Amplitude alternatives: 5 open-source picks
These 5 Amplitude alternatives replace it for $0, led by Umami, PostHog and OpenPanel. All 5 are open source. License, stars and last commit checked by hand on 2026-08-29. No trials, no crippled tiers.
Funnels, cohorts and retention without turning the analytics stack into a second product.
licenseMIT
runsyour machine or their cloud
installCreate an Umami Cloud account or deploy the Node application with Docker Compose and PostgreSQL
dataA self-hosted deployment stores analytics and account data in PostgreSQL; Umami Cloud stores it in Umami's managed service
the catch vs AmplitudeIt is far shallower for cohorts, retention, experimentation, taxonomy governance and behavioral analysis than Amplitude.
setupNone for hosted signup; self-hosting requires Docker or Node hosting and a PostgreSQL database
facts verified 2026-08-10
Funnels, cohorts and retention on a free million-event allowance; the kitchen sink comes along.
licenseMIT
runsyour machine or their cloud
installCreate a PostHog Cloud project or use the hobby self-host script on a Linux server
dataThe self-hosted stack splits analytics, transactions, queues and recordings across ClickHouse, PostgreSQL, Kafka, Redis and object storage; cloud data lives in PostHog's managed regions
the catch vs AmplitudeIts kitchen-sink product is heavier, while Amplitude's core product-analytics workflows and governance are more refined.
setupNone for hosted signup; self-hosting is an unsupported, resource-heavy multi-service stack requiring serious operations work
facts verified 2026-08-10
Mixpanel's useful bits, plus a ClickHouse stack you now get to know personally.
licenseAGPL-3.0
runsyour machine or their cloud
installCreate a hosted account or run the self-host installer and Docker stack
dataA self-hosted deployment uses PostgreSQL for account data, ClickHouse for event data and Redis for cache and queues; hosted data lives in OpenPanel's service
the catch vs AmplitudeIts behavioral analysis, experimentation, taxonomy management and data governance are less deep and mature than Amplitude's.
setupNone for the hosted free tier; self-hosting requires Docker, DNS or a reverse proxy and several persistent services
facts verified 2026-08-10
Lightweight, privacy-friendly, cookieless web analytics in a single Docker deployment
licenseAGPL-3.0
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
The veteran GA alternative: full-fat web analytics, heatmaps, no data sampling, and the data stays on your server.
licenseGPL-3.0
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
What each one is, in full: Umami · PostHog · Plausible · Matomo
last updated 2026-08-29 · no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
how to choose a Amplitude alternative
Easiest to get running
Plausible — a one-click install, no server to maintain.
Most proven
Umami, with 38,073 GitHub stars — the largest community of the 5, which usually means more answers when something breaks.
Works on your phone
PostHog has a mobile app on iOS and Android.
Needs real ops to self-host
OpenPanel is capable but expects someone to run a server, updates and backups. Budget for that before choosing it.
what you give up by leaving Amplitude
- behavioral data platform, experimentation, identity, governance, and scale
- identity stitching
- session replay
- warehouse connectors
- high-volume global ingestion and support
None of the picks above covers all of it. The full verdict says which gaps matter.
Amplitude alternatives at a glance
| tool | license | running it | platforms | stars | active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Umami | MIT | docker to self-host | web, self-hosted | 38,073 | 2026-08 |
| PostHog | MIT | they host it | web, ios, android | 37,500 | 2026-08 |
| OpenPanel | AGPL-3.0 | self-host, real ops | web, ios, android, self-hosted | 6,280 | 2026-07 |
| Plausible | AGPL-3.0 | one-click install | self-hosted, web | 23,000 | 2026-08 |
| Matomo | GPL-3.0 | docker to self-host | self-hosted, web | 20,000 | 2026-08 |
why people still pay for Amplitude
People still pay for Amplitude because teams pay because analytics must keep collecting and remain trustworthy while the product changes underneath it. The recurring cost buys event schemas, bot filtering, identity, late data, retention, query cost, privacy, backups, and always-on ingestion, not just the visible interface.
questions about switching from Amplitude
Is there an open-source alternative to Amplitude?
Yes: Umami, PostHog, OpenPanel and 2 more. Every tool on this page is open source: no trials, no crippled tiers.
Can open source really replace Amplitude?
Our verdict is YES. Umami (38k stars), PostHog (38k stars), Plausible (23k stars) are mature open-source replacements for Amplitude — self-host with docker and stop paying. The full verdict, and what you give up by switching, is at caniopensourceit.online/amplitude.
What is the easiest open-source Amplitude alternative to set up?
Plausible — a one-click install, no server to maintain.
What is the most popular open-source Amplitude alternative?
By GitHub stars, Umami (38,073). PostHog is next with 37,500.
