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Technology · head to head

PostHog vs Readyset

PostHog logo

PostHog

Technology

The single platform to analyze, test, observe, and deploy new features

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Readyset logo

Readyset

Databases

Database caching and optimization that reduces infrastructure costs 30-70%

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: PostHog the free tier covers 1M events, 5K web session recordings and 2.5K mobile recordings per month before usage-based billing starts; Readyset pricing requires contacting sales team, making cost planning difficult
  • They diverge on capability: PostHog covers Product analytics, Readyset covers Automatic Query Optimization.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which PostHog and Readyset actually diverge.

Attributes where PostHog and Readyset differ
AttributePostHogReadyset
Pricing modelusage-basedMonthly or annual subscription based on cache size
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiCloud, Self-Hosted
CategoryTechnologyDatabases
Founded2020Unknown

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 PostHog

  • Product analytics
  • Session recording
  • Feature flags
  • A/B testing
  • Heatmaps
  • SQL access
  • Data warehouse
  • Apps platform

Only in Readyset

  • Automatic Query Optimization
  • SQL-Level Caching
  • Live Incremental Updates
  • Zero-Touch Integration
  • Query Interception
  • AI Query Protection

What people use each for

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

PostHog

  • Product analyticsnot Readyset
  • Feature experimentationnot Readyset
  • User behavior trackingnot Readyset
  • A/B testingnot Readyset
  • Debug production issuesnot Readyset

Readyset

  • Reducing database costs for AI workloads with unpredictable query patternsnot PostHog
  • Improving read performance for frequently accessed data without hardware upgradesnot PostHog
  • Protecting databases from performance degradation caused by agentic queriesnot PostHog
  • Scaling read-heavy applications without database scaling costsnot PostHog

Where each one falls short

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

PostHog

  • The free tier covers 1M events, 5K web session recordings and 2.5K mobile recordings per month before usage-based billing starts
  • Accounts without a card on file are limited to 1 project; adding one raises it to 6
  • Data retention is 1 year until a card is added, which extends it to 7 years
  • Support is community-only until the account is on a paid plan
  • Error tracking is capped at 100K exceptions and surveys at 1500 responses per month on the free tier

Readyset

  • Pricing requires contacting sales team, making cost planning difficult
  • Specific pricing tiers not disclosed publicly
  • Requires cache size estimation for cost calculation
  • Limited to read query caching, does not address write performance

Pricing, plan by plan

PostHog

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1M events/month
    • 5K sessions/month
    • Unlimited users
  • Paid$undefined/month
    • $0.00031/event
    • $0.005/session
    • Advanced permissions
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • SAML SSO
    • Advanced security
    • Dedicated support

Readyset

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Free tier for evaluation
    • 7-day trial available
  • Readyset CloudFree
    • Fully-managed AWS deployment
    • High availability
    • VPC peering support
  • Readyset PrivateFree
    • Self-hosted on your servers
    • Complete control
    • Custom deployment

Which should you pick?

Choose PostHog if

  • You need product analytics.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want session recording.
PostHog review

Choose Readyset if

  • You need automatic query optimization.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, Self-Hosted.
  • You also want sql-level caching.
Readyset review

Questions people ask

Is PostHog or Readyset better?
Neither clearly leads. PostHog starts at Free and Readyset at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, PostHog or Readyset?
PostHog starts at Free and Readyset at Free.
Does PostHog or Readyset run on more platforms?
PostHog runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Readyset runs on Cloud, Self-Hosted.
Can I use PostHog for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is PostHog best used for?
PostHog is most often used for product analytics, feature experimentation, user behavior tracking, a/b testing. Of those, product analytics and feature experimentation are not what Readyset is typically brought in for.
What can PostHog do that Readyset cannot?
PostHog covers Product analytics, Session recording, Feature flags, A/B testing. Readyset covers Automatic Query Optimization, SQL-Level Caching, Live Incremental Updates, Zero-Touch Integration.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

PostHog: What does PostHog's free tier include per month?

PostHog free tier includes: 1M analytics events, 5K session replays, 1M feature flag requests, 100K error tracking exceptions, 1,500 survey responses, 1M data warehouse rows, 10K data pipeline events, 100K AI observability events, 500 PostHog AI credits, 10K workflow messages, and 10GB log ingestion. Source: https://posthog.com/pricing

Source
Readyset: Do I need to change my application code?

No, Readyset integrates transparently through query interception with zero code changes or schema modifications required.

Source
PostHog: How much data retention does PostHog provide on paid plans?

PostHog free tier provides 1-year data retention. Pay-as-you-go plans offer 7-year data retention across all projects, enabling longer historical analysis. Source: https://posthog.com/pricing

Source
Readyset: Is there a free trial?

Yes, Readyset offers a free 7-day trial that lets you test different cache sizes before committing to a paid plan.

Source
PostHog: What percentage of PostHog users stay on the free tier?

PostHog states that 97% of companies use PostHog for free, indicating extensive free tier adoption. However, specific per-unit pricing rates for overages on paid plans are not published. Source: https://posthog.com/pricing

Source
Readyset: How does Readyset pricing work?

Readyset is available as a monthly or annual subscription charged based on the size of cache you need. Contact [email protected] for specific pricing.

Source
PostHog: When does PostHog provide priority support on paid plans?

PostHog provides email or Slack support for accounts exceeding $2,000/month on pay-as-you-go plans. Specific response times and support SLAs are not detailed on their pricing page. Source: https://posthog.com/pricing

Source
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