Heap
Plausible Analytics
| Feature | Heap | Plausible Analytics |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free only | From $9/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Rating | 4.3 / 5 | 4.6 / 5 |
| Best For | product-teams, growth-marketers, ux-researchers, saas-companies | privacy-conscious-businesses, bloggers, developers, eu-businesses |
| Founded | 2013 | 2019 |
| Auto Capture | ✓ | ✗ |
| Session Replay | ✓ | ✗ |
| Funnel Analysis | ✓ | ✗ |
| Retention Analysis | ✓ | ✗ |
| User Segments | ✓ | ✗ |
| Data Science | ✓ | ✗ |
| Integrations | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pageviews | ✗ | ✓ |
| Referrers | ✗ | ✓ |
| Goals | ✗ | ✓ |
| Custom Events | ✗ | ✓ |
| Utm Tracking | ✗ | ✓ |
| Api | ✗ | ✓ |
| Self Hosting | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Heap Pros
- Auto-captures all user interactions without code
- Retroactive analysis (define events after the fact)
- Session replay integrated with analytics
- No engineering resources needed for tracking
✗ Heap Cons
- Pricing not transparent (sales-required for growth+)
- Can generate excessive data requiring cleanup
- UI can feel slower than event-based alternatives
✓ Plausible Analytics Pros
- No cookies — GDPR compliant without consent banner
- Script is under 1KB (vs GA's 45KB)
- Open-source and transparent
- Simple dashboard — no overwhelming data
✗ Plausible Analytics Cons
- Less detailed than Google Analytics
- No free tier (but affordable)
- Limited segmentation and custom reports
The Verdict
Heap is built for product teams and growth marketers, with a focus on auto-capture and session-replay. Plausible Analytics targets privacy conscious businesses and bloggers and leads with pageviews and referrers.
Heap uses custom enterprise pricing, while Plausible Analytics starts at $9/mo — a tangible advantage for teams with a fixed budget.
Heap has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. Plausible Analytics requires a paid subscription from day one.
Bottom line: Plausible Analytics has a slight overall edge — but if auto-captures all user interactions without code matters most to you, Heap may still be the right call.