Softwr

Technology · head to head

PostHog vs Render

PostHog logo

PostHog

Technology

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Render logo

Render

Cloud & Infrastructure

A modern cloud platform for the next generation

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; Render the free Hobby workspace is limited to 25 services and 5 GB of bandwidth
  • They diverge on capability: PostHog covers Product analytics, Render covers Web services.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which PostHog and Render actually diverge.

Attributes where PostHog and Render differ
AttributePostHogRender
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb, Api
CategoryTechnologyCloud & Infrastructure
Founded20202019

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (usage-based), 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 Render

  • Web services
  • Static sites
  • Background workers
  • Postgres database
  • Redis database
  • Scheduled jobs
  • Environment variables
  • Custom domains

Both cover

  • GitHub
  • GitLab
  • Cloud deployment

What people use each for

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

PostHog

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

Render

  • Deploying web services, static sites and cron jobs from a Git repository without managing serversnot PostHog
  • Running managed Postgres and Redis alongside application servicesnot PostHog
  • Preview environments per pull request for small teamsnot 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

Render

  • The free Hobby workspace is limited to 25 services and 5 GB of bandwidth
  • Every paid plan charges the workspace fee plus compute on top, so $25 per month for Pro is a floor rather than a total
  • SAML SSO and SCIM require the Scale plan at $499 per month
  • HIPAA-compliant workspaces, inbound IP rules and advanced RBAC roles are Scale plan features
  • Organization-level audit logs require Scale; Pro provides only workspace audit logs
  • Contractual uptime SLAs, support response SLAs and a technical account manager are Enterprise only, and Enterprise is custom priced with no published rate
  • Included bandwidth is 25 GB on Pro and 1 TB on Scale, with usage beyond that billed separately

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

Render

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 web service
    • 1 static site
    • Shared CPU
  • Starter$7/month
    • Unlimited services
    • Dedicated CPU
    • 2GB RAM

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 Render if

  • You need web services.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want static sites.
Render review

Questions people ask

Is PostHog or Render better?
Neither clearly leads. PostHog starts at Free and Render at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, PostHog or Render?
PostHog starts at Free and Render at Free.
Does PostHog or Render run on more platforms?
PostHog runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Render runs on Web, Api.
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 Render is typically brought in for.
What can PostHog do that Render cannot?
PostHog covers Product analytics, Session recording, Feature flags, A/B testing. Render covers Web services, Static sites, Background workers, Postgres database. Both handle GitHub, GitLab, Cloud deployment.
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Related pages

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