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Software · head to head

Amplitude vs Mixpanel

Amplitude logo

Amplitude

Software

The digital analytics platform to understand your users

From
Free
Rated
-
Mixpanel logo

Mixpanel

Software

Product analytics that helps you convert, engage, and retain more users

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • 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; Mixpanel pricing can scale significantly at high volumes with expensive per-user rates
  • They diverge on capability: Amplitude covers Event tracking, Mixpanel covers Event analytics.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Amplitude and Mixpanel actually diverge.

Attributes where Amplitude and Mixpanel differ
AttributeAmplitudeMixpanel
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb, Mobile, APIs
Founded20122009

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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
  • Cohort analysis
  • Revenue analytics
  • Snowflake
  • BigQuery
  • Redshift
  • Zendesk
  • Encryption

Only in Mixpanel

  • Event analytics
  • Custom dashboards
  • Real-time data
  • Amplitude
  • Intercom
  • Zapier
  • Google Analytics
  • EU-US Privacy Shield

Both cover

  • User segmentation
  • Funnel analysis
  • Retention analysis
  • A/B testing
  • Predictive analytics
  • Segment
  • Salesforce
  • Slack
  • Braze
  • SOC2
  • GDPR
  • CCPA

What people use each for

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

Amplitude

  • User behavior analysis
  • Feature adoption trackingnot Mixpanel
  • Conversion rate optimizationnot Mixpanel
  • Customer journey mappingnot Mixpanel
  • Retention improvement

Mixpanel

  • User behavior analysis
  • Product optimizationnot Amplitude
  • Conversion trackingnot Amplitude
  • Retention improvement
  • Feature adoptionnot Amplitude

Both are used for user behavior analysis, retention improvement, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.

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

Mixpanel

  • Pricing can scale significantly at high volumes with expensive per-user rates
  • Limited built-in data visualization options compared to some competitors
  • Requires implementation expertise to properly instrument event tracking

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

Mixpanel

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Mixpanel review.

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 cohort analysis.

Choose Mixpanel if

  • You need event analytics.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, APIs.
  • You also want custom dashboards.

Questions people ask

Is Amplitude or Mixpanel better?
Neither clearly leads. Amplitude starts at Free and Mixpanel at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Amplitude or Mixpanel?
Amplitude starts at Free and Mixpanel at Free.
Does Amplitude or Mixpanel run on more platforms?
Amplitude runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Mixpanel runs on Web, Mobile, APIs.
Can I use Amplitude for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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, feature adoption tracking and conversion rate optimization are not what Mixpanel is typically brought in for.
What can Amplitude do that Mixpanel cannot?
Amplitude covers Event tracking, Cohort analysis, Revenue analytics, Snowflake. Mixpanel covers Event analytics, Custom dashboards, Real-time data, Amplitude. Both handle User segmentation, Funnel analysis, Retention analysis, A/B testing.

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
Mixpanel: Is Mixpanel free?

Yes, Mixpanel offers a generous free plan with up to 20 million events per month, unlimited team members, core analytics reports, 10K session replays, and 12 months data retention. No credit card required.

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
Mixpanel: How does Mixpanel pricing work?

Mixpanel pricing is based on Monthly Tracked Users (MTUs). The free tier includes core analytics. Growth tier starts at $20/month for up to 10,000 MTUs. Enterprise pricing is custom based on volume, retention, and contract terms.

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
Mixpanel: What are Mixpanel's core analytics features?

Mixpanel provides Insights for user behavior analysis, Funnels for conversion tracking, Flows for user journey visualization, and Retention analysis. All available on the free tier.

Source
Mixpanel: Does Mixpanel track page views or events?

Mixpanel tracks user actions and events rather than page views, providing a more granular understanding of user behavior. It offers a simple SDK compatible with major platforms including mobile.

Source

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