps data for 2 years by default and replays for 30 days on Free and Growth; Enterprise retention is custom.
When to pick PostHog
- You want analytics, replay, flags and error tracking in one place.
- You want a free tier that cannot surprise you with a bill.
- Engineers are the main users.
When to pick Mixpanel
- Product and growth teams are the main users and need reports.
- You want unlimited seats and simple event tiers.
- You already have separate tools for flags and errors.
Full plan details are on PostHog pricing. For other API and email tools, see Resend vs SendGrid.
FAQ
Is PostHog free?
Yes, within the monthly free tier: 1M events, 5K recordings, 1M flag requests, 100K exceptions and more, with no credit card. PostHog says 97% of companies use it for free. On the free plan, events past the limit are dropped rather than billed.
Is Mixpanel free?
Yes. Mixpanel's free plan covers up to 1M events and 10K session replays a month, with unlimited seats and a default 2-year data retention.
Which is cheaper past the free tier?
It depends on what you use. Mixpanel Growth costs $100 a month for 1.5M events and $840 for 10M, billed yearly, at the time of writing. PostHog bills each product by usage, so analytics alone can be cheap while heavy replay or flag use adds up. Use each vendor's calculator with your real volumes.
Do PostHog projects share one free allowance?
Yes. PostHog bills per organization, so all projects share one free allowance, and adding projects does not add free usage. The free plan includes one project.
Sources, checked October 30, 2026
Prices and plans change often. If something here is out of date, tell us through the contact page.