Metabase vs PostHog — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (2026)
Metabase starts at $100/mo. PostHog starts at Free. PostHog is $100/mo cheaper on the entry tier than Metabase.
How pricing works
These two tools don't price the same way, so the headline numbers below aren't directly comparable until you plug in your own volume.
- Metabase (Hybrid) — Metabase is hybrid: a fixed subscription from $100/mo plus metered usage on top (User seats). Your real bill moves with volume, not seat count.
- PostHog (Per Usage) — PostHog bills purely on usage — Free up to 1M events/mo, then usage-based. There is no fixed per-seat fee, so the monthly cost depends entirely on how much you consume.
Per-minute, per-credit and per-token rates exclude any downstream model, speech or telephony costs unless the vendor states otherwise.
Open-source business intelligence tool positioned as the alternative to Tableau and Looker for engineering-led teams. Distinctive for its free self-hosted tier that runs on Docker — the go-to "first BI tool" for startups before they can justify a data team. Cloud version priced from $85/mo. Acquired minority stake by Insight Partners; still open-source. Popular with technical founders who want SQL access to their Postgres/BigQuery data.
Open-source product analytics + feature flags + session replay + surveys, positioned as the all-in-one alternative to Mixpanel + LaunchDarkly + FullStory + Typeform. Distinctive for self-hostable free tier (unlimited events on your infra) and its "we're the open-source everything" positioning. Cloud priced free-$450+/mo based on events + recordings. Popular with technical founders who don't want to stitch 4 tools together and prefer OSS over vendor lock-in.
All plans compared
| Tier role | Plan | Metabase monthly | Metabase annual | PostHog monthly | PostHog annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free / starter | — / Free | — | — | Free | Free |
| Entry paid | Starter / Boost add-on | $100 | $90 | $250 | — |
| Pro / power | Pro / Scale add-on | $575 | $517.5 | $750 | — |
| Enterprise | Enterprise / Enterprise add-on | Custom | Custom | $2000 | Custom |
Tier names differ across vendors. Rows are aligned by tier role, not name. Full tier structures on each tool's page.
What each is best for
Metabase is worth it if… teams (5-200) that want business intelligence + dashboards + ad-hoc SQL queries — particularly if you value open-source flexibility over Looker/Tableau enterprise sales. Starter covers small teams (self-hosted free); Pro adds Cloud hosting + row-level permissions; Enterprise adds advanced auditing.
PostHog is worth it if… product/growth teams that want product analytics + session replay + feature flags + A/B testing + surveys in one open-source platform — particularly if you value self-host option and pay-as-you-go pricing. Free tier includes 1M events + 5K replays/mo; pay-as-you-go beyond; add-ons for SSO/security/data warehouse.
Bottom line: Choose based on how you want to pay — Metabase is hybrid, PostHog is per usage.
Choose Metabase over PostHog if…
Choose Metabase if…
- You're fine with a base subscription plus metered usage on top (from $100/mo).
- You match the profile Metabase is built for: teams (5-200) that want business intelligence + dashboards + ad-hoc SQL queries — particularly if you value open-source flexibility over Looker/Tableau enterprise sales.
- You need a general-purpose analytics & data option rather than a vertical-specific one.
Choose PostHog if…
- You want to pay only for actual usage (per usage, a free entry tier).
- You match the profile PostHog is built for: product/growth teams that want product analytics + session replay + feature flags + A/B testing + surveys in one open-source platform — particularly if you value self-host option and pay-as-you-go pricing.
- You need a general-purpose analytics & data option rather than a vertical-specific one.
At a glance
| Metabase | PostHog | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Entry price | $100/mo | Free |
| Enterprise available | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | Hybrid | Per Usage |
| Last verified | September 11, 2026 | September 12, 2026 |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified September 12, 2026. Tracked daily.
Frequently asked questions
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Common questions about Metabase and PostHog
- How much does Metabase cost in 2026?
- Does Metabase have a free plan?
- How often does Metabase change prices?
- What are the best Metabase alternatives in 2026?
- How much does PostHog cost in 2026?
- Does PostHog have a free plan?
- How often does PostHog change prices?
- What are the best PostHog alternatives in 2026?