PostHog vs Segment

Open-source analytics that doesn't spy on your users, but might make you question your own product decisions meets the data plumber you didn't know you needed until your analytics stack became a spaghetti mess. Here's our take.

PostHog

Nice Pick

Open-source analytics that doesn't spy on your users, but might make you question your own product decisions.

Pros

• Feature-rich
• Self-hostable
• Session replay
• Feature flags
• Self-hosted option keeps data in-house and avoids third-party cookie drama
• Feature flags and A/B testing built-in, so you can iterate without deploying new code
• Session recordings let you watch users struggle in real-time, which is both terrifying and enlightening

Cons

• Complex
• Resource-heavy
• Overkill for simple sites
• Self-hosting can turn into a DevOps nightmare if you're not prepared for the infrastructure
• The UI can feel cluttered when you're drowning in event data, making simple insights harder to find

Segment

The data plumber you didn't know you needed until your analytics stack became a spaghetti mess.

Pros

• Single API to collect once and route everywhere, saving dev time on custom integrations
• Maintains data quality and compliance with built-in governance tools
• Unifies customer profiles across sources for better insights

Cons

• Pricing can escalate quickly with high event volumes
• Complex setup for advanced routing and transformations

The Verdict

Use PostHog if: You want feature-rich and can live with complex.

Use Segment if: You prioritize single api to collect once and route everywhere, saving dev time on custom integrations over what PostHog offers.

The Bottom Line

PostHog wins

Open-source analytics that doesn't spy on your users, but might make you question your own product decisions.