OpenPanel vs Countly
Both are alternatives to Amplitude. Here's how they stack up — verified facts, no spin.
Also searched as Countly vs OpenPanel — same comparison, one verdict.
OpenPanel is open source (AGPL-3.0) and Countly is not (Countly Lite License (custom, source-available — not OSI open source)) — so the real question is whether you want to own the product analytics stack or rent it.
OpenPanel
Mixpanel-style product analytics with a web-analytics front door.
OpenPanel sets out to be the middle ground this category is missing: simple web analytics for the questions you ask daily, plus event-based product analytics with funnels and retention for the ones you ask monthly, in a single self-hostable product. It is the youngest project in this comparison by a wide margin, which is the caveat to weigh honestly — the design is good and the track record is short. Worth a look if PostHog feels like more machinery than the problem deserves and Umami is not quite enough.
Countly
Mobile-first analytics you can run on-premise — but check the licence.
Countly is built around mobile and IoT rather than the web, with crash reporting, push notifications and user profiles alongside analytics, and a long history of on-premise deployment in regulated and government settings. Around 5.9k stars. One correction to how it is usually listed: Countly is very often described as open source, but the community edition ships under a custom "Countly Lite License" rather than an OSI-approved licence — it is source-available, with restrictions, and the terms are worth reading before you build a product on it. Included here because the mobile and on-premise combination is genuinely rare, and because the licence deserves to be stated accurately.
Side by side
6 points of comparison, every one read from a verified field. Green marks the side that wins a row outright. A dash means we do not hold that fact — never that it is zero.
| OpenPanel | Countly | |
|---|---|---|
| Sovereignty ScoreOur transparent 0–100 composite for data ownership and exit cost. | 90 | 66 |
| Open source | Yes | No |
| Self-hostable | Yes | Yes |
| Local-first data | Yes | Yes |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Countly Lite License (custom, source-available — not OSI open source) |
| Pricing | Free and open source to self-host. Hosted plans available. | Community edition free to self-host under its own licence terms; enterprise is commercial. |
OpenPanel edges it on the Sovereignty Score, but the right pick depends on the trade-offs below.
OpenPanel
Strengths
- +Sits deliberately between simple web analytics and full product analytics
- +Self-hostable with a straightforward Docker deployment
- +AGPL-3.0 with no enterprise directory carve-out
- +Lighter to run than PostHog for a fraction of the complexity
Trade-offs
- −Youngest and least proven project on this page
- −Small community, so few answers when something breaks
- −No session replay or feature flags
- −AGPL-3.0 copyleft needs reading if you intend to modify it
Countly
Strengths
- +Mobile and IoT first, where most of this category is web first
- +Crash reporting and push notifications alongside analytics
- +Long track record of on-premise deployment in regulated environments
- +Rich user-profile and cohort features in the enterprise tier
Trade-offs
- −Not open source despite being widely listed as such — read the Lite License
- −Much of the useful functionality sits in the paid enterprise edition
- −Smaller community than every other option here
- −Heavier to deploy than Umami or OpenPanel
Which one fits you
The trade-offs above, turned into a decision. Find the line that describes your team.
Choose OpenPanel
if you want the source and the option to fork it, and sits deliberately between simple web analytics and full product analytics.
Choose Countly
if mobile and IoT first, where most of this category is web first.
Neither, yet
if both carry a real cost you should weigh first — youngest and least proven project on this page, and not open source despite being widely listed as such — read the Lite License. If either of those is a dealbreaker for your team, the shortlist is wrong rather than the choice.
OpenPanel vs Countly — common questions
Is OpenPanel a better fit than Countly for product analytics?
It depends on what you are optimising for, and the honest split is this: OpenPanel scores 90 to Countly's 66 on data ownership and exit cost, so it is the safer choice if you care about being able to leave. Countly earns its place on a different axis — mobile and IoT first, where most of this category is web first. Neither is a wrong answer for every team; the table above is the actual comparison.
What happens if we want to switch later?
OpenPanel keeps its data local or in open formats, so leaving is an export rather than a negotiation. Countly is still self-hostable, so the files stay on your server either way — but it is not local-first by design, so check what its export produces before you rely on it.
Can I self-host OpenPanel or Countly?
Both can be self-hosted. The difference is what it costs you in time rather than whether it is possible — see the setup and maintenance rows above.
Are OpenPanel and Countly both alternatives to Amplitude?
Yes — both appear in our Amplitude comparison, which is why they are worth putting side by side. People usually arrive here already having decided to move off Amplitude and now choosing between the two replacements, which is a narrower and much easier question.
Related alternative guides
Facts verified 2026-07-31. Licenses and pricing change — spotted something out of date? That's a correction we want.