Quick answer
Plausible Analytics - Plausible Analytics wins for most builders who want a simple, privacy-focused analytics setup, while Apstal is the better pick if you care more about session replays, AI-assisted analysis, and broader observability in the free tier.
How the free tiers compare
These two free offerings solve different problems even though they sit in the same category. Plausible’s trial is narrower but cleaner: it gives you the full Starter experience for 30 days, with a very low entry price after that and a straightforward path into a site-based analytics tool. Apstal is more generous as an ongoing free tier because it is not just a trial, and it keeps core features like funnels, replays, error monitoring, and an AI analyst interface available without a card. The tradeoff is that Apstal’s free plan is capped more tightly on events, websites, replay retention, and AI usage. So the choice is less about raw data limits and more about whether you want perpetual free use with advanced features, or a simpler analytics product with easier paid scaling.
Apstal vs Plausible Analytics free tier, side by side
| ApstalFTV 65 | Plausible AnalyticsFTV 36 | |
|---|---|---|
| Free access typeApstal is ongoing; Plausible’s free access ends after the trial period. | Perpetual free tier | 30-day free trial |
| Card requiredBoth inputs explicitly say no credit card is required. | No | No |
| Included sitesApstal’s free tier includes one website; Plausible Starter during trial also includes one site. | 1 website | 1 site |
| Usage capThese are different meters, so they are not directly comparable. | 100,000 events per month | 10,000 monthly pageviews |
| Session replay retentionPlausible’s provided trial data does not mention session replays. | 24 hours | Not listed in the provided free trial items |
| Analytics views / dashboard accessApstal lists a specific cap; Plausible’s trial description does not give a view cap. | 15 analytics views | Access to Starter dashboard features |
| AI featuresPlausible’s provided free trial items do not mention AI analysis. | SQL AI Agent + MCP included | Not listed |
After you outgrow the free tier
Apstal’s paid path starts with a flat $48/month Premium plan, then moves to an Enterprise plan priced at $90/month in the provided data but also labeled contact_sales, so treat that upper tier as estimate or sales-managed. Plausible is simpler and cheaper at the low end: Starter is $9/month, then Growth at $14/month and Business at $19/month, all flat-priced. For a small builder, Plausible is the cheaper paid option by a wide margin. Apstal costs more, but it bundles more product coverage around replay, AI, and observability.
Cost at real usage
| Usage | Apstal | Plausible Analytics |
|---|---|---|
| 1 site, staying within free limitsPlausible is only free for 30 days per the provided data. | Free | Free trial |
| 1 site, light traffic beyond trial/limitsApstal’s first paid tier is much higher, while Plausible’s Starter remains the cheapest paid entry point. | $48/mo | $9/mo |
| 3 sitesApstal Premium includes 5 websites; Plausible Growth includes up to 3 sites. | $48/mo | $14/mo |
| 10 sitesApstal Enterprise says 20+ websites and is contact sales / estimated in the provided data; Plausible Business includes up to 10 sites. | $90/mo | $19/mo |
Estimates, not quotes. Usage-based rates change - verify with the vendor's pricing page before committing.
When to pick each one
Pick Apstal when…
- You want session replays, funnels, heatmaps, and error monitoring on the free plan.
- You need an ongoing free tier, not a 30-day trial.
- You want an AI analyst interface for plain-English analytics questions without paying first.
- You are tracking a single site and can stay within 100,000 events per month.
- You value adblock-resistant tracking and privacy-first collection in a broader observability workflow.
Pick Plausible Analytics when…
- You want a simple analytics tool with a low-cost paid upgrade path after the free trial.
- You mainly need pageview and goal tracking rather than replays or AI analysis.
- You want the trial to mirror the paid Starter plan closely before you commit.
- You prefer a product that is clearly organized around site counts, team members, and retention.
- You expect to move quickly into a paid plan for one site at a predictable monthly price.
Bottom line
For the most common builder use case, Plausible is the safer default if you want straightforward analytics and the cheapest path into a paid plan. Apstal wins if your free tier needs to do more real work, especially if you want replays, funnels, error monitoring, and an AI assistant before paying. In short: choose Plausible for simple site analytics and low-cost scaling, choose Apstal if you need a broader observability-style free tier that stays useful without a card.
Read the full listings: Apstal and Plausible Analytics. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more head-to-heads on /compare, or see the top-ranked free tiers on /top.