Microsoft Clarity is a free behavioural analytics tool that focuses on website session replay and heatmaps, while Smartlook was a paid analytics platform that offered deeper event tracking, funnels, and product analytics for websites and mobile apps. Both record user sessions, but each provides different sets of features for analysing them.
Microsoft Clarity vs Smartlook: quick verdict
Choose Microsoft Clarity to get started quickly with free session recordings and heatmaps for understanding website behaviour, supplemented by AI-assisted session summaries. Smartlook offered deeper event-based analysis, custom funnels, and product analytics, but it is no longer available to new customers.
If your team's real need is support-focused session context (console errors, network data, frustration signals tied to a specific customer), neither tool was built for that use case first, and it's worth looking at Fullview.
Microsoft Clarity vs Smartlook: features comparison
*Clarity can record up to 100,000 sessions per project per day. Microsoft says it has no traffic limits, but recordings may be sampled above this daily recording limit.
Microsoft Clarity features
Microsoft Clarity records sessions without traffic-based limits, although recording capacity is subject to a daily limit. This tool also offers 5 types of heatmaps, which allows you to analyse engagement with a page in multiple dimensions instead of having a single aggregated view.
Smart Events represent an interesting way to track event-based metrics, where you can use auto-detected actions (button clicks, inputs, page views) or define your own with no coding needed.
In addition to Smart Events, Clarity has a significant advantage over other similar tools in terms of AI assistance: Copilot provides session summaries, including the origin of the visitor, their main actions, pain points, and more. This means hours of manual session review can be replaced with a few seconds of reading a summary. Another neat feature is that Clarity informs you when a user performs rage clicks and dead clicks, which helps you identify troublesome sessions. Finally, there are dozens of filters that let you drill down into the data before you start reviewing individual sessions.
Smartlook features
Smartlook provided session replay, heatmaps, and funnel builder to analyse user behaviour on websites and mobile apps. Its unique selling point is that it lets you define custom events and track them alongside pageviews and other pre-defined events. It has a funnel builder to define conversion steps and see where users are dropping.
Smartlook could be used for both website and mobile analytics with similar sets of features and a unified dashboard. It was more focused on product analytics than behaviour analytics, which is reflected in its funnel builder and segmentation options.
If your primary goal is understanding exactly what happened during a customer's session rather than aggregate product usage, see Fullview's session replay software.
Microsoft Clarity vs Smartlook: use cases
Microsoft Clarity use cases
Microsoft Clarity is best suited for analysing behaviour on websites, such as marketing pages and landing pages, using heatmaps and session replay. It can also be used to review the customer journey, analyse the conversion funnel on the website, and see which pages contribute to and hinder the conversion. Microsoft Clarity is a great tool for continuous use because it is free and has no traffic limits.
Smartlook use cases
Smartlook was better positioned to answer more involved questions about product analytics and behaviour analytics, such as defining the conversion funnel and analysing the drop-off points. The ability to track custom events and analyse them in the context of the entire session is essential when the objective is to optimise the product for a specific use case.
Smartlook was also useful in such cases when you need to analyse both the website and the mobile app with similar sets of features.
Which tool is better for your use case?
Microsoft Clarity vs Smartlook: user reviews
What users like and dislike
As of this writing, Microsoft Clarity has an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 from 55 reviews on G2, while Smartlook has a higher rating of 4.6 out of 5 from 874 reviews. Since user reviews are dynamic, this data should only be used as a reference point for the general impression of the product.
On G2, users praise Microsoft Clarity for its value for money (free), ease of use, and visual appeal of the heatmaps and session replay. The main reason for leaving a negative review is dissatisfaction with the support and, for some users, a perceived lack of features compared to other paid solutions.
On G2, Smartlook users appreciate the product’s ease of use, value for money, and advanced JavaScript error tracking and logging. Some users criticise the price, particularly the limitations of the free tier (3000 sessions per month) and the one-month data retention period.
Microsoft Clarity vs Smartlook: pricing
Microsoft Clarity pricing
Microsoft Clarity is a free product with no traffic limits. There is no paid version to compare, as one is not available.
Smartlook pricing
Smartlook previously had a free tier that included 3000 sessions per month, one month of data retention, and some limitations in terms of the number of events, funnels, and heatmaps. Its Business plan was listed at approximately 55\$ per month and offered more sessions, longer data retention, and more events, funnels, and heatmaps. Smartlook also had an Enterprise plan for custom requirements.
However, Cisco ended sales of Smartlook on 31 May 2026, and existing subscriptions could only be renewed or added to until 31 August 2026.
Which one offers better value?
When comparing these two tools, it is important to remember that value is not necessarily defined by the lowest price. Instead, consider your requirements and how well the features of each tool match your objectives. A small team that only needs to analyse a few sessions may find that the free tier of Microsoft Clarity is sufficient, while a product team that needs to optimise the conversion funnel would benefit from funnel analytics and higher usage limits.
Microsoft Clarity vs Smartlook: which should you choose?
Choose Microsoft Clarity if:
- You primarily need website behaviour analytics.
- You want a free tool with no traffic limits.
- You need heatmaps and session recordings as the primary mode of analysis.
- You want to set up website insights with ease.
Choose Smartlook if you already use it:
- You already use Smartlook for event-based analysis.
- You already use its funnel analytics.
- You already use its product behaviour analytics features.
- You use Smartlook for both web and mobile analytics.
- Smartlook is no longer available to new customers following Cisco's end-of-sale date.
Consider Fullview if:
You need to understand a specific customer’s behaviour during their support interaction.
Both Microsoft Clarity and Smartlook are session replay tools that provide general insight into website behaviour. Fullview, by contrast, is a customer support and product analytics platform that is capable of doing more for support teams that need to understand a customer’s behaviour within the context of their interaction with the company.
Fullview’s support-specific filters and additional debugging data make it possible to prioritise the most relevant information when handling a support request. In addition, Fullview makes it possible to cobrowse with the customer directly from the recorded session when further assistance is needed.
Frequently asked questions
Is Microsoft Clarity better than Smartlook?
Neither is universally better, but Microsoft Clarity is the better option for someone choosing a tool today because it is still available and free. Smartlook offered deeper funnel and product analytics, but it is no longer available to new customers.
Is Microsoft Clarity free?
Yes, Microsoft Clarity is a free tool with no limits in terms of sessions or traffic.
What is the difference between Microsoft Clarity and Smartlook?
Microsoft Clarity is a free behavioural analytics tool that focuses on session recordings, heatmaps, and AI-assisted session analysis, while Smartlook was a paid analytics platform that offered deeper event tracking, funnel analytics, and product analytics for websites and mobile apps.
Is Smartlook free?
Smartlook previously had a free tier limited to 3000 sessions per month and 1 month of data retention. Paid plans were listed from $55 per month, but Smartlook is no longer available to new customers.
How do Fullview's session replays work?
Fullview automatically records user sessions in your web application. When a customer files a support ticket, agents can watch back the relevant session to see exactly what the customer did, including clicks, scrolls, navigation, and console errors. Replays are linked to customer profiles and helpdesk tickets.
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