TL;DR
Self-hosted: Full data control, but requires DevOps and ongoing maintenance. SaaS: Quick setup, no maintenance, visual editors, but data on vendor servers. For most teams, SaaS (like ExperimentHQ at $29/mo) is more cost-effective. Self-host only if you have strict data requirements AND DevOps capacity.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Aspect | Self-Hosted | SaaS |
|---|---|---|
| Setup time | Hours to days | Minutes |
| Maintenance | Ongoing (you) | None (vendor) |
| Data control | Full control | Vendor-hosted |
| Cost | $50-500/mo + time | $29-699/mo |
| Visual editor | Usually no | Usually yes |
| Uptime | Your responsibility | Vendor SLA |
Choose Self-Hosted If
- Strict data residency requirements
- Large engineering team with DevOps capacity
- Need to customize the tool extensively
- Regulatory requirements (healthcare, finance)
Choose SaaS If
- Want to start testing quickly
- Small team without dedicated DevOps
- Need visual editor for non-technical users
- Prefer predictable costs without maintenance
The True Cost of Self-Hosting
"Free" open source tools aren't free:
- • Infrastructure: $50-500/month for servers, database, CDN
- • Setup: 8-40 hours of engineering time
- • Maintenance: 2-8 hours/month for updates, monitoring
- • Opportunity cost: Time not spent on your product
Our Recommendation
For 90% of teams: Use SaaS. ExperimentHQ at $29/month is cheaper than self-hosting when you factor in time and maintenance.