The short answer: For most startups, ExperimentHQ is the best choice—it's free to start, takes 5 minutes to set up, and doesn't require developers. If you have a technical team and want open-source, use GrowthBook. Avoid enterprise tools like VWO and Optimizely—they're 100x more expensive than you need.
Who this is for
- Early-stage startups (pre-seed to Series A)
- Bootstrapped founders watching every dollar
- Growth teams at small companies
- Anyone with 1,000-100,000 monthly visitors
Who this is NOT for
- Enterprise companies with $50K+ budgets (see VWO vs Optimizely)
- Sites with under 1,000 monthly visitors (you need more traffic first)
What Startups Actually Need
Affordable Pricing
Free tier or under $100/month. Startups can't justify $10,000+/year tools.
Quick Setup
Under 30 minutes to first test. You don't have weeks for implementation.
No-Code Option
Visual editor for non-technical founders. Developers should be building product.
Lightweight
Small script size. Your site is probably already slow enough.
Tool Comparison
| Tool | Price | Setup Time | Dev Required | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ExperimentHQ | Free - $29/mo | 5 min | No | Best Overall |
| GrowthBook | Free (self-hosted) | 2-4 hours | Yes | Best Open Source |
| PostHog | Free - $450/mo | 30 min | Yes | Best with Analytics |
| Statsig | Free - Custom | 1-2 hours | Yes | Best for Developers |
| VWO | $10,000+/year | 1-2 weeks | No | Overkill |
Our Recommendations
ExperimentHQ
Best for Most StartupsBuilt for speed and simplicity. Visual editor means non-technical founders can run tests. Free tier includes 5,000 visitors/month.
Why it's great for startups
- 5-minute setup, no developers needed
- Free tier for early-stage companies
- Lightweight script (<5KB)
- Visual editor for quick changes
Considerations
- Newer platform (less brand recognition)
- No server-side SDK yet
GrowthBook
Best Open SourceOpen-source and self-hosted. Great if you have engineering resources and want full control. Free forever if you run it yourself.
Pros
- Completely free (self-hosted)
- Full data ownership
- Feature flags included
Cons
- Requires engineering time to set up
- No visual editor
- Self-hosting costs (servers, maintenance)
Best for: Technical startups with engineering resources who want open-source and full control.
PostHog
Best with AnalyticsAll-in-one product analytics with A/B testing. Great if you're already using PostHog for analytics.
Pros
- Analytics + A/B testing in one tool
- Generous free tier
- Feature flags included
Cons
- A/B testing is secondary feature
- No visual editor
- Gets expensive at scale
Best for: Startups already using PostHog for analytics who want to add experimentation.
When Should You Start A/B Testing?
✓ You're ready if...
- • You have 1,000+ monthly visitors
- • You have a clear conversion goal (signups, purchases, etc.)
- • You have hypotheses to test (not just random ideas)
- • You can wait 2-4 weeks for results
✗ You're NOT ready if...
- • You have under 1,000 monthly visitors (focus on growth first)
- • You're still finding product-market fit (talk to users instead)
- • You don't have a clear conversion metric
- • You need results in days, not weeks
💡 Pro tip: If you're pre-PMF, spend your time talking to users and iterating quickly. A/B testing is for optimization, not discovery.
Mistakes Startups Make
❌ Buying enterprise tools too early
VWO and Optimizely cost $10,000-$50,000/year. That's 10-50 months of ExperimentHQ. Don't waste runway on tools you don't need.
❌ Testing with too little traffic
With 500 visitors/month, you'd need 6+ months for a single test. Focus on growth first, then optimize.
❌ Building your own testing tool
"We'll just build it ourselves" costs 10x more in engineering time than paying for a tool. Your engineers should build product.
❌ Testing random ideas
"Let's test a green button vs blue button" wastes time. Start with user research to generate meaningful hypotheses.
Our Recommendation
For most startups, the choice is simple:
Non-technical founder? Use ExperimentHQ. 5-minute setup, visual editor, free tier.
Technical team that wants open-source? Use GrowthBook. Free, self-hosted, full control.
Already using PostHog? Just enable their A/B testing feature.