Heap
Instrument explicit first-party events and avoid automatic capture of unrelated user behavior
A consolation build is possible, but the paid product's decisive value sits outside a solo rebuild. For Heap, instrument explicit first-party events and avoid automatic capture of unrelated user behavior. The hard boundary is automatic capture engine, identity graph, data science, governance, and enterprise operations, plus data pipeline reliability and analytical depth.
Build verification: not recorded. How we judge buildability
What you give up
- automatic capture engine, identity graph, data science, governance, and enterprise operations
- identity stitching
- session replay
- warehouse connectors
- high-volume global ingestion and support
Why people still pay
People still pay for Heap because teams pay because analytics must keep collecting and remain trustworthy while the product changes underneath it. The recurring cost buys event schemas, bot filtering, identity, late data, retention, query cost, privacy, backups, and always-on ingestion, not just the visible interface.
Your build guide
The stack, security requirements, and agent rules for a focused replacement.
Before you start
- Docker
- ClickHouse
- PostgreSQL
- public HTTPS collector endpoint
- site script access
Use these project rules and optional skill references alongside the prompt. Review each skill before adding it to your agent; the AGENTS.md export includes the same guidance.
Project rule, data: Model data sources, dated observations, derived metrics, and report snapshots; keep stable source IDs and timestamps.
Project rule, behavior: Create projects, API keys, environments, event names, and a documented event schema.
Project rule, recovery: Ingest idempotently, filter obvious bots, truncate IP data, and avoid fingerprinting.
Implementation plan
Phase 1, architecture and data
Use Next.js 15, TypeScript, ClickHouse, PostgreSQL, and Docker Compose. Model data sources, dated observations, derived metrics, and report snapshots; keep stable source IDs and timestamps.
Phase 2, implement
Create projects, API keys, environments, event names, and a documented event schema.
Phase 3, implement
Add retention controls, raw-event export, deletion, health checks, and backup instructions.
Phase 4, review and output
Instrument explicit privacy-conscious first-party events, avoid automatic capture of unrelated user behavior, answer a small set of product questions, and retain raw data under the owner's control. Add retention controls, raw-event export, deletion, health checks, and backup instructions.
Phase 5, recovery and acceptance
Ingest idempotently, filter obvious bots, truncate IP data, and avoid fingerprinting. Verify this invariant with a saved fixture: A replayed batch cannot double-count events; missing or late data must be labelled in the report. State the practical limit: automatic capture engine, identity graph, data science, governance, and enterprise operations.
Build me a focused web and product analytics workflow for the personal core of Heap. Requirements: - Use Next.js 15, TypeScript, ClickHouse, PostgreSQL, and Docker Compose. Model data sources, dated observations, derived metrics, and report snapshots; keep stable source IDs and timestamps. - Paid product context: Instrument explicit first-party events and avoid automatic capture of unrelated user behavior. Build only this DIY scope: Instrument explicit privacy-conscious first-party events, avoid automatic capture of unrelated user behavior, answer a small set of product questions, and retain raw data under the owner's control. - For web and product analytics, define the event schema and a permitted first-party source. - Ingest events with stable IDs, aggregate the requested metric, and retain raw rows for audit. - Show a dated report with filters and CSV export. - Use a local web page with input, progress, review, and export views. Required input or access: Docker; ClickHouse. - Recovery: Ingest idempotently, filter obvious bots, truncate IP data, and avoid fingerprinting. - Acceptance: with one labelled sample, show the input, saved intermediate state, and exported result; verify this invariant: A replayed batch cannot double-count events; missing or late data must be labelled in the report. - Out of scope: automatic capture engine, identity graph, data science, governance, and enterprise operations; identity stitching. Keep this a personal, inspectable workflow. - Include a README with setup, a sample input, required keys or permissions, data location, and the supported scope.
$ open in your agent (prompt prefilled, you press enter), copy the prompt or copy AGENTS.md · generated from this app's build plan
prompt copied. want to know what dies next week?
new verdicts + top votes, weekly. free. one-click out.
Alternatives to building your own
all 4 free alternatives to Heap →· no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
Heap pricing
| plan | monthly | annual (per mo) | what you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| free | $0/workspace | $0/workspace | 10,000 sessions/month, 6 months data history, and 1 project/environmentIncludes core analytics and SSO. |
| growth | — | — | Session-based usage estimate after installing the snippet; 12 months data history and 1 project/environmentNo public dollar price; Heap generates an estimate from observed usage. |
| pro | — | — | Custom session volume, 1 year data history, and 3 projects/environmentsQuote only; extra history and additional projects are paid add-ons. |
| premier | — | — | Custom session volume, 1 year data history, and unlimited projects/environmentsQuote only; extra history remains an add-on. |
free tier10,000 sessions/month, 6 months data history, and 1 project/environment
billingfree plan + usage-estimated Growth + custom Pro/Premier contracts; public monthly/annual terms not disclosed
hidden costsSession Replay, Heatmaps, Error Analysis, Heap Activate, Heap Connect, extra data-history years, and extra Pro projects are add-ons; server-side events consume capacity at 30 events = 1 session after the included contractual allowance.
pricing sources checked 2026-08-12 · pricing source ↗
Questions about Heap
Can you build your own Heap with AI?
A full replacement is not the recommended project. A consolation build is possible, but the paid product's decisive value sits outside a solo rebuild. For Heap, instrument explicit first-party events and avoid automatic capture of unrelated user behavior. The hard boundary is automatic capture engine, identity graph, data science, governance, and enterprise operations, plus data pipeline reliability and analytical depth.
What does the Heap build prompt cover?
The prompt starts with this scope: Instrument explicit privacy-conscious first-party events, avoid automatic capture of unrelated user behavior, answer a small set of product questions, and retain raw data under the owner's control. Full-product capabilities excluded from the comparison include: automatic capture engine, identity graph, data science, governance, and enterprise operations; identity stitching; session replay. Follow the implementation plan and its prerequisites before expanding the build.
How do I use the prompt, AGENTS.md and agent skills?
Start with the Heap prerequisites and stack, then copy the prompt into your coding agent. Save the project rules as AGENTS.md in the project root. Linked skills are optional packages or source instructions for specific tasks; review their current contents and install only those matching the chosen stack. A skill does not supply API credentials or verify the finished app.
How long will this Heap project take?
The catalogue estimate is closest consolation build: one sitting for the limited scope. Setup, integration approvals, debugging, deployment and ongoing maintenance can add time. This is an estimate, not a delivery guarantee.
What would I give up by replacing Heap?
automatic capture engine, identity graph, data science, governance, and enterprise operations; identity stitching; session replay; warehouse connectors; high-volume global ingestion and support. People still pay for Heap because teams pay because analytics must keep collecting and remain trustworthy while the product changes underneath it. The recurring cost buys event schemas, bot filtering, identity, late data, retention, query cost, privacy, backups, and always-on ingestion, not just the visible interface.
What can I use instead of building Heap?
Umami: Small, explicit event analytics with funnels and retention, hosted on infrastructure you control. PostHog: Explicit events, funnels and retention without being forced to autocapture the rest of a person's life. OpenPanel: Event analytics and user timelines without automatic snooping; ClickHouse administration is the trade. Compare all listed options at https://howtovibecodeit.dev/heap/alternatives. Check each option's license, hosting needs and feature limits.