Category guide · Software

Best Web & Product Analytics in 2026

Analytics tools for websites and products: free Google Analytics 4, privacy-friendly Plausible, Fathom and Matomo, product analytics from Mixpanel, Amplitude, Heap and PostHog, behaviour tools like Hotjar and enterprise Adobe Analytics.

  • Verified 10 Nov 2026Every profile shows where facts came from
  • Unknowns labelledGaps are stated, never guessed
  • No paid placementNo affiliate links, ratings or reviews
  • Not a rankingAlphabetical by default; fit notes, not scores
Quick answer

What is Web & Product Analytics?

Web analytics tools measure traffic, sources and conversions on websites. Product analytics tools track what signed-in users do inside apps, with funnels, retention and cohorts. Behaviour analytics adds heatmaps and session recordings.

Analytics answers three questions: where visitors come from, what they do, and whether they convert or come back.

This category covers web analytics (Google Analytics 4, Adobe Analytics), privacy-first alternatives (Plausible, Fathom Analytics, Matomo), product analytics (Mixpanel, Amplitude, Heap, PostHog) and behaviour analytics (Hotjar).

Pricing ranges from free and open source to enterprise contracts above $150,000 a year, usually by events, sessions, pageviews or server calls. The profiles below summarise dated sources and are research aids, not rankings.

Best by need

Best web and product analytics tools by need.

Shortlists built from what each sourced profile documents, listed alphabetically, not ranked. Open a profile for limits, prices and sources.

Web and product analytics tools for small businesses

2 of 14 profiles are documented mainly for small and mid-size teams.

Web and product analytics tools for enterprises

8 of 14 profiles are documented for large enterprises.

Web and product analytics tools with AI features

3 of 14 profiles document an AI assistant, agents or AI features.

Directory

Web & Product Analytics compared: browse and filter

Search and filters update this list on the page and do not create new URLs, so every profile stays crawlable and linkable.

Quick filters

14 listings

  • Adobe Analytics

    Adobe · Enterprise digital analytics

    Adobe's enterprise analytics platform, sold by quote in Select, Prime and Ultimate packages, with estimates from $50,000 to $200,000+ a year.

    • Quote-based
    • By server calls
    • Cloud
    • Enterprise
    • Independent sources

    Best for Large enterprises on Adobe Experience Cloud needing advanced analysis

    Key capabilities
    • Select
    • Prime
    • Ultimate
    • Prime
    PricingQuote-based; estimated $50,000 to $200,000+ a year by package.Figures reported by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directly
  • Amplitude

    Amplitude · Digital analytics platform

    A digital analytics platform that moved from MTU to event-based pricing in July 2026, with Free and Plus tiers and AI Agents on every plan.

    • Free plan
    • Event-based
    • Cloud
    • Product analytics
    • Independent sources

    Best for Product and growth teams wanting analytics plus experimentation

    Key capabilities
    • Free
    • Plus
    • Growth and Enterprise
    • Model
    PricingFree; Plus starts at $0 with 2M events included; Growth and Enterprise by quote.Figures reported by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directly
  • Crazy Egg

    Crazy Egg Inc. · Heatmaps, recordings and A/B testing (SaaS)

    A website optimisation tool with heatmaps, session recordings, surveys and A/B testing, from $29 a month billed annually with a 30-day trial.

    • Free plan
    • Free trial
    • Cloud
    • Independent sources

    Best for Marketers running A/B tests

    Key capabilities
    • Heatmaps and scroll maps
    • Confetti and overlay
    • Recordings
    • A/B testing
    PricingStarter $29 a month billed annually.Figures reported by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directly
  • Fathom Analytics

    Fathom · Privacy-friendly web analytics

    A simple, privacy-focused web analytics service from $15 a month for 100,000 pageviews, closed source with no free tier.

    • Paid plans
    • By pageviews
    • Cloud
    • Privacy-first
    • Independent sources

    Best for Businesses wanting a simple, managed privacy-first analytics tool

    Key capabilities
    • Entry
    • 500K pageviews
    • Free tier
    • Approach
    PricingFrom $15 a month (100K pageviews); $45 at 500K.Figures reported by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directly
  • Google Analytics 4

    Google · Web and app analytics (free and enterprise)

    Google's free, event-based web and app analytics, with an enterprise GA4 360 tier that sources estimate at $150,000 or more a year.

    • Free
    • Usage-based (360)
    • Cloud
    • Google ecosystem
    • Independent sources

    Best for Most websites wanting free traffic and conversion analytics

    Key capabilities
    • Data retention
    • Sampling
    • BigQuery export
    • Retention
    PricingFree; GA4 360 billed monthly by hit volume, estimated at $150,000+ a year.Figures reported by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directly
  • Heap

    Heap (Contentsquare) · Product analytics with autocapture

    A product analytics tool known for automatic event capture, free up to 10,000 sessions a month, now owned by Contentsquare.

    • Free plan
    • By sessions
    • Cloud
    • Autocapture
    • Independent sources

    Best for Teams that want analytics without manual event tracking

    Key capabilities
    • Free
    • Growth
    • Pro and Premier
    • Unit
    PricingFree up to 10,000 sessions a month; Growth, Pro and Premier by estimate or quote.Figures reported by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directly
  • Hotjar

    Hotjar (Contentsquare) · Behaviour analytics: heatmaps and recordings

    A behaviour analytics tool for heatmaps, session recordings and surveys, now part of Contentsquare, with free plans and paid tiers from about $32 a month.

    • Free plan
    • Monthly plans
    • Cloud
    • Heatmaps and recordings
    • Independent sources

    Best for Marketers and UX teams wanting heatmaps, recordings and on-site surveys

    Key capabilities
    • Basic
    • Plus and Business
    • Scale
    • Ask Basic
    PricingFree Basic plans; Observe Plus about $32 a month (annual); new unified Growth about $49.Figures reported by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directly
  • Lucky Orange

    Lucky Orange LLC · Session recordings, heatmaps and live chat (SaaS)

    A conversion tool that bundles session recordings, heatmaps, live chat, funnels and surveys on every paid plan, priced by monthly sessions from $32 a month billed annually.

    • Free trial
    • Cloud
    • Independent sources

    Best for SMB e-commerce stores

    Key capabilities
    • Session recordings
    • Dynamic heatmaps
    • Form analytics
    • Funnels
    PricingBuild $32 a month billed annually for 3,500 sessions.Figures reported by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directly
  • Matomo

    InnoCraft (Matomo) · Open-source web analytics

    An open-source, privacy-focused Google Analytics alternative: free to self-host, with Matomo Cloud from EUR 29 a month.

    • Free (self-hosted)
    • Cloud by hits
    • Cloud or self-hosted
    • Open source
    • Independent sources

    Best for Organisations that want full data ownership and GA-style reports

    Key capabilities
    • On-Premise
    • Cloud
    • Plugins
    • Licence
    PricingFree self-hosted; Cloud from EUR 29 a month (50K hits).Figures reported by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directly
  • Microsoft Clarity

    Microsoft · Free behaviour analytics: heatmaps and session recordings

    Microsoft’s free behaviour analytics tool with heatmaps, session recordings, rage-click detection and Copilot AI summaries.

    • Free plan
    • Cloud
    • Independent sources

    Best for Teams wanting free heatmaps and recordings

    Key capabilities
    • Session recordings
    • Heatmaps
    • Frustration signals
    • Funnels
    PricingFree.Figures reported by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directly
  • Mixpanel

    Mixpanel · Product analytics

    An event-based product analytics tool, free up to 1 million events a month, with Growth from $0.28 per 1,000 events and unlimited seats.

    • Free plan
    • Per event
    • Cloud
    • Product analytics
    • Independent sources

    Best for Product teams analysing funnels, retention and feature usage

    Key capabilities
    • Free
    • Growth
    • Enterprise
    • 5M events
    PricingFree up to 1M events a month; Growth from $0.28 per 1,000 events above that.Figures reported by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directly
  • Plausible Analytics

    Plausible Insights · Privacy-friendly web analytics

    A lightweight, open-source, EU-hosted web analytics tool from $9 a month for 10,000 pageviews, with no cookies required.

    • Paid plans
    • By pageviews
    • Cloud or self-hosted
    • Open source
    • Independent sources

    Best for Site owners wanting simple, privacy-friendly analytics

    Key capabilities
    • Starter
    • Growth
    • Business
    • Hosting
    PricingStarter $9, Growth $14, Business $19 a month (entry pageview tiers).Figures reported by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directly
  • PostHog

    PostHog · Open-source product analytics suite

    An open-source product suite with analytics, session replay and feature flags, free for 1 million events a month and then usage-based from $50 per million.

    • Free tier
    • Usage-based
    • Cloud or self-hosted
    • Open source
    • Independent sources

    Best for Engineering-led startups wanting analytics, replay and flags in one tool

    Key capabilities
    • Events
    • Session recordings
    • Flag requests
    • 1 to 2M
    PricingFree 1M events a month; then $50 per million events, falling with volume.Figures reported by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directly
  • Zoho PageSense

    Zoho Corporation · Conversion optimisation: heatmaps, A/B testing and recordings

    Zoho’s conversion optimisation tool with heatmaps, session recordings, funnels, A/B testing and personalisation, with a free plan and paid plans from about $12 a month.

    • Free plan
    • Free trial
    • Cloud
    • Independent sources

    Best for SMB marketers testing pages

    Key capabilities
    • Heatmaps
    • Session recordings
    • Funnels and form analytics
    • A/B and split tests
    PricingFree; Professional from $12 a month.Figures reported by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directly

Listings are ordered alphabetically by default. They are not ranked, and there are no user ratings or paid placements.

At a glance

Web & Product Analytics compared on key criteria.

Summaries come from each profile; open a profile for sources and caveats.

Web & Product Analytics compared on Pricing model, Free tier, Paid from, Open source / self-host, Best for
ProductPricing modelFree tierPaid fromOpen source / self-hostBest for
Adobe AnalyticsQuote by server callsNo~$50K/yr (est.)No / NoAdobe enterprises
AmplitudeEvent-basedYesPlus from $0 (usage)No / NoProduct and growth teams
Fathom AnalyticsBy pageviewsNo$15/moNo / NoManaged privacy analytics
Google Analytics 4Free; 360 by volumeYes360 ~$150K+/yr (est.)No / NoWebsite traffic analytics
HeapBy sessions; quoteYes (10K sessions)Not publishedNo / NoAutocapture analytics
HotjarMonthly plansYes (Basic)~$32/mo (annual)No / NoHeatmaps and recordings
MatomoOpen source; cloud by hitsYes (self-hosted)EUR 29/mo (cloud)Yes / YesData ownership
MixpanelPer eventYes (1M events)$0.28 per 1K eventsNo / NoProduct analytics
Plausible AnalyticsBy pageviewsNo (self-host free)$9/moYes / YesPrivacy-friendly traffic stats
PostHogUsage-basedYes (1M events)$50 per 1M eventsYes / YesEngineering-led product teams
Key features

Key features and capabilities of Web & Product Analytics.

The capabilities that define the category. Not every product offers all of them, and depth varies a lot between entry-level and enterprise tools.

  • Event tracking

    Capture user actions.

  • Funnels

    Conversion steps.

  • Retention analysis

    Cohorts over time.

  • User paths

    Journeys through product.

  • Segmentation

    Compare user groups.

  • Session replay

    See behaviour.

  • Experiment analysis

    Measure tests.

  • Privacy controls

    Consent and anonymisation.

Business use cases

How businesses use Web & Product Analytics.

  1. 01

    Product adoption

    Track feature usage.

  2. 02

    Conversion optimisation

    Improve sign-up funnels.

  3. 03

    Retention

    Understand churn.

  4. 04

    Website performance

    Traffic and engagement.

  5. 05

    Experimentation

    Measure changes.

Who uses it

Who uses Web & Product Analytics and what problems it solves.

Marketers and SEO teams

Measure traffic sources, campaigns and conversions.

Product managers

Understand feature adoption, funnels and retention.

UX and CRO teams

Watch heatmaps and recordings to find friction.

Privacy-conscious organisations

Measure without third-party cookies or data sharing.

Benefits and business impact

What Web & Product Analytics changes in practice.

Practical outcomes teams report when the category is implemented well. Results depend on adoption, data quality and process, so we do not quote percentages.

User understanding

Behaviour insight.

Better products

Data-informed decisions.

Higher conversion

Funnel fixes.

Privacy compliance

Controlled tracking.

Evaluation criteria

Features and criteria to evaluate in Web & Product Analytics.

01

Web or product focus

Traffic reporting and in-app behaviour need different tools.

02

Pricing unit

Compare events, sessions, pageviews and server calls at your volume.

03

Privacy and compliance

Consider cookie consent, data location and ownership.

04

Data access

Check warehouse exports, APIs and retention periods.

05

Ease of instrumentation

Autocapture reduces setup; event tracking gives precision.

06

Self-hosting

Matomo, Plausible and PostHog can run on your own servers.

How to choose

How to choose Web & Product Analytics: a step-by-step approach.

  1. 1

    Define questions

    List the decisions analytics must support.

  2. 2

    Estimate volume

    Count monthly events, sessions or pageviews.

  3. 3

    Check privacy requirements

    Decide whether you need cookieless or self-hosted analytics.

  4. 4

    Plan tracking

    Write a tracking plan for key events.

  5. 5

    Run tools in parallel

    Compare numbers for a few weeks before switching.

  6. 6

    Set up reporting

    Build the few dashboards people will actually use.

Questions to ask before you buy

  • How is pricing tied to events or users?
  • How is consent handled?
  • Is session replay included?
  • Can data export to our warehouse?
Common mistakes

Common mistakes when choosing Web & Product Analytics.

Tracking everything

Too many events create noise and cost.

Ignoring consent

Consent rules affect what you can collect.

Comparing tools on headline price

Usage-based bills grow with traffic.

No tracking plan

Inconsistent event names make reports unreliable.

Relying only on sampled data

Large GA4 queries can be sampled.

Glossary

Web & Product Analytics key terms explained.

Event
A tracked action such as a page view, click or purchase.
Session
A period of activity by one visitor.
Funnel
A sequence of steps users take towards a goal.
Retention
How many users come back over time.
Autocapture
Automatically recording interactions without manual tracking.
Server call
Adobe's unit of data collection used for pricing.
Head-to-head

Web & Product Analytics comparisons.

11 side-by-side comparisons with a feature table, pricing, strengths and limits, and best-fit scenarios. No winner is declared in any of them.

Alternatives guides

Alternatives to popular web and product analytics tools.

Every product in this category has a guide comparing its main alternatives and competitors on pricing, free plan, features and fit.

FAQ

Web & Product Analytics questions and answers

What is the best free web and product analytics tools?

7 of the 14 web and product analytics tools profiles here document a free plan: Amplitude, Google Analytics 4, Heap, Hotjar, Matomo, Mixpanel and PostHog. Free plans and tiers usually cap users, records or usage, so check each profile for limits. The list is alphabetical, not a ranking.

What is the best web and product analytics tools for small businesses?

Products documented mainly for small and mid-size teams include Fathom Analytics and Plausible Analytics. Fathom Analytics may suit businesses wanting a simple, managed privacy-first analytics tool. Plausible Analytics may suit site owners wanting simple, privacy-friendly analytics. The best fit depends on your sales or work process and budget, so trial two or three.

Which web and product analytics tools suits large enterprises?

8 profiles are documented for large enterprises: Adobe Analytics, Amplitude, Google Analytics 4, Heap, Hotjar, Matomo, Mixpanel and PostHog. Larger rollouts should also check SSO, permissions, audit logs, data residency and contract terms on each profile.

Which web and product analytics tools has built-in AI features?

3 of 14 profiles document an AI assistant, agents or AI features: Adobe Analytics, Amplitude and Heap. Check which plans include AI and whether agent or credit usage is billed separately.

Where can I find alternatives to a specific analytics tool?

Every product in this category has its own alternatives guide, for example Google Analytics 4 alternatives, Heap alternatives and PostHog alternatives. Each guide compares the main competitors on pricing, free plan, features and fit.

Is Google Analytics 4 free?

Yes. GA4 Standard is free; GA4 360 is an enterprise product estimated at $150,000+ a year.

What is the best privacy-friendly Google Analytics alternative?

Plausible, Fathom Analytics and Matomo are common choices; Plausible and Matomo are open source. This list is not a ranking.

Mixpanel or Amplitude?

Both are product analytics platforms with free tiers. Mixpanel is free to 1M events, then $0.28 per 1,000; Amplitude moved to event-based pricing in July 2026.

Which analytics tools can be self-hosted?

Matomo, Plausible and PostHog are open source and can be self-hosted.

Next step

Narrow your Web & Product Analytics shortlist.

Open a profile for sources and pricing, read an alternatives guide, or talk to Stack18 if off-the-shelf is not the answer.

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