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Pendo vs Simple Analytics

Pendo logo

Pendo

Technology

Product analytics and digital adoption platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Simple Analytics logo

Simple Analytics

Marketing

Privacy-friendly analytics without cookies

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Pendo pricing is not publicly available and requires a custom quote; Simple Analytics the free plan requires a Simple Analytics badge on your site and is limited to 1 user, 5 websites and 30 days of history
  • They diverge on capability: Pendo covers Product analytics, Simple Analytics covers Page view tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Pendo and Simple Analytics actually diverge.

Attributes where Pendo and Simple Analytics differ
AttributePendoSimple Analytics
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
PlatformsWeb, Mobile, DesktopWeb
CategoryTechnologyMarketing
Founded20132016

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Pendo

  • Product analytics
  • In-app messaging
  • User onboarding
  • Feature adoption tracking
  • User feedback
  • NPS surveys
  • Session replay
  • Mobile analytics

Only in Simple Analytics

  • Page view tracking
  • Goal tracking
  • Real-time analytics
  • Privacy-focused
  • GDPR compliant
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support
  • English language support

What people use each for

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

Pendo

  • User onboardingnot Simple Analytics
  • Feature adoptionnot Simple Analytics
  • Product analyticsnot Simple Analytics
  • User feedback collectionnot Simple Analytics
  • Digital adoptionnot Simple Analytics

Simple Analytics

  • Cookie-free website analytics that avoids a consent bannernot Pendo
  • Keeping visitor data hosted in the EU for GDPR purposesnot Pendo
  • Replacing or running alongside Google Analytics with a single-page dashboardnot Pendo

Where each one falls short

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

Pendo

  • Pricing is not publicly available and requires a custom quote
  • Free tier limited to 500 monthly active users

Simple Analytics

  • The free plan requires a Simple Analytics badge on your site and is limited to 1 user, 5 websites and 30 days of history
  • Data older than 30 days is automatically deleted on the free plan
  • The paid plan starts at $20 per month for 100,000 pageviews and includes only 1 user, with each extra user costing another $20 per month
  • Single Sign-On, role-based access, SOC 2 documentation, an SLA and raw data export are Enterprise features quoted only by demo request
  • On yearly plans, exceeding your estimated limit gives you one week to raise it before Simple Analytics raises it for you
  • Paying by Bitcoin adds 10% and is only offered on yearly billing
  • Bank transfer is only available for bills from $500 and adds 10% in banking and service fees
  • Unlimited pageviews on the free plan are subject to a fair use policy rather than a stated number

Pricing, plan by plan

Pendo

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 500 MAU
    • Core analytics
    • In-app guides

Simple Analytics

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 30-day data retention
    • Fair use policy applies
    • Unlimited pageviews within fair use
  • Self-Serve$20/month
    • Monthly or annual billing (2 months free with yearly)
    • 1 user included; additional users $20/month each
    • Up to 5 sites per user
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • Custom pricing available upon demo request
    • Traffic recovery (20-60% of invisible traffic)
    • Raw data access

Which should you pick?

Choose Pendo if

  • You need product analytics.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, Desktop.
  • You also want in-app messaging.
Pendo review

Choose Simple Analytics if

  • You need page view tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want goal tracking.
Simple Analytics review

Questions people ask

Is Pendo or Simple Analytics better?
Neither clearly leads. Pendo starts at Free and Simple Analytics at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Pendo or Simple Analytics?
Pendo starts at Free and Simple Analytics at Free.
Does Pendo or Simple Analytics run on more platforms?
Pendo runs on Web, Mobile, Desktop. Simple Analytics runs on Web.
Can I use Pendo for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Pendo best used for?
Pendo is most often used for user onboarding, feature adoption, product analytics, user feedback collection. Of those, user onboarding and feature adoption are not what Simple Analytics is typically brought in for.
What can Pendo do that Simple Analytics cannot?
Pendo covers Product analytics, In-app messaging, User onboarding, Feature adoption tracking. Simple Analytics covers Page view tracking, Goal tracking, Real-time analytics, Privacy-focused.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Pendo: Does Pendo have a free tier?

Yes, Pendo Free supports up to 500 monthly active users and includes core product analytics, in-app guides, Pendo-branded roadmaps, and Pendo-branded NPS surveys.

Source
Simple Analytics: How much does Simple Analytics cost?

Simple Analytics offers a free plan forever and a Self-Serve plan at $20/month per user (or $240/year with 2 months free). Enterprise pricing is available upon request.

Source
Pendo: What is Pendo's core functionality?

Pendo combines product analytics, in-app guides, session replay, NPS surveys, product discovery, roadmaps, and cross-channel orchestration to measure and improve product adoption.

Source
Simple Analytics: What currencies does Simple Analytics accept?

Simple Analytics accepts Euros, US Dollars, and British Pounds. Payment methods include credit/debit cards, Bitcoin (with +10% fee), Apple Pay, and Google Pay. Bank transfers are available for invoices $500+, with 10% additional fees applied.

Source
Pendo: What CRM systems does Pendo integrate with?

Pendo offers two-way integrations with Salesforce, mapping Pendo product usage and sentiment data with Salesforce records, and with HubSpot for contact mapping and campaign orchestration.

Source
Simple Analytics: How long is the free trial?

Simple Analytics offers a 14-day free trial that requires no credit card to start.

Source
Pendo: What impact does Pendo have on customer retention?

Companies using Pendo for product analytics see on average a 5% reduction in customer churn and report an average 15% increase in net revenue retention.

Source
Simple Analytics: Can I cancel Simple Analytics anytime?

Yes. You can cancel your subscription at any moment without penalties or notice requirements.

Source
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