Google Analytics 4 (GA4) vs PostHog
Do you need GA4 or PostHog to measure your site?
Short answer: Google Analytics 4 (GA4): Free for the standard version. PostHog: Free monthly tier. Pay as you go above it. We checked both prices against the vendors' pricing pages on November 5, 2026. Kerry has not reviewed both tools yet, so this page has no verdict.
Facts only. No verdict yet.
This page lists checked facts for both tools. Kerry's verdict and the flaw he found in each appear after he reviews them. See how we check prices and label pages.
| Detail | Google Analytics 4 (GA4) | PostHog |
|---|---|---|
| Headline price | Free for the standard version. | Free monthly tier. Pay as you go above it. |
| Lowest paid plan with a list price | No single list price. See the tool page. | No single list price. See the tool page. |
| Cost of that plan a month for a team of 5 | No fixed list price to multiply | No fixed list price to multiply |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Trial | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Best for | Businesses that want free web and app measurement. Marketers who connect analytics to Google Ads. Large teams that need higher limits through Analytics 360 | Product and engineering teams that want analytics, replay, and flags in one tool. Teams that want usage based pricing with a free monthly tier. Teams that want to pull data from sources such as Stripe, Postgres, and HubSpot |
| Skip it if | Teams that need data retention beyond 14 months without paying for 360. Teams that want product analytics with session replay in the same tool | Marketers who only need ad and search reporting, since PostHog is built around product data. Buyers who need per-unit rates on the pricing page, which were not shown in the text read |
| Price checked | November 5, 2026 | November 5, 2026 |
Full pages: Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and PostHog. Price rows use each vendor's own billing basis, so check the plan tables before you compare totals.
What are Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and PostHog?
Google's free analytics tool for measuring web and app activity, with a paid 360 tier for large teams. Product analytics suite with replay, feature flags, and surveys, billed by usage with a monthly free tier. We checked both against the vendors' own pages, with prices checked on November 5, 2026. Neither entry is a review unless it carries Kerry's verdict.
Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
Google Analytics measures how people use websites and apps. Google describes cross-platform measurement across web and app, built-in automation, flexible reporting, cross-platform attribution, and machine learning that surfaces insights and predicts customer actions. The standard version is free. Analytics 360 is the paid enterprise tier with higher limits, such as up to 50 months of data retention against 14 months in standard, and larger BigQuery exports. Google Analytics connects to Google Ads, Search Ads 360, Display and Video 360, Google Cloud, and Search Console. Google positions it for small businesses, enterprises, and marketers who want to link insights to campaign results.
PostHog
PostHog is a product analytics platform. Its products include Product Analytics, Session Replay, Error Tracking, Web Analytics, Feature Flags, Experiments, Surveys, a data warehouse, CDP, and Workflows. Pricing is usage based. A free tier resets each month and includes 1M analytics events, 5K session recordings, 1M feature flag requests, 100K exceptions, and 1,500 survey responses. Paid use is pay as you go above those amounts with no base fee listed. PostHog says it supports 900+ data sources and connects to Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, and other tools through its MCP. The site targets product and engineering teams and says over 500,000 teams use it.
What jobs does each tool cover?
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) lists 5 jobs and PostHog lists 5, taken from each vendor's own description and checked November 5, 2026. No job appears in both lists in the same words. The integration lists show where each tool connects to the rest of a stack. Overlap on paper does not prove the tools are interchangeable.
Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
- Measure website and app traffic
- Track conversions and key events
- Build audiences for ads
- Explore user behavior
- Export data to BigQuery
PostHog
- Analyze product usage
- Watch session replays
- Run feature flags and experiments
- Collect survey responses
- Track errors
Listed only for Google Analytics 4 (GA4): Google Ads, Search Ads 360, Display & Video 360, Google Cloud, Google Search Console, BigQuery. Listed only for PostHog: Stripe, Postgres, HubSpot, Zendesk, Linear, GitHub, Claude, ChatGPT.
How much do Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and PostHog cost?
Google Analytics 4 (GA4): Free for the standard version. PostHog: Free monthly tier. Pay as you go above it. Both prices were checked against the vendors' pricing pages on November 5, 2026. Vendors count different things, such as people, channels, runs or credits, so a lower headline price does not always mean a lower bill.
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) plans
| Plan | List price | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Free | Google states standard Analytics is free of charge. Data retention is up to 14 months. |
| Analytics 360 | Contact sales | Google did not list a price. A Talk to Sales link is shown. |
PostHog plans
| Plan | List price | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | One project, 1 year data retention, community support, and a monthly free tier with no credit card. |
| Pay-as-you-go | Usage based | No base fee listed and no minimums. Pay only for usage above the free tier. Includes 6 projects and 7 year retention. Per-unit rates were not shown. Log retention past 14 days costs $0.05 per GB per month. |
Who should pick Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and who should pick PostHog?
Pick Google Analytics 4 (GA4) if businesses that want free web and app measurement. Pick PostHog if product and engineering teams that want analytics, replay, and flags in one tool. These points follow from what each vendor says it offers and charges, checked November 5, 2026. They are not a review. Reviews appear once Kerry has used both tools.
Pick Google Analytics 4 (GA4) if
- Businesses that want free web and app measurement
- Marketers who connect analytics to Google Ads
- Large teams that need higher limits through Analytics 360
Skip Google Analytics 4 (GA4) if
- Teams that need data retention beyond 14 months without paying for 360
- Teams that want product analytics with session replay in the same tool
Pick PostHog if
- Product and engineering teams that want analytics, replay, and flags in one tool
- Teams that want usage based pricing with a free monthly tier
- Teams that want to pull data from sources such as Stripe, Postgres, and HubSpot
Skip PostHog if
- Marketers who only need ad and search reporting, since PostHog is built around product data
- Buyers who need per-unit rates on the pricing page, which were not shown in the text read
What should you check before you pay for either?
Before you pay for Google Analytics 4 (GA4) or PostHog, run five checks: count what each bills on, check the billing basis, try the free plan or trial, read the plan limits, and plan how you would leave. Prices were checked on November 5, 2026. Each check takes a few minutes and can save a month of fees.
- Count what each tool bills on. Write down how many people, channels, runs or credits you use in a normal month, then price both tools on that number.
- Check the billing basis. Annual billing is often cheaper than monthly, and the list prices in the plan tables use the basis shown in each row.
- Run the free plan or trial first when one exists. Google Analytics 4 (GA4): no confirmed trial. PostHog: no confirmed trial.
- Read the limits on the plan you plan to buy, such as seat caps, usage caps and features held back for higher tiers.
- Decide how you would leave. Look for data export and cancellation terms before you move real work in.
Common questions
What is the difference between Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and PostHog?
Google's free analytics tool for measuring web and app activity, with a paid 360 tier for large teams. Product analytics suite with replay, feature flags, and surveys, billed by usage with a monthly free tier.
Does Google Analytics 4 (GA4) or PostHog have a free plan?
Google Analytics 4 (GA4): yes. PostHog: yes. Checked November 5, 2026.
How much do Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and PostHog cost?
Google Analytics 4 (GA4): Free for the standard version. PostHog: Free monthly tier. Pay as you go above it. Billing bases differ between vendors, so read the plan rows before you compare.