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Top 10 Best Cohort Analysis Software of 2026

Discover top 10 cohort analysis software to track user retention. Find tools for effective data analysis. Explore now!

Alexander Schmidt

Alexander Schmidt

Feb 11, 2026

10 tools comparedExpert reviewed
Independent evaluation · Unbiased commentary · Updated regularly
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Cohort analysis software is vital for businesses to dissect user behavior, boost retention, and inform strategic decisions—with a broad range of tools available, choosing the right platform is critical to extracting meaningful insights from user segments. The tools examined here, spanning advanced product platforms to privacy-focused open-source solutions, cater to diverse needs, making them essential for teams aiming to understand user lifecycles deeply.

Quick Overview

  1. 1#1: Amplitude - Advanced product analytics platform specializing in cohort analysis for user retention, engagement, and behavioral insights.
  2. 2#2: Mixpanel - Event-based analytics tool with powerful cohort tables to track retention and user behavior over time.
  3. 3#3: Heap - Autocapture analytics platform enabling retroactive cohort segmentation without predefined events.
  4. 4#4: PostHog - Open-source product analytics suite offering unlimited cohorts, funnels, and SQL-based analysis.
  5. 5#5: Google Analytics - Comprehensive web and app analytics with cohort exploration reports for retention analysis.
  6. 6#6: CleverTap - AI-powered mobile marketing platform with granular cohort analysis for user lifecycle optimization.
  7. 7#7: Braze - Customer engagement platform using cohort segmentation for personalized cross-channel campaigns.
  8. 8#8: Adobe Analytics - Enterprise analytics solution with advanced cohort analysis integrated into the Experience Cloud.
  9. 9#9: Countly - Mobile and web analytics SDK with customizable cohort retention visualizations and plugins.
  10. 10#10: Matomo - Privacy-focused open-source analytics platform featuring cohort tracking and visitor segmentation.

These tools were selected based on robust cohort capabilities, user-friendliness, integration potential, and overall value, ensuring they suit both seasoned analysts and those new to cohort tracking, while balancing depth and accessibility.

Comparison Table

This comparison table breaks down key cohort analysis software options, featuring Amplitude, Mixpanel, Heap, PostHog, Google Analytics, and more, to simplify tool selection. Readers will discover critical features, usability, and core capabilities, enabling them to identify the best fit for their analytical goals and workflow.

1Amplitude logo9.4/10

Advanced product analytics platform specializing in cohort analysis for user retention, engagement, and behavioral insights.

Features
9.8/10
Ease
8.9/10
Value
8.7/10
2Mixpanel logo9.1/10

Event-based analytics tool with powerful cohort tables to track retention and user behavior over time.

Features
9.5/10
Ease
8.7/10
Value
8.2/10
3Heap logo8.7/10

Autocapture analytics platform enabling retroactive cohort segmentation without predefined events.

Features
9.2/10
Ease
7.8/10
Value
8.0/10
4PostHog logo8.6/10

Open-source product analytics suite offering unlimited cohorts, funnels, and SQL-based analysis.

Features
9.1/10
Ease
7.9/10
Value
9.4/10

Comprehensive web and app analytics with cohort exploration reports for retention analysis.

Features
7.7/10
Ease
7.4/10
Value
9.8/10
6CleverTap logo8.1/10

AI-powered mobile marketing platform with granular cohort analysis for user lifecycle optimization.

Features
8.4/10
Ease
8.0/10
Value
7.8/10
7Braze logo8.1/10

Customer engagement platform using cohort segmentation for personalized cross-channel campaigns.

Features
8.7/10
Ease
7.2/10
Value
6.8/10

Enterprise analytics solution with advanced cohort analysis integrated into the Experience Cloud.

Features
9.2/10
Ease
6.4/10
Value
7.3/10
9Countly logo7.8/10

Mobile and web analytics SDK with customizable cohort retention visualizations and plugins.

Features
7.5/10
Ease
7.0/10
Value
8.5/10
10Matomo logo7.8/10

Privacy-focused open-source analytics platform featuring cohort tracking and visitor segmentation.

Features
7.5/10
Ease
7.0/10
Value
9.2/10
1
Amplitude logo

Amplitude

specialized

Advanced product analytics platform specializing in cohort analysis for user retention, engagement, and behavioral insights.

Overall Rating9.4/10
Features
9.8/10
Ease of Use
8.9/10
Value
8.7/10
Standout Feature

Behavioral Cohort Table for side-by-side analysis of custom cohorts with retention heatmaps and advanced metrics

Amplitude is a premier product analytics platform renowned for its powerful cohort analysis capabilities, allowing users to segment audiences based on behaviors, events, and attributes to track retention, engagement, and revenue over time. It offers customizable cohort tables, retention curves, and next-action analysis to uncover user lifecycle insights. The platform integrates seamlessly with data warehouses and supports real-time behavioral analytics for data-driven product decisions.

Pros

  • Exceptional cohort segmentation with behavioral and multi-dimensional analysis
  • Real-time data processing and scalable for millions of events
  • Deep integrations with tools like Segment, Snowflake, and BI platforms

Cons

  • Higher pricing tiers can be expensive for small teams
  • Advanced features require a learning curve for non-experts
  • Limited customization in some visualization options compared to BI tools

Best For

Mid-to-large product teams at SaaS companies seeking scalable, behavioral cohort analysis for optimizing retention and growth.

Pricing

Starter plan free (10M events/mo); Growth from $995/mo (1M MTUs); Enterprise custom.

Visit Amplitudeamplitude.com
2
Mixpanel logo

Mixpanel

specialized

Event-based analytics tool with powerful cohort tables to track retention and user behavior over time.

Overall Rating9.1/10
Features
9.5/10
Ease of Use
8.7/10
Value
8.2/10
Standout Feature

Behavioral cohort builder that segments users by complex event sequences and properties for unprecedented precision in retention analysis

Mixpanel is a powerful product analytics platform specializing in event-based tracking to uncover user behavior insights. It excels in cohort analysis by enabling users to create dynamic cohorts based on acquisition dates, events, properties, or behaviors, then visualize retention curves, engagement tables, and revenue progression over time. The tool's cohort features support identifying churn patterns, optimizing retention strategies, and forecasting growth with customizable metrics and real-time data updates.

Pros

  • Highly granular cohort segmentation using event properties and behaviors
  • Real-time cohort updates and interactive visualizations for quick insights
  • Seamless integration with revenue data for LTV and cohort profitability analysis

Cons

  • Pricing can escalate quickly with high event volumes
  • Steep learning curve for advanced cohort setups and JQL queries
  • Limited native export options for cohort data compared to BI tools

Best For

Growth and product teams at scaling SaaS companies needing deep behavioral cohort insights to drive retention and monetization.

Pricing

Free up to 100k monthly tracked users; Growth plan starts at $25/mo + $0.0003 per extra event; Enterprise custom pricing.

Visit Mixpanelmixpanel.com
3
Heap logo

Heap

specialized

Autocapture analytics platform enabling retroactive cohort segmentation without predefined events.

Overall Rating8.7/10
Features
9.2/10
Ease of Use
7.8/10
Value
8.0/10
Standout Feature

Retroactive autocapture of all events, allowing instant cohort creation from historical data without manual instrumentation

Heap (heap.io) is a comprehensive product analytics platform that automatically captures every user interaction without requiring manual event tagging, enabling powerful cohort analysis for retention, engagement, and behavioral insights. It allows users to retroactively build cohorts based on any event, property, or session data and visualize metrics like retention curves over time. Ideal for product teams, Heap combines cohort tools with session replays, funnels, and surveys for a holistic view of user journeys.

Pros

  • Automatic event capture enables retroactive cohort building without upfront setup
  • Robust cohort retention analysis with customizable metrics and visualizations
  • Seamless integrations with tools like Slack, Segment, and BI platforms

Cons

  • Steep learning curve for advanced cohort features and dashboard customization
  • Pricing scales quickly for high-volume usage, less ideal for small teams
  • Occasional performance lags with very large datasets

Best For

Mid-sized to enterprise product teams analyzing complex user behaviors and retention through effortless data capture.

Pricing

Free tier up to 300k sessions/month; Growth ($3,600/mo annually), Pro ($12,000/mo annually), Enterprise custom.

Visit Heapheap.io
4
PostHog logo

PostHog

specialized

Open-source product analytics suite offering unlimited cohorts, funnels, and SQL-based analysis.

Overall Rating8.6/10
Features
9.1/10
Ease of Use
7.9/10
Value
9.4/10
Standout Feature

SQL-powered cohort definitions for unlimited customization and precision

PostHog is an open-source product analytics platform that provides robust cohort analysis tools to track user retention, engagement, and behavioral patterns over time. Users can create dynamic cohorts based on events, properties, person attributes, or even custom SQL queries, enabling granular segmentation and analysis without data sampling limits. Integrated with session replays, funnels, and A/B testing, it offers a comprehensive suite for product teams focused on privacy and data ownership.

Pros

  • Unlimited data processing with no sampling for accurate cohorts
  • Flexible cohort creation via UI, plugins, or SQL for advanced users
  • Open-source and self-hostable for full data control and privacy

Cons

  • Steeper learning curve for non-technical users
  • UI less polished for quick cohort setup compared to specialized tools
  • Overkill for teams needing only basic cohort analysis

Best For

Privacy-conscious product and growth teams at tech startups or scale-ups needing integrated analytics with powerful cohort capabilities.

Pricing

Free open-source self-hosting; Cloud: Free up to 1M events/month, Scale plan from $450/month for higher volumes.

Visit PostHogposthog.com
5
Google Analytics logo

Google Analytics

specialized

Comprehensive web and app analytics with cohort exploration reports for retention analysis.

Overall Rating8.1/10
Features
7.7/10
Ease of Use
7.4/10
Value
9.8/10
Standout Feature

Free, scalable cohort explorations with BigQuery export for unlimited custom analysis

Google Analytics, particularly in its GA4 version, offers cohort analysis through Explorations, enabling users to group visitors by acquisition date or custom dimensions and track retention, revenue, and engagement over time. It visualizes cohort performance via heatmaps, tables, and line charts, helping analyze user lifecycle and behavior patterns. While not a dedicated cohort tool, it integrates seamlessly with broader web and app analytics for contextual insights.

Pros

  • Completely free for standard use with high data limits
  • Deep integration with Google ecosystem like Ads and BigQuery
  • Flexible cohort definitions based on user acquisition and events

Cons

  • Cohort analysis buried in Explorations with a learning curve
  • Limited advanced segmentation compared to specialized tools
  • Data sampling and privacy limits can affect accuracy for large sites

Best For

Small to medium-sized businesses and websites already using Google Analytics for cost-free cohort retention analysis.

Pricing

Free for standard GA4; Google Analytics 360 enterprise plans start at around $150,000/year.

Visit Google Analyticsanalytics.google.com
6
CleverTap logo

CleverTap

enterprise

AI-powered mobile marketing platform with granular cohort analysis for user lifecycle optimization.

Overall Rating8.1/10
Features
8.4/10
Ease of Use
8.0/10
Value
7.8/10
Standout Feature

Cohort-activated messaging, allowing automated campaigns triggered directly from cohort behaviors

CleverTap is a comprehensive customer engagement platform with robust cohort analysis capabilities, enabling users to track retention, revenue, and behavioral trends across user groups over time. It supports custom cohort creation based on events, segments, and attributes, offering visualizations such as retention curves, heatmaps, and LTV cohorts. Beyond pure analytics, it allows seamless activation of cohort insights through personalized campaigns and messaging.

Pros

  • Intuitive cohort builder with real-time data and customizable metrics
  • Strong visualizations including retention heatmaps and revenue cohorts
  • Direct integration of cohorts with engagement tools for quick actions

Cons

  • Advanced cohort features locked behind higher pricing tiers
  • Interface can feel overwhelming for users focused solely on analytics
  • Less depth in statistical modeling compared to dedicated analytics platforms

Best For

Mobile and web app growth teams seeking to combine cohort analysis with retention-focused campaigns.

Pricing

Free tier for up to 10,000 monthly active users; paid plans start at ~$1,000/month for Growth (100k MAU), scaling with usage and features to custom Enterprise pricing.

Visit CleverTapclevertap.com
7
Braze logo

Braze

enterprise

Customer engagement platform using cohort segmentation for personalized cross-channel campaigns.

Overall Rating8.1/10
Features
8.7/10
Ease of Use
7.2/10
Value
6.8/10
Standout Feature

Real-time cohort retention analysis tied directly to cross-channel campaign orchestration

Braze is a customer engagement platform with built-in cohort analysis tools that enable users to segment audiences by acquisition date, events, or attributes and visualize retention, churn, and engagement metrics over time. It integrates cohort insights directly into multi-channel campaigns, personalization, and segmentation workflows. While powerful for marketing-driven analytics, it's part of a broader suite rather than a standalone cohort tool.

Pros

  • Deep integration of cohorts with segmentation and real-time messaging
  • Advanced retention curves and behavioral cohort tracking
  • Scalable for enterprise-level data volumes

Cons

  • High enterprise pricing limits accessibility
  • Steep learning curve due to complex platform
  • Less specialized depth compared to dedicated analytics tools like Amplitude

Best For

Enterprise marketing teams needing cohort analysis embedded in customer engagement and personalization workflows.

Pricing

Custom enterprise pricing based on monthly active users and message volume; typically starts at $10,000+/month.

Visit Brazebraze.com
8
Adobe Analytics logo

Adobe Analytics

enterprise

Enterprise analytics solution with advanced cohort analysis integrated into the Experience Cloud.

Overall Rating8.1/10
Features
9.2/10
Ease of Use
6.4/10
Value
7.3/10
Standout Feature

Advanced Cohort Table in Analysis Workspace with heatmaps, breakdowns, and sequential analysis across unlimited dimensions

Adobe Analytics is an enterprise-grade web and mobile analytics platform that provides sophisticated cohort analysis capabilities through its Analysis Workspace. Users can define cohorts based on user attributes, behaviors, events, or segments and track metrics like retention, revenue, and engagement over time periods. It supports advanced visualizations such as heatmaps and breakdowns, making it suitable for analyzing customer lifecycles at scale.

Pros

  • Highly customizable cohort definitions using any dimension or segment
  • Scales effortlessly for massive datasets and enterprise needs
  • Seamless integration with Adobe Experience Cloud for cross-tool analysis

Cons

  • Steep learning curve requiring significant training
  • Expensive pricing model not ideal for small teams
  • Overly complex interface for basic cohort tasks

Best For

Large enterprises with complex analytics needs requiring deep cohort insights integrated into a broader marketing ecosystem.

Pricing

Custom enterprise pricing via quote; typically starts at $10,000+ annually based on data volume and plan tier (Select, Prime, Ultimate).

Visit Adobe Analyticsanalytics.adobe.com
9
Countly logo

Countly

specialized

Mobile and web analytics SDK with customizable cohort retention visualizations and plugins.

Overall Rating7.8/10
Features
7.5/10
Ease of Use
7.0/10
Value
8.5/10
Standout Feature

Self-hosted deployment ensuring complete data privacy and control for cohort analysis

Countly is a versatile mobile and web analytics platform with robust cohort analysis tools for tracking user retention, segmentation, and behavior over time. It enables users to create cohorts based on events, properties, and user attributes, generating retention heatmaps, churn analysis, and longitudinal comparisons. As an open-source solution, it supports self-hosting for data privacy while offering scalable enterprise features.

Pros

  • Open-source with self-hosting for data sovereignty
  • Extensive plugin system enhances cohort capabilities
  • Integrates cohort analysis with full analytics suite

Cons

  • Self-hosting requires technical expertise
  • UI and cohort builder less intuitive than specialized tools
  • Limited advanced cohort visualizations out-of-the-box

Best For

Privacy-focused teams or enterprises needing customizable, self-hosted cohort analysis within a broader analytics platform.

Pricing

Free Community edition (self-hosted); Cloud plans start at $490/month; Enterprise on-premise licensing from $9,000/year.

Visit Countlycountly.com
10
Matomo logo

Matomo

other

Privacy-focused open-source analytics platform featuring cohort tracking and visitor segmentation.

Overall Rating7.8/10
Features
7.5/10
Ease of Use
7.0/10
Value
9.2/10
Standout Feature

Unlimited historical data retention for cohorts with no sampling, allowing deep retrospective analysis

Matomo is an open-source web analytics platform that provides cohort analysis capabilities to track user retention, engagement, and revenue across user groups defined by acquisition periods like first visit date. It allows customization of cohort tables with metrics such as retention rates, page views, conversions, and e-commerce data over daily, weekly, or monthly intervals. As a privacy-focused alternative to Google Analytics, it enables self-hosting with full data control, making it suitable for detailed behavioral cohort insights without data sampling.

Pros

  • Open-source and self-hosted for complete data privacy and ownership
  • No data sampling, enabling accurate cohort analysis on full datasets
  • Customizable cohort metrics including retention, revenue, and goal completions

Cons

  • Initial self-hosting setup requires technical expertise
  • User interface feels dated compared to modern SaaS tools
  • Advanced cohort segmentation and behavioral cohorts require plugins or custom development

Best For

Privacy-focused businesses and developers seeking cost-effective, self-hosted cohort retention tracking for websites.

Pricing

Free self-hosted version; Matomo Cloud starts at €19/month for 100k pageviews, with premium plugins from €199/year.

Visit Matomomatomo.org

Conclusion

The world of cohort analysis software offers a range of tools, each with distinct strengths, but Amplitude rises to the top as the leading choice, renowned for advanced product analytics in retention and engagement. Close behind, Mixpanel impresses with powerful event-based tracking, and Heap stands out for its ability to enable retroactive cohort segmentation—each proving a formidable option for different analytical needs.

Amplitude logo
Our Top Pick
Amplitude

To harness the full potential of cohort analysis, start with Amplitude; its robust capabilities make it an ideal foundation for unlocking actionable user insights and driving growth.