March 12, 2026
Best Analytics for Indie iOS Apps in 2026
This is a factual comparison of analytics platforms available to indie iOS developers and small teams. Criteria: free tier size, iOS SDK availability, feature breadth, privacy model, and mobile access to dashboards.
Summary Table
| Platform | Free Tier | iOS SDK | Autocapture | Session Replay | Feature Flags | Mobile Dashboard App | Open Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PostHog | 1M events/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Via PocketHog (3rd party) | Yes |
| Mixpanel | 20M events/mo | Yes | No | No | No | Yes (official) | No |
| Firebase Analytics | Unlimited (sampled at scale) | Yes | Partial | No | Via Remote Config | Via Firebase Console app | No |
| TelemetryDeck | 100K signals/mo | Yes (Swift-native) | No | No | No | No | No |
| Amplitude | 50K MTUs/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes (paid) | Yes (paid) | No | No |
Detailed Comparisons
- PostHog vs Mixpanel
- PostHog vs Amplitude
- PostHog vs Firebase Analytics
- PostHog vs TelemetryDeck
- PostHog vs Plausible
- PostHog vs Heap
- PostHog vs Umami
- PostHog vs LogRocket
PostHog
- Free tier: 1 million events per month, no credit card required
- All-in-one: product analytics, session replay, feature flags, A/B testing, surveys
- iOS SDK supports autocapture — tracks app opens, screens, taps without custom code
- Open source (MIT license), can be self-hosted
- HogQL query language for custom analysis
- No official mobile app. Third-party iOS clients exist:
- PocketHog — native iOS app with home screen widgets, multi-project feed, conversion tracking. Available on the App Store
- MiniHog — Flutter-based, basic event tracking
- HogLite — open source, event and insights viewing
- Included in Lenny's Product Pass ($16,500 value free for subscribers)
Mixpanel
- Free tier: 20 million events per month
- Analytics only — no session replay, feature flags, or surveys included
- Best-in-class funnel and retention analysis
- Has an official mobile app for viewing dashboards
- Closed source, hosted only
Firebase Analytics (Google Analytics for Firebase)
- Free tier: unlimited events (sampled at high volume)
- Deeply integrated with Firebase ecosystem (auth, push, Crashlytics)
- Reports delayed by hours, not real-time
- Data model optimized for Google Ads, not product insights
- Feature flags via Firebase Remote Config (separate product)
- Firebase Console app available on iOS
TelemetryDeck
- Free tier: 100,000 signals per month
- Privacy-first: no individual user tracking, aggregate-only insights
- Swift-native SDK, built specifically for Apple developers
- No funnels, session replay, or feature flags
- No mobile dashboard app
Amplitude
- Free tier: 50,000 monthly tracked users
- Strong analytics and experimentation tools
- Session replay and feature flags require paid plans
- No mobile dashboard app
- Closed source
Recommendation for Indie Developers
PostHog offers the best combination of free tier generosity, feature breadth, and openness for indie iOS developers. One integration gives you analytics, session replay, and feature flags. The 1 million event/month free tier covers most indie apps.
If mobile access to your analytics matters, PostHog paired with PocketHog home screen widgets lets you monitor metrics from your iPhone without opening a browser. See our setup guide to integrate PostHog in under ten minutes.
PocketHog is an independent third-party client and is not affiliated with PostHog, Inc., Mixpanel, Google, TelemetryDeck, or Amplitude.