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Amplitude vs IBM Cognos Analytics

Amplitude logo

Amplitude

Technology

The digital analytics platform to understand your users

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
IBM Cognos Analytics logo

IBM Cognos Analytics

Business Intelligence

AI-powered business intelligence

From
$15/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Amplitude has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Amplitude metered on event volume, so instrumenting more of a product raises the bill even if the audience does not grow; IBM Cognos Analytics listed on UK G-Cloud at £42.53 per user per month for IBM Cognos Analytics, via reseller Computacenter
  • They diverge on capability: Amplitude covers Event tracking, IBM Cognos Analytics covers AI Assistant.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Amplitude and IBM Cognos Analytics actually diverge.

Attributes where Amplitude and IBM Cognos Analytics differ
AttributeAmplitudeIBM Cognos Analytics
Starting priceFree$15/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb, Desktop, Mobile, Cloud
CategoryTechnologyBusiness Intelligence
Founded20121911

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Amplitude

  • Event tracking
  • User segmentation
  • Funnel analysis
  • Retention analysis
  • Cohort analysis
  • A/B testing
  • Revenue analytics
  • Predictive analytics

Only in IBM Cognos Analytics

  • AI Assistant
  • Natural Language Queries
  • Automated Insights
  • Story Telling
  • Mobile Analytics
  • IBM Db2
  • Oracle
  • SQL Server

Both cover

  • Salesforce

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Amplitude

  • User behavior analysisnot IBM Cognos Analytics
  • Feature adoption trackingnot IBM Cognos Analytics
  • Conversion rate optimizationnot IBM Cognos Analytics
  • Customer journey mappingnot IBM Cognos Analytics
  • Retention improvementnot IBM Cognos Analytics

IBM Cognos Analytics

  • Self-service analyticsnot Amplitude
  • Data explorationnot Amplitude
  • Ad-hoc reportingnot Amplitude
  • Collaborative analysisnot Amplitude
  • Embedded analyticsnot Amplitude

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Amplitude

  • Metered on event volume, so instrumenting more of a product raises the bill even if the audience does not grow
  • The free plan covers 2M events a month
  • The Plus plan scales to 70M events, above which pricing is custom
  • Growth and Enterprise pricing is not published

IBM Cognos Analytics

  • Listed on UK G-Cloud at £42.53 per user per month for IBM Cognos Analytics, via reseller Computacenter

Pricing, plan by plan

Amplitude

Free
  • StarterFree
    • 2 million events per month
  • Plus$49/month
    • $0.049 per MTU
    • Up to 300k MTUs
    • Advanced analytics
  • GrowthFree
    • Causal insights
    • Feature experimentation
    • Real-time streaming
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Cross-product analysis
    • Advanced permissions
    • Dedicated account manager

IBM Cognos Analytics

$15/month
  • Standard$15/month
    • Dashboards
    • Reporting
    • AI Insights
  • Plus$35/month
    • Advanced Analytics
    • Planning
    • Premium Support

Which should you pick?

Choose Amplitude if

  • You need event tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want user segmentation.
Amplitude review

Choose IBM Cognos Analytics if

  • You need ai assistant.
  • You work on Web, Desktop, Mobile, Cloud.
  • You also want natural language queries.
IBM Cognos Analytics review

Questions people ask

Is Amplitude or IBM Cognos Analytics better?
Neither clearly leads. Amplitude starts at Free and IBM Cognos Analytics at $15/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Amplitude or IBM Cognos Analytics?
Amplitude has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Amplitude and $15/month for IBM Cognos Analytics.
Does Amplitude or IBM Cognos Analytics run on more platforms?
Amplitude runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. IBM Cognos Analytics runs on Web, Desktop, Mobile, Cloud.
Can I use Amplitude for free?
Yes. Amplitude has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. IBM Cognos Analytics starts at $15/month.
What is Amplitude best used for?
Amplitude is most often used for user behavior analysis, feature adoption tracking, conversion rate optimization, customer journey mapping. Of those, user behavior analysis and feature adoption tracking are not what IBM Cognos Analytics is typically brought in for.
What can Amplitude do that IBM Cognos Analytics cannot?
Amplitude covers Event tracking, User segmentation, Funnel analysis, Retention analysis. IBM Cognos Analytics covers AI Assistant, Natural Language Queries, Automated Insights, Story Telling. Both handle Salesforce.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Amplitude: Does Amplitude have a free plan?

Yes, Amplitude offers a free Starter plan with 2 million events per month and access to the entire platform including analytics, session replay, and experimentation features.

Source
Amplitude: What is Amplitude's pricing based on?

Amplitude's pricing is based on the number of monthly tracked users (MTUs), data volume, and advanced features selected. The Plus plan starts at $49 per month with a rate of $0.049 per MTU.

Source
Amplitude: What analytics features does every Amplitude plan include?

Every plan includes access to the full platform: analytics, session replay, feature experimentation, web experimentation, guides and surveys, activation, and AI tools like AI Feedback and AI Assistant.

Source
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