Firebase Analytics is no-cost event reporting for apps already on Firebase, Mixpanel records named events with funnels and a free tier of 1M events a month, and ActivationPal is the narrower option for onboarding, paywall and subscription conversion. ActivationPal publishes this page and makes the third product.
Firebase vs Mixpanel at a glance
Prices and limits are as stated on each vendor's page on 13 October 2026.
| Product | Best for | Mobile collection | Free tier | Paid plans |
|---|
| ActivationPal | Mobile-only apps that need onboarding and paywall funnels plus RevenueCat or Superwall revenue | Explicit calls from native Swift, native Android, Flutter and React Native SDKs; first_open and app_open are automatic | 10k events, lifetime, 3-month history | Starter $9, Pro $19, Scale $29 per month (pricing) |
| Firebase (Google Analytics) | No-cost measurement for apps already on Firebase | Apple platforms, Android, Web, Flutter, Unity and C++; the SDK captures some events automatically and supports custom events | No charge, reporting on up to 500 distinct events | Analytics is no-cost on the Spark plan; Blaze is pay as you go for other Firebase services |
| Mixpanel | Named, explicit events with funnels and retention | Swift SDK with track calls; the pricing page also lists a Flutter SDK and mobile session replay | Up to 1M events per month, unlimited seats | Growth starts at $0 with the first 1M events free, up to 20M events per month; Enterprise is a custom quote |
What "Firebase" covers here
This page compares Analytics only, meaning Google Analytics in the Firebase console. Authentication, Firestore, Hosting and the other Firebase products have their own lines on the Firebase pricing page and are not part of this comparison.
The Spark plan lists Analytics as no-cost and needs no payment method.
How event collection works on iOS and Android
Firebase. You add the Firebase SDK to a new or existing app and data collection begins. The SDK automatically captures a number of events and user properties and lets you define custom events, such as E-Commerce purchases or achievements. Data appears in the Firebase console within hours. Audiences are defined in the console from device data, custom events or user properties. Analytics can also link to BigQuery for custom analysis.
Mixpanel. Mixpanel is explicit. The Swift SDK installs through CocoaPods, Carthage or Swift Package Manager. You initialize with MixpanelOptions(token:) and Mixpanel.initialize(options:), then send events with Mixpanel.mainInstance().track(event:properties:). The trackAutomaticEvents option defaults to false, and the docs call it "not recommended". For Android, check the Mixpanel Android docs.
The SDK batches events and flushes every 60 seconds and when the app goes to the background. The /track endpoint only accepts events with timestamps in the last 5 days. Projects with EU or India data residency must set the regional serverURL, or events are not ingested.
Funnels and subscription revenue
Mixpanel lists funnels and retention analysis on its free plan, with 5 saved reports per seat on Free and unlimited saved reports on Growth.
The Firebase pages used for this comparison do not describe funnel reports, so check the Firebase console and docs for funnel reporting before you commit to it. They also do not state a RevenueCat or Superwall connection.
The Mixpanel pricing page lists no RevenueCat or Superwall integration either. For both tools, a purchase reaches your reports only as an event you send or load yourself.
Cost as of 13 October 2026
- Firebase: Analytics is no-cost on the Spark plan, with unlimited reporting on up to 500 distinct events.
- Mixpanel Free: up to 1M events a month, unlimited seats, 10K session replays a month, funnels and retention.
- Mixpanel Growth: starts at $0 with the first 1M events free, up to 20M events a month.
- Mixpanel Enterprise: a custom quote, up to 1T events a month.
Mixpanel's Startup program gives the first year free on the Startup plan to companies founded less than 5 years ago with up to $8M in total funding.
Firebase caps distinct event names and Mixpanel bills by event volume, so the limits measure different things.
How ActivationPal sets up onboarding-to-revenue reporting
ActivationPal uses fixed event names, so there is nothing to register and no charts to build. Setup on iOS takes five steps, from the quickstart:
- Add the app in the dashboard to get its slug and
ap_pk key, then download the single Swift file. It needs iOS 15+ and has no dependencies.
- Call
ActivationPal.configure(app:key:userId:) at launch. With RevenueCat, pass Purchases.shared.appUserID. This sends first_open and app_open automatically.
- Call
onboardingStep(index, id:, answer:) on each onboarding screen, then onboardingCompleted().
- Call
paywallShown, paywallPlanSelected, paywallPurchased and paywallDismissed around the paywall.
- Connect RevenueCat with an HMAC-signed webhook, or Superwall with its signing secret. Purchases, trials, renewals and churn arrive as
rc_* events and join the funnel through the user id.
ActivationPal.configure(app: "myapp", key: "ap_pk_YOUR_KEY", userId: Purchases.shared.appUserID)
ActivationPal.onboardingStep(0, id: "goal", answer: "lose_weight")
ActivationPal.onboardingStep(1, id: "notifications")
ActivationPal.onboardingCompleted()
ActivationPal.paywallShown("onboarding")
ActivationPal.paywallPlanSelected("yearly")
ActivationPal.paywallPurchased("yearly")
Every funnel stage counts unique devices from the install cohort, so no stage exceeds 100% of installs. Custom events need no registration either. Android needs one Kotlin file with no library dependencies and runs on Android 5.0+.
Android, Flutter and React Native use the same event names: see the Android, Flutter and React Native guides. The iOS analytics page covers the Swift SDK and subscription analytics the revenue side. The homepage shows the dashboard.
The free plan is 10k events for the life of the account. Paid plans are $9 (50k events a month), $19 (250k) and $29 (1M), each with 2-year history. See pricing.
ActivationPal covers mobile apps only. It is not a web or cross-platform analytics suite.
How to choose
- Pick Firebase for no-cost reporting when the app is already on Firebase.
- Pick Mixpanel for named events with funnels, retention and a free tier of 1M events a month.
- Pick ActivationPal for mobile-only onboarding, paywall and RevenueCat or Superwall funnels.
For other pairings, read Heap vs Mixpanel and best product analytics tools, or run your numbers through the funnel calculator.