Posthog Session Replay Portable //top\\ Jun 2026
Once stored in your warehouse, the data belongs entirely to you and can be archived indefinitely or processed by custom data analytics tools. Privacy and Security Considerations
The most absolute form of control is to run the software on your own infrastructure. PostHog's core engine is open-source under an MIT license, which includes event capture, analytics, funnels, and the ingestion pipeline. You can deploy PostHog on your own servers using a simple Docker command, giving you complete authority over your database and logs. This is the gold standard for companies in regulated industries like fintech and healthcare where data must remain within their own infrastructure for compliance reasons.
What are you planning to run this portable setup in (e.g., Docker, an offline desktop app, a local server)?
Here is a conceptual walkthrough of how to make your session replays fully portable. Step 1: Fetch the Raw Replay Data via API posthog session replay portable
Portability is meaningless if the data format is a proprietary black box. PostHog builds on rrweb —an open-source library for recording and replaying web interfaces—which serializes the DOM into lightweight JSON snapshots and incremental updates [1†L49-L51]. Because it's a community-driven standard, the data isn't trapped in a proprietary vendor vault. You can export it, and even if you never use PostHog again, you won't lose your data.
The requirement to be "portable" doesn't override the need to be privacy-conscious. PostHog allows you to mask sensitive information directly on the , meaning sensitive data is never sent to the server in the first place. You can define CSS selectors to block specific elements or use a custom masking function to obfuscate text while still capturing user behavior on the client.
curl -X GET "https://posthog.comproject_id/session_recordings/recording_id/snapshots/" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer your_personal_api_key" Use code with caution. Once stored in your warehouse, the data belongs
The value of portable data extends far beyond a theoretical desire for control, with several practical benefits for development and product teams.
: When you exceed 2 million events and thousands of recordings per month, cloud costs may begin to rival the operational cost of self-hosting. At this scale, deploying to a dedicated server can be economically attractive, with reported monthly infrastructure costs around €42 for a capable server [21†L3-L5].
Bullet points of every tiny change (mutations, mouse moves, touches) that occurred after the baseline. You can deploy PostHog on your own servers
Enter . This approach leverages PostHog’s powerful open-source capabilities to create a flexible, self-contained, or highly adaptable session recording pipeline.
The portability of these replays shifts their utility from simple observation to proactive problem-solving.
: It offers robust support across multiple platforms, including web and mobile (iOS, Android, React Native, and Flutter). Open Source & Ownership
all-in-one developer platform that excels by integrating session replay directly with product analytics, feature flags, and error tracking. This deep integration allows technical teams to connect the "what" (analytics) with the "why" (replay) and immediately act on those insights. Core Features & Benefits Complete Context
