Kissmetrics vs PostHog

PostHog is an open-source analytics suite for engineers. Kissmetrics is a managed platform built for marketers and growth teams focused on revenue.

Time to a report you can use

Both tools install in minutes. What differs is everything between the install and the first report, which is usually deciding what to track and getting somebody to build it.

Kissmetrics

With Kissmetrics

Ready-made reports from day one

You do not start from a blank tracking plan. The basics are captured on install, you define the few events that matter with help, and the reports are already built.

  1. 1

    Install the snippet

    With AI or by hand. Visits, page views, search engine hits and ad campaign hits are captured from the first visit.

  2. 2

    Define the events that matter

    Start from a schema example for SaaS or stores. The AI install adds the signups, purchases and other steps your reports need.

  3. 3

    Check them in Live view

    Events show up as they arrive, so you know the tracking works the same day.

  4. 4

    Open the ready-made reports

    Funnels, Activity, metrics and dashboards on the free plan. Growth adds Performance, Revenue, Path and the other reports.

PostHog

With PostHog

The usual path

PostHog installs fast and autocaptures front-end interactions. Questions about revenue, lifecycle and identity still need custom events and person properties defined, and every insight and dashboard is assembled by hand after that.

  1. 1

    Install the snippet or SDK

  2. 2

    Add custom events for anything autocapture cannot see

  3. 3

    Set person and group properties so identity resolves

  4. 4

    Build each insight and dashboard yourself

Whichever you pick, the list of events is the thing to get right. The difference is whether you write it from a blank page or start from an example.

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

A transparent look at how both platforms compare.

Tracking & Data Collection

Person-level tracking

KissmetricsIdentity-based tracking
PostHogPerson profiles with events

Event tracking

KissmetricsFour base events automatic, the rest defined
PostHogAutocapture + custom events
Analytics & Insights

Funnel analysis

KissmetricsRevenue-focused funnels
PostHogFlexible funnel builder

Revenue tracking

KissmetricsRevenue report (Growth)
◔PostHogVia custom properties

A/B testing

◔KissmetricsReads tests run in any tool (Growth)
PostHogExperiments with feature flags

Heatmaps & session recording

KissmetricsNot available
PostHogSession replay and heatmaps included
Integrations & Ecosystem

Data warehouse integration

◔KissmetricsData export
PostHogBuilt on ClickHouse, query raw data

API access

KissmetricsREST API
PostHogFull API + SQL access
Pricing & Plans

Free tier available

KissmetricsFree plan: 100k events a month, 3 seats, no card
PostHogGenerous free tier + self-host free
Support & Onboarding

Privacy/GDPR compliance

◔KissmetricsYou can delete a person on request
PostHogSelf-host for full data control

Competitor details as published on their sites in September 2026. Tell us if something changed and we will fix it: help@kissmetrics.io.

Where each wins

Kissmetrics

Kissmetrics

  • Revenue AnalyticsA Revenue report and lifetime revenue per campaign on the Growth plan, without custom properties to set up.
  • Made for marketersReady-made reports and a plain-English chat, so a marketer gets answers without writing SQL or building each insight.
  • Marketing AttributionBuilt-in first- and last-click attribution for marketing teams tracking campaign performance.

Best for

  • Marketing teams needing revenue attribution
  • Teams with no engineer to run the analytics
  • Growth teams focused on conversion and LTV optimization
PostHog

PostHog

  • Open Source & Self-HostableFull source code access with the option to self-host for complete data ownership and privacy.
  • All-in-One PlatformAnalytics, session replay, feature flags, A/B tests, and surveys in a single tool.
  • Developer-First ExperienceBuilt by engineers for engineers with SQL access, API-first design, and extensive SDKs.

Best for

  • Engineering-led teams wanting open-source analytics
  • Companies requiring self-hosted data sovereignty
  • Teams wanting analytics, feature flags, and session replay in one tool
  • Startups that want 1M free events a month (Kissmetrics free covers 100k)

Pricing Comparison

Free: tracking, the Funnels and Activity reports, the chat, dashboards and live view, with 100k events a month, 3 seats and no card. Growth from $99 a month adds attribution and the other reports. For how PostHog’s pricing model behaves as you grow, see the PostHog pricing teardown. Leaving rather than comparing? PostHog alternatives.

Kissmetrics

Free

Starting price

Pricing Model

Free up to 100k events a month; Growth from $99 a month adds attribution and the other reports

Free Plan

Free plan: 100k events a month, 3 seats, no card

Unlimited Seats on Growth

Growth from $99 a month for 500k events, volume pricing above that. Free includes 3 seats.

PostHog

Free (1M events/mo)

Starting price

Pricing Model

Event-based pay-as-you-go

Free Trial

Free tier + self-host free forever

Switch from PostHog

An afternoon for a basic setup, longer if you rebuild a large event plan. Run both side by side while Kissmetrics builds its own history.

1

Keep PostHog running. Kissmetrics does not import past data, so its history starts the day you install. If you want help with the move, ask about the paid migration service

2

Map PostHog event names and properties to Kissmetrics events and properties

3

Replace PostHog snippet with Kissmetrics JavaScript tracking code

4

Set up revenue tracking events and user identification

5

Rebuild dashboards and saved insights in Kissmetrics

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about Kissmetrics vs PostHog.

Install with AI takes about 5 minutes, and ready-made schema examples for SaaS and stores show which events and properties to track.

Free is $0 with no card: 100k events a month, 3 seats, Funnels and Activity reports, chat in plain English, dashboards, metrics, Live view, API access and up to 3 active integrations. Growth starts at $99 a month for 500k events (20% off annually) and adds the Performance report with attribution, Populations, Visitors from AI assistants, Revenue, Path, People search, A/B tests, Product usage and CSV export. The price per event drops as volume grows, and above 5M events a month we price to your volume. Growth has unlimited seats and integrations.

Most analytics tools track sessions: anonymous visits that expire after 30 minutes. Kissmetrics tracks people. When a visitor identifies, their earlier anonymous visits join their record, across devices. So you can see the journey from first anonymous visit through signup, activation, purchase and repeat behavior, all tied to one person.

Yes, on the Growth plan. The Performance report ties revenue back to the campaign that first brought each person in (first click) and the one they came through last before buying (last click), on the same person, whether that was a paid ad, organic search, an email or a referral. An Any touch view shows every campaign a buyer came through. It is first- and last-click attribution, not a multi-touch model.

Install with AI takes about 5 minutes, and Live view shows events as they arrive, so you can check tracking the same day. You do not need a data team or months of configuration to start.

Kissmetrics is built around the individual person. While PostHog has a different primary focus, Kissmetrics gives you a view of each customer's lifecycle, from first touch to revenue and beyond. You can answer questions like "Which customers are most valuable?", "What actions come before a purchase?" and "Where exactly are we losing people in the funnel?"

For many teams, yes. Kissmetrics combines person-level tracking, funnels, revenue reporting, A/B test results and Populations in one place (revenue, A/B tests and Populations are on Growth). Teams that used separate tools for product analytics and revenue tracking can bring them together, with one record per person. It does not record sessions or run in-app guides.

You can run Kissmetrics alongside PostHog during the transition, so there is no need to rip and replace. Kissmetrics does not import past data, so it builds its own history from the day you install; a paid migration service is available if you want help with the move. A basic setup takes an afternoon; a large event plan takes longer to rebuild.

PostHog offers a generous free tier with 1M events/month on their cloud. Self-hosted PostHog is free forever but you pay for your own infrastructure.

PostHog is designed for technical teams. While it has autocapture, getting the most value requires engineering involvement. Kissmetrics is more accessible for non-technical users.

PostHog can track revenue through custom properties you set up. Kissmetrics has a Revenue report and first- and last-click attribution ready-made on the Growth plan.

PostHog has an edge for strict privacy requirements since you can self-host and keep all data on your own infrastructure. Both have a managed cloud; PostHog also offers self-hosting, Kissmetrics does not.

PostHog recommends their cloud for most teams. Self-hosting requires DevOps expertise and infrastructure costs that can exceed the cloud pricing.

Kissmetrics

Try it on your own data for free.

Install with AI in about 5 minutes: a Claude Code skill, or a prompt you paste into any AI assistant, adds the snippet and sets up your events. Funnels, Activity, Live view and the chat are free on your own data.