Appcues vs Userpilot: The $7K Price Gap With a Twist

Userpilot costs $299/month. Appcues costs $879/month.

So Userpilot is obviously cheaper, right?

Not quite.

Userpilot includes product analytics (trends, funnels, retention cohorts) that Appcues doesn't. If you add Mixpanel to Appcues, you're at $879/month + $75/month = $954/month minimum.

Now the gap is $299/month vs $954/month—a $7,860/year difference.

But here's the twist: Userpilot's analytics aren't as powerful as dedicated tools, and Appcues' mobile SDKs work better than Userpilot's mobile support.

This isn't a simple pricing comparison. It's a feature trade-off that depends entirely on your use case.

Let me break down what you actually get at each price point—and when each tool makes sense.

What You're Actually Comparing

Userpilot positioning: All-in-one product growth platform. Onboarding + analytics + feedback in one tool. No-code builder, session replays, NPS surveys. Designed to replace 2-3 separate tools.

Appcues positioning: Dedicated onboarding platform. Best-in-class tours, strong mobile SDKs, Chrome extension builder. Focused entirely on in-app guidance, not analytics.

So right away: Userpilot is trying to be your entire product stack. Appcues is trying to be the best tour builder you integrate with other tools.

Different strategies. Different trade-offs.

The Feature Breakdown That Matters

Userpilot Starter ($299/month for 2,000 MAUs):

• Product tours, tooltips, modals, checklists
• Resource centers (self-serve help)
• NPS/CSAT surveys
• Product analytics: Trends, funnels, paths
• Session replays
• Event autocapture (no manual instrumentation needed)
• Basic segmentation

Userpilot Growth ($799/month starting, scales with MAUs):

• Everything in Starter
• Advanced product analytics
• Custom roles and permissions
• Unlimited surveys
• Better segmentation
• Priority support

Appcues Essentials ($249/month for 2,500 MAUs):

• Tooltips, modals, slideouts, hotspots, banners
• NO checklists (need Growth plan)
• Limited to 5 segments
• Only 10 event tracking slots
• Basic goal tracking
• No mobile support

Appcues Growth ($879/month for 2,500 MAUs):

• Everything in Essentials
• Checklists (finally)
• Unlimited segments
• Unlimited events
• Mobile SDKs (iOS, Android, Ionic)
• Launchpads (help centers)
• Basic analytics (completion rates, goal conversions)
• Still NO product analytics (need Mixpanel/Amplitude)

The analytics gap:

Userpilot includes funnel analysis, retention cohorts, event tracking, session replays from day one. Appcues gives you completion rates and basic goal tracking—that's it.

To get equivalent analytics with Appcues, you need:

• Mixpanel Growth: $75/month minimum (often $100-300/month at scale)
• Amplitude: Starts at $61,000/year for paid plans
• Heap/Segment/etc.: Similar pricing

So the real comparison is:

• Userpilot Starter: $299/month (includes analytics)
• Appcues Growth + Mixpanel: $879/month + $75/month = $954/month

Now Userpilot looks $7,860/year cheaper.

The Mobile SDK Reality Check

Here's where Appcues fights back:

Appcues mobile support:

• Native SDKs for iOS, Android, Ionic
• Full feature parity with web (tours, tooltips, checklists all work)
• Well-documented, actively maintained
• Used by major mobile apps

Userpilot mobile support:

• Mobile app support available as add-on (Growth/Enterprise plans only)
• Not as mature as Appcues
• Some features don't have full mobile parity

If you're building a mobile app or have mobile-web hybrid, Appcues' mobile SDKs are legitimately better.

From reviews comparing the two: "Userpilot supports both web, mobile app, and email. You can manage mobile content (carousels, push notifications) from the same dashboard as your web onboarding."

But also: Mobile features are add-ons on Growth/Enterprise, not included in Starter.

So if mobile is critical, Appcues wins. If you're web-only, Userpilot's mobile limitations don't matter.

The Analytics Quality Question

Userpilot includes analytics, but are they good enough to replace Mixpanel?

What Userpilot analytics gives you:

• Trends (how metrics change over time)
• Funnels (where users drop off)
• Paths (what users do before/after events)
• Retention cohorts
• Autocapture (events tracked automatically)
• Session replays (watch user sessions)

What Userpilot analytics DON'T give you:

• Advanced SQL querying (like Amplitude)
• Complex custom formulas
• Data warehouse integrations (Snowflake, BigQuery)
• Attribution modeling

From user reviews: "Userpilot offers more value to product teams... You don't need a separate subscription for product analytics because we offer trends, funnels, and path analysis natively."

But also: "Some users say the pricing feels steep, especially since key features are locked behind higher tiers."

The truth: For early-stage SaaS (under $500K ARR), Userpilot's analytics are good enough. You can track activation funnels, see where users drop off, watch session replays.

For growth-stage SaaS ($500K-5M ARR), you might still need Amplitude/Mixpanel for advanced analysis. Userpilot analytics work for 80% of use cases, not 100%.

The Customization and Ease of Use

Userpilot builder:

• No-code visual editor
• WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get)
• Genuinely easier for non-technical teams
• But: Some reviews mention "glitches and times when it would freeze up"

Appcues builder:

• Chrome extension approach
• Click elements, add steps, customize
• Slightly more polished than Userpilot
• But: Advanced styling still requires CSS for both

From reviews: "I liked that you have a 'what you see is what you get' editor. It's pretty intuitive and easy to make a design that looks good." (Userpilot review)

vs.

"Appcues is one of the more expensive options on the market; that being said, its strong feature set and positive user experience make spending the extra money worth it." (Appcues review)

Both tools are genuinely no-code for basic use. Both require CSS for advanced customization. Neither is clearly "easier"—it's personal preference.

The Pricing Breakdown at Scale

At 2,000-2,500 MAUs:

• Userpilot Starter: $299/month ($3,588/year)
• Appcues Essentials: $249/month ($2,988/year) — but no checklists
• Appcues Growth: $879/month ($10,548/year)

If you need checklists (most people do), Userpilot is $6,960/year cheaper than Appcues Growth.

At 5,000 MAUs:

• Userpilot Starter: Likely $400-500/month ($4,800-6,000/year)
• Userpilot Growth: $799/month+ ($9,588/year+)
• Appcues Growth: $879/month+ ($10,548/year+)

Pricing converges at this scale. Userpilot still slightly cheaper but gap narrows.

At 10,000 MAUs:

• Userpilot Growth: $799-999/month ($9,588-11,988/year)
• Appcues Growth: ~$1,200/month ($14,400/year)

Userpilot remains ~$2,400-4,800/year cheaper at this scale.

Negotiation leverage (from Vendr data):

• Appcues: 40-60% discounts possible for multi-year deals
• Userpilot: Less community data, but some discounts available

Both tools will negotiate. Get 3 quotes, mention you're comparing alternatives.

When Userpilot Makes Sense

Choose Userpilot if:

• You're under 10,000 MAUs and budget-conscious
• You need onboarding + analytics in one tool (don't want to buy Mixpanel separately)
• You want session replays to see exactly where users get stuck
• You're web-only or mobile isn't critical yet
• Budget is $3,600-12,000/year

Skip Userpilot if:

• You need best-in-class mobile SDKs (Appcues is better)
• You already use Amplitude/Mixpanel and don't need redundant analytics
• You need advanced analytics features (SQL querying, data warehouse integrations)

When Appcues Makes Sense

Choose Appcues if:

• You need native mobile SDKs (iOS, Android, Ionic)
• You already have Mixpanel/Amplitude for analytics
• You're over 10,000 MAUs and growing fast
• You want best-in-class tour builder, don't care about bundled analytics
• Budget is $10,548-18,000/year

Skip Appcues if:

• You don't have product analytics yet (Userpilot's bundled analytics save you $900-61,000/year)
• You're under 5,000 MAUs and budget-sensitive
• You don't need mobile SDKs

The Comparison Matrix

The decision comes down to: do you need Userpilot's bundled analytics or Appcues' mobile SDKs?

What You Should Actually Do

Here's the uncomfortable truth: both tools are expensive for what indie hackers actually need.

If you're at $10K-50K MRR, spending $3,600-10,500/year on onboarding is questionable ROI.

For bootstrapped founders, consider alternatives like Escourtly that provide similar onboarding and analytics features without the recurring enterprise pricing model.

For more comparisons: Appcues vs Userflow | Userpilot vs Chameleon | Appcues vs Pendo

When to Use What

Use Userpilot if:

• You're at $100K-500K ARR
• You need bundled analytics and don't want to buy Mixpanel
• Session replays are critical for understanding drop-offs
• You're web-focused (mobile not critical)
• Budget is $3,600-12,000/year

Use Appcues if:

• You're at $500K+ ARR
• You need best-in-class mobile SDKs
• You already have Mixpanel/Amplitude for analytics
• You want the most polished tour builder
• Budget is $10,548-18,000/year

The Bottom Line

Userpilot and Appcues are both solid products solving slightly different problems.

Userpilot ($3,588/year starting): All-in-one platform with bundled analytics. Best value if you need onboarding + analytics and don't have Mixpanel/Amplitude.

Appcues ($10,548/year starting): Best-in-class tour builder with excellent mobile SDKs. Best choice if you already have analytics tools and need mobile-first onboarding.

The price gap is $6,960/year at entry level, but narrows to ~$2,400-4,800/year at 10K MAUs.

For bootstrapped founders at <$100K ARR, consider lightweight alternatives before committing to $3,600-34,000/year recurring costs.

For teams at $100K-500K ARR, try Userpilot first (cheaper, includes analytics). If mobile is critical, use Appcues and negotiate 40-60% off.

For teams at $500K+ ARR, both tools work. Choose based on your stack: Userpilot if you need bundled analytics, Appcues if you already have Mixpanel/Amplitude.

But first, answer the core question: do you actually need tours, or do you need better UX?

Most activation problems are UX problems, not education problems. Fix your product before spending thousands on tour builders.

Related comparisons: Appcues vs Userflow | Appcues vs Chameleon | Userpilot vs Pendo | Userpilot vs Intercom