Heap alternative
Looking for Heap's product analytics without the black-box pricing and vendor lock-in? OpenPanel offers transparent event-based pricing, full self-hosting, and MIT-licensed open source code—giving you control over your analytics.
- Open-source
- Transparent pricing
- Self-hostable
- No vendor lock-in
OpenPanel vs Heap: Which is right for you?
Both platforms provide product analytics, but with different philosophies. Heap's autocapture records everything automatically; OpenPanel uses explicit tracking for better control.
Choose OpenPanel if...
Teams needing transparent, predictable pricing without sales calls
Organizations requiring self-hosting for data sovereignty
Open source requirements for transparency and auditability
Choose Heap if...
Teams wanting autocapture to avoid manual event tracking
Organizations needing retroactive analysis for new events
Companies requiring visual event definition tools
Key differences at a glance
Here's how OpenPanel and Heap compare on the factors that matter most.
| Feature | OpenPanel | Heap |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing transparency | Public, event-based pricing | Opaque (requires sales call) |
| Self-hosting | Yes, completely free | No (cloud only) |
| Open source | Yes (MIT) | No (proprietary) |
| Autocapture | Manual event tracking | Automatic capture |
| Retroactive analysis | Tracked events only | Full historical analysis |
| Page views & sessions | ||
| Event tracking | ||
| Funnels | ||
| Retention analysis | ||
| User profiles | ||
| Cohorts | ||
| Custom dashboards | ||
| Real-time data | ||
| Autocapture | Heap automatically captures all interactions | |
| Retroactive analysis | Heap can analyze historical data for new events | |
| Visual event definition | Heap's no-code event creation | |
| A/B testing | ||
| Session replay | Heap offers as paid add-on | |
| Heatmaps | Heap offers as paid add-on | |
| Path analysis | ||
| Self-hosting | ||
| Open source | ||
| GDPR compliant | ||
| Data export | ||
| EU data residency | Via self-hosting | Premier plan only |
| REST API | ||
| Data warehouse export | Heap Connect exports to major warehouses | |
| Segment integration | ||
| 100+ integrations |
Feature comparison
OpenPanel covers core product analytics, while Heap extends into autocapture and visual analytics tools.
Page views & sessions
Event tracking
Funnels
Retention analysis
User profiles
Cohorts
Custom dashboards
Real-time data
Technical comparison
For developers evaluating analytics tools, here's how the SDKs and technical implementations compare.
| Feature | OpenPanel | Heap |
|---|---|---|
| SDK size (JS) | ~2.3 KB gzipped | Larger (autocapture overhead)OpenPanel's lighter SDK means faster page loads |
| Supported platforms |
|
|
| Open source | Yes (MIT) | No |
| Self-hosted deployment | Docker, simple setup | Not available |
| Database | ClickHouse + PostgreSQL | Proprietary |
| Tracking method | Explicit event tracking | Autocapture everythingDifferent philosophies on data collection |
Pricing comparison
OpenPanel offers transparent pricing. Heap requires sales calls for anything beyond the free tier.
OpenPanel
Event-based, transparent
Simple pricing starting at $2.50/month for 5,000 events.
Self-host for free with unlimited events.
All features included at every tier.
Heap
Session-based, opaque
Free tier: 10K sessions/month, 6 months data retention.
Growth/Pro/Premier plans require custom quotes from sales.
Reports suggest Growth plans start around $3,600/year.
Migrating from Heap to OpenPanel
Switching from Heap requires rethinking your tracking strategy since OpenPanel doesn't autocapture.
Audit your Heap events
Review which events you actually use in Heap dashboards and funnels. Identify the essential events since OpenPanel won't autocapture everything.
Install OpenPanel SDK
Replace Heap's snippet with OpenPanel's lightweight SDK. The SDK is smaller and won't autocapture.
Implement event tracking
Unlike Heap's autocapture, OpenPanel requires explicit event tracking. Instrument the key events you identified using op.track() calls.
Set up user identification
Replace heap.identify() with OpenPanel's identify() method. Both platforms support similar user identification patterns.
Recreate funnels and reports
Build your conversion funnels, retention charts, and dashboards in OpenPanel.
SDK Compatibility
Different tracking philosophies: Heap autocaptures everything, OpenPanel requires explicit tracking. Plan to instrument your key events.
Historical Data Import
Heap's proprietary data format makes historical migration complex. Contact us if you need assistance.
Where OpenPanel is a better fit than Heap
OpenPanel shines for teams that value transparency, control, and avoiding vendor lock-in.
Teams needing transparent pricing
Heap's pricing is opaque and requires sales calls. OpenPanel offers transparent event-based pricing so you always know what you'll pay.
Self-hosting and data sovereignty
Heap is cloud-only. OpenPanel can be fully self-hosted with Docker, keeping all data on your own infrastructure.
Open source requirements
Heap is completely proprietary. OpenPanel is fully open source under MIT license, allowing inspection and modification.
Controlled data collection
Heap's autocapture collects everything by default. OpenPanel gives you explicit control over what data is collected.
Avoiding vendor lock-in
Heap was acquired by Contentsquare. OpenPanel's open source model prevents vendor lock-in and pricing uncertainty.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about switching from Heap to OpenPanel.
Related resources
Explore more comparisons and guides to help you choose the right analytics tool
Ready to make the switch?
Test OpenPanel free for 30 days, you'll not be charged anything unless you upgrade to a paid plan.
Start with OpenPanel