Quick answer
Posthook - Posthook wins for most builders because its free tier supports far more webhook volume and projects, while Hook Relay only fits small-volume delivery infrastructure use cases.
How the free tiers compare
These two free tiers solve adjacent webhook problems, but they are not interchangeable. Hook Relay is for receiving and reliably delivering incoming webhooks with retries, logging, and endpoint management. Its free plan is small but focused: 100 deliveries per day, 14-day retention, and 3 hook endpoints. Posthook is for scheduling outbound HTTP callbacks, reminders, follow-ups, and recurring sequences. Its free plan is broader on raw capacity, with 1,000 hooks per month, 3 projects, 7-day logs, and alerts. If you need webhook infrastructure for live event delivery, Hook Relay is the more direct fit. If you need scheduled callbacks and more room to grow before paying, Posthook gives you more headroom on the free tier. Both say no credit card is required.
Hook Relay vs Posthook free tier, side by side
| Hook RelayFTV 49 | PosthookFTV 47 | |
|---|---|---|
| Free volumeDifferent units and use cases, so this is only a rough capacity comparison. | 100 deliveries/day | 1,000 hooks/month |
| Projects / endpointsHook Relay limits endpoints; Posthook limits projects. | 3 hook endpoints | 3 projects |
| RetentionHook Relay keeps logs longer on the free tier. | 14 days | 7 days |
| AlertsPosthook exposes alerts in the free plan; Hook Relay input does not list alerting. | Not specified on free tier | 15-minute alerts, email alerts |
After you outgrow the free tier
Both products use flat monthly pricing after free, so the cost curve is simple and stepwise. Hook Relay starts at $30/month for 10k deliveries per day, then $90/month for 30k per day. Posthook starts at $39/month for 20k hooks per month, then $99/month for 100k, then $249/month for 500k. For small teams, Hook Relay is cheaper at the first paid level, but Posthook gives much more free-tier headroom and a more gradual feature path around scheduling and alerts.
Cost at real usage
| Usage | Hook Relay | Posthook |
|---|---|---|
| Light production workload near free limitsThe products measure usage differently, so treat this as staying inside each free tier, not equal traffic. | Free (within 100 deliveries/day and 3 endpoints) | Free (within 1,000 hooks/month and 3 projects) |
| Need about 500 deliveries/hooks per monthBoth free plans can cover this volume, assuming it matches each product’s workload model. | Free (within tier) | Free (within tier) |
| Need 15k webhook deliveries/hooks per monthPosthook is sold as hooks/month and the first paid tier is 20,000 hooks/month. | $30/mo (Basic) | Free? Not enough info to map directly; nearest paid tier starts at $39/mo |
| Need 100k webhook deliveries/hooks per monthThis is the first tier where both can plausibly serve the workload, but Hook Relay’s unit is deliveries/day rather than monthly hooks. | $90/mo (Plus) | $99/mo (Growth) |
Estimates, not quotes. Usage-based rates change - verify with the vendor's pricing page before committing.
When to pick each one
Pick Hook Relay when…
- You need a small webhook relay for a side project and expect fewer than 100 deliveries per day.
- You want longer free log retention than Posthook offers, since Hook Relay includes 14 days.
- You only need up to 3 webhook endpoints and care more about delivery retries and tracking than scheduling.
- You are building inbound webhook handling for a service that posts events to your app, not scheduled callbacks.
Pick Posthook when…
- You need scheduled HTTP callbacks for reminders, expirations, follow-ups, or recurring sequences.
- You expect to exceed 100 deliveries per day or want more free headroom before upgrading.
- You need multiple projects on the free tier, since Posthook includes 3 projects out of the box.
- You want dashboard activity, alerts, replay tools, or SDKs for Node.js, Python, and Go in a webhook scheduling workflow.
Bottom line
For most builders, Posthook is the better free-tier starting point because it gives you more room before you have to pay and is clearly oriented around scheduled callbacks, alerts, and retries. Choose Hook Relay if your core job is reliable inbound webhook delivery and you care more about delivery infrastructure than scheduling. If you expect to stay small, Hook Relay’s free plan is a tighter fit. If you expect growth or want broader free usage, Posthook is the safer default.
Read the full listings: Hook Relay and Posthook. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more head-to-heads on /compare, or see the top-ranked free tiers on /top.