Aptabase

Aptabase is an open-source analytics platform for app developers who want to measure activity across mobile, desktop, and web products. It suits indie developers and small teams comfortable instrumenting their own events. Its privacy-first approach makes aggregate reporting the strength—and user-level analysis the clear tradeoff.

Overview

Aptabase’s real-time dashboard covers sessions, events, app and operating-system versions, devices, and countries. Developers decide what to track: nothing is collected automatically, and custom events accept string or number properties. That gives teams control over their analytics, but useful reports depend on deliberately adding the events they need.

Aptabase says it does not use device identifiers, cookies, fingerprints, or long-term user identification. This limits the data it can connect to an individual: it cannot report monthly active users or per-user retention. Teams interested in broad event and session patterns may consider that a worthwhile privacy tradeoff; products that depend on identifying users should choose another approach.

Key features

Live view and a session timeline add immediacy to the dashboard’s aggregate reporting. Analytics data is retained for up to five years and can be exported to CSV. Aptabase says customers own their data and that it does not sell or use their analytics data.

Cloud customers can choose Germany for EU data residency or Virginia for US data residency; Aptabase also says users can host their own servers. The server is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and the SDKs under MIT, giving teams a way to inspect or self-host the platform. SDK and framework integrations span Swift, Kotlin, Flutter, React Native, NativeScript, Electron, Tauri, .NET MAUI, web frameworks, browser extensions, game engines, Python, and C++.

The event-based model is also the product’s main constraint. There are no funnel reports or retention and cohort reports, and the absence of user identification rules out per-user retention. Teams seeking those views will need a different analytics tool.

Pricing

The free plan costs nothing and allows up to 20,000 events per month across unlimited apps. It includes EU or US data residency, a built-in dashboard, live view, session timeline, and CSV export. This is a useful way for small projects to start without choosing a paid tier, but the monthly event cap makes it a poor fit for higher-volume apps.

Paid plans are billed monthly in USD, with no overage fees. The entry tier is $10 a month for 200,000 events. Higher tiers provide 1,000,000 events for $20 a month, 2,000,000 for 40.00 USD, 5,000,000 for 75.00 USD, 10,000,000 for 140.00 USD, 20,000,000 for 240.00 USD, 30,000,000 for 300.00 USD, and 50,000,000 for 450.00 USD. This stepped event pricing lets teams choose capacity according to their volume; it does not add user-level reporting.

After a plan’s monthly event limit is exceeded, analytics are temporarily disabled until the next month rather than incurring an overage charge. Teams exceeding 50,000,000 events per month need a custom plan with custom pricing.

Platforms

Aptabase supports Android, iOS, web, Windows, macOS, Linux, browser extensions, and self-hosted deployment. The breadth suits teams shipping across several app environments, while the available integrations cover both common app frameworks and game engines.

Who it's for

Aptabase is aimed at developers and small teams shipping mobile, desktop, or web apps, including indie developers, studios, open-source projects, and SaaS teams. It is particularly well suited to teams that want control over event instrumentation, regional cloud hosting or self-hosting, and CSV access to their data. Email, Discord, and GitHub issues are the listed support channels.

It is not the right fit for teams whose reporting depends on monthly active users, per-user retention, funnels, or cohorts. Those needs conflict with its non-identifying model and the reports it provides.

Pros and cons

• Privacy-oriented collection: Aptabase avoids identifiers, cookies, fingerprints, and long-term user identification, but that also prevents user-level metrics.
• Broad deployment and hosting choices: integrations cover many app frameworks, and teams can choose EU or US cloud residency or self-host; self-hosting may suit teams that want direct control of deployment.
• Practical export and retention: CSV export and up to five years of analytics retention help teams keep and use their event data beyond the dashboard.
• Clear event caps without overage charges: the free tier covers up to 20,000 events per month and paid tiers scale upward, but crossing a cap temporarily disables analytics.
• Limited analytical depth: no funnel, cohort, or retention reports means teams focused on conversion paths or user return behavior will need another product.

Alternatives

PostHog is worth considering for teams looking for an open-source product and a freemium option; its listed platforms include Android, iOS, desktop systems, web, API, and self-hosted deployment.

devtodev may suit teams that want a free trial and MAU-based reporting: its free plan supports up to 25k MAU, 30 custom events, five team members, and raw data storage for up to three months.

GameAnalytics is a relevant alternative for teams seeking game-oriented reports, with its free plan including events, funnels, cohorts, retention, real-time reporting, and predefined and custom dashboards.

Helion is another freemium analytics option with a free trial and self-hosted support.

Zoho Apptics offers a free-forever plan with limits on projects, applications, errors, and engagements.

Klaritics may appeal to teams seeking self-hosted analytics, with a free Starter plan for up to 1M events analyzed per month, a 30-day retention window, and up to three seats.

TelemetryDeck is an option for teams comparing event-based tiers: its free plan allows 50,000 events per month for accounts created from July 1, 2026, with a maximum of three apps, and its Indie plan costs €9 a month.

Amplio is a free, MIT-licensed, self-hosted alternative with no stated usage limits.

Browse more options in Product Analytics Tools.

Verdict

Choose Aptabase if you want privacy-conscious, event-based analytics with broad app support, flexible hosting, and CSV export. Its free plan is a sensible starting point, and monthly tiers scale with event volume without overage fees. Look elsewhere if you need to identify users or report on funnels, cohorts, or per-user retention.