Amplitude vs Mixpanel vs Segment: What are the differences?

Introduction

Amplitude, Mixpanel, and Segment are three popular analytics tools used by companies to track and analyze user behavior. While all three tools provide valuable insights, there are several key differences between them.

1. Data Collection: Amplitude, Mixpanel, and Segment differ in their approach to data collection. Amplitude and Mixpanel require implementation of their respective SDKs to track user events and send data to their servers. On the other hand, Segment acts as a data middleware, allowing users to instrument their app or website just once and then send data to multiple analytics providers, including Amplitude and Mixpanel, without requiring any additional code implementation.

2. Event-Based Tracking vs. Page Tracking: Amplitude and Mixpanel focus primarily on event-based tracking, where specific actions performed by users are tracked. They allow custom event creation and tracking to gain insights into user behavior. In contrast, Segment offers page tracking as its primary tracking method. It automatically tracks page loads and identifies individual users, allowing for easier analysis of user journeys on websites.

3. Data Schema: Amplitude and Mixpanel have a defined data schema and require pre-implementation planning to ensure consistent event tracking. Each event and its properties need to be specified upfront to ensure accurate analysis. In contrast, Segment does not require a predefined schema. It can accept and forward data with varying formats and schemas, making it more flexible for ad-hoc tracking.

4. Analytics Capabilities: Amplitude and Mixpanel provide advanced analytics features, such as funnel analysis, user segmentation, cohort analysis, and A/B testing. These tools offer powerful querying capabilities and visualizations to uncover deeper insights. Segment, on the other hand, provides basic analytics capabilities as it primarily focuses on data collection and sending data to other analytics tools.

5. Data Processing and Storage: Amplitude and Mixpanel handle the entire data processing and storage infrastructure, allowing users to focus on analysis. They provide powerful analytics databases for quick querying and storage capabilities to retain large volumes of event data. In contrast, Segment acts as a data relay, forwarding the collected data to multiple analytics providers. The actual data processing and storage depend on the chosen analytics tool within the Segment ecosystem.

6. Cost Structure: Amplitude and Mixpanel have subscription-based pricing models that are usually based on the number of monthly tracked users and the desired feature set. The cost increases as the user base grows. Segment, in addition to its free tier, offers a pricing model based on the number of data events processed per month across all integrated analytics providers. This can be more cost-effective for companies that use multiple analytics tools.

In summary, Amplitude, Mixpanel, and Segment differ in their approach to data collection, tracking methods, schema requirements, analytics capabilities, data processing, storage infrastructure, and cost structure.