Best Session Recording Tools [2026]

Session recordings reveal exactly what your users are doing on your website—how they click, scroll, hesitate, and sometimes rage-quit. Unlike raw analytics that show aggregate numbers, session recordings are the video of user behavior: irreplaceable for understanding friction, bugs, and opportunities.

But choosing the right session recording tool matters. Some are designed for e-commerce, others for SaaS. Some emphasize mobile recording, others excel at detecting frustration. Some are free, others cost hundreds per month.

In this comprehensive guide, we compare the 10 best session recording tools in 2026, covering features, pricing, ideal use cases, and what makes each unique.

What Are Session Recordings and Why They Matter

Session recordings automatically capture and replay user interactions on your website—clicks, form fills, scroll depth, mouse movements, even page load times.

Why session recordings are crucial:

• Find hidden friction - Users might leave without clicking anything, revealing broken flows
• Validate bug reports - See the exact steps that trigger errors
• Understand abandonment - Watch users exit without converting and understand why
• Test assumptions - Does your navigation work how you think it does?
• Detect rage clicks - Rapid repeated clicks signal frustration with an element
• Identify mobile issues - See how users actually interact on small screens
• Spot opportunities - Watch successful users to replicate their patterns

The business impact is clear: E-commerce sites that reduce checkout friction by 2-3 seconds increase completion rates by 5-10%. Fixing one flow issue often pays for a year of session recording tool fees.

Key Features to Look For in Session Recording Tools

Before diving into tools, here are critical features to evaluate:

Recording Capabilities

• Mobile web support - Can the tool record on mobile browsers?
• Mobile app support - Does it support native iOS/Android apps?
• SPA tracking - Does it properly track single-page applications?
• Offline recording - Does it continue recording during network interruptions?
• Video quality - Is playback smooth, or do you see pixelation?

Analytics & Segmentation

• Session search - Can you filter by user ID, page, device, traffic source?
• Conversion funnel - Can you see recordings of users who completed a goal?
• Frustration detection - Does it automatically flag rage clicks, dead clicks, errors?
• Custom events - Can you tag important actions for analysis?
• Heatmaps - Do session recordings integrate with heatmap data?

Performance & Privacy

• Page speed impact - Does the tracking script slow down your site?
• Data retention - How long are recordings stored?
• GDPR compliance - Can you properly anonymize data?
• PII masking - Does it automatically mask sensitive information?
• Compliance restrictions - Are there industries it can't be used for?

Integration & Reporting

• Analytics integration - Does it connect to Google Analytics, Mixpanel, etc.?
• API access - Can you extract data programmatically?
• Team sharing - How many users can access recordings?
• Dashboards - Are pre-built reports available?
• Video export - Can you download and share recordings?

Top 10 Session Recording Tools

1. Hotjar — Best for Comprehensive Behavior Analysis

Starting Price: Free (35 sessions/day), $39/month (Plus) Free Tier: Yes (limited to 35 sessions/day) Best For: General websites, e-commerce, SaaS platforms

Overview

Hotjar is the industry standard in session recording, offering not just recordings but also surveys, feedback widgets, and user interviews. It's been the go-to tool since 2014 and remains the most widely used platform.

Key Features

• Session recordings with automatic frustration detection
• Heatmaps (click, move, scroll)
• On-page surveys and feedback widgets
• NPS tracking and exit-intent surveys
• User interview scheduling
• Form analytics with field-level drop-off tracking
• Conversion funnels with recording links

Pricing

| Plan | Sessions/Day | Monthly Cost | |------|--------------|--------------| | Free | 35 | $0 | | Plus | 100 | $39 | | Business | 500 | $80 | | Scale | Unlimited | $171 |

Pros

• Most recognizable brand in the space
• Excellent combining observation + surveys
• Conversion funnel tracking
• Works globally with strong customer support
• Integrations with 100+ tools

Cons

• Free tier limited (35 sessions/day is ~1,000/month)
• No mobile app support (only web)
• Expensive at higher volumes ($171+ for unlimited)
• Less emphasis on mobile web compared to competitors

Best For: Teams wanting a well-rounded tool that combines user behavior (recordings) with user research (surveys). If you need to ask questions as well as watch behavior, Hotjar is the gold standard.

2. Microsoft Clarity — Best Free Option

Starting Price: Free (unlimited everything) Free Tier: Yes (100% free, no paid tiers) Best For: Budget-conscious teams, startups, small businesses

Overview

Microsoft Clarity offers unlimited session recordings and heatmaps completely free, backed by Microsoft's resources. For any site that doesn't need paid-tier premium features, Clarity is the obvious choice.

Key Features

• Unlimited session recordings
• Unlimited heatmaps (click, scroll, area)
• Automatic frustration detection (rage clicks, dead clicks, error detection)
• AI Copilot for automatic session summaries
• Mobile web support
• Google Analytics 4 native integration
• Session replay search and filtering

Pricing

• Free: Unlimited everything (no credit card required)

Pros

• Completely free with no usage limits
• AI-powered Copilot saves manual analysis time
• Dead click and error detection built-in
• Mobile web recording support
• Native GA4 integration
• Microsoft backing means strong uptime

Cons

• Only 30-day data retention (recordings deleted after 30 days)
• Limited session filtering (compared to paid tools)
• No surveys or feedback tools
• Cannot be used on financial, healthcare, or government sites (policy)
• Community support only (no dedicated support)

Best For: Anyone wanting powerful session recording without budget constraints. Startups, small businesses, or teams testing the category should start here.

3. FullStory — Best for Enterprise Digital Experience

Starting Price: ~$300+/month Free Tier: 30K sessions/month (limited) Best For: Enterprise SaaS, large e-commerce, complex apps

Overview

FullStory is purpose-built for enterprises managing complex digital experiences. It emphasizes actionable insights through AI-powered event analysis, not just raw recordings.

Key Features

• Session recordings with automatic quality adjustments
• Advanced session search with 500+ indexed fields
• AI-powered event detection and anomaly finding
• Mobile app support (iOS, Android, web)
• Custom event creation and tracking
• Real-time alerting for errors and anomalies
• Native integrations with 50+ tools
• Dwelltime analysis and engagement scoring

Pricing

| Tier | Sessions/Month | Starting Cost | |------|----------------|---------------| | Starter | 30K | $300 | | Growth | 100K | $500 | | Professional | 500K | Custom | | Enterprise | Unlimited | Custom |

Pros

• Best-in-class mobile app support
• AI makes sense of massive data volumes
• Enterprise SSO and compliance features
• Automatic event detection (no manual setup)
• Unmatched scalability for high-volume sites
• Premium customer success team

Cons

• Steep pricing (minimum $300/month)
• Steep learning curve for new teams
• Overkill for small websites
• Expensive for high-volume recording needs

Best For: Enterprise teams with complex digital experiences, high traffic volumes, and mobile apps. If you're operating at scale and need AI-powered anomaly detection, FullStory's enterprise focus pays off.

4. LogRocket — Best for Frontend Debugging

Starting Price: Free (limited), $99/month (Pro) Free Tier: Yes (limited sessions) Best For: Software teams, SaaS companies, product teams

Overview

LogRocket is designed by and for frontend engineers. It combines session recording with JavaScript error tracking, network monitoring, and performance metrics—uniquely positioning it for engineering teams solving technical problems.

Key Features

• Session recordings with DOM replay
• JavaScript error and exception tracking
• Network monitoring (requests, responses, failures)
• Performance metrics (page load, Core Web Vitals)
• Redux integration for state tracking
• Source map support for better error tracking
• Session replay search with 100+ metadata fields
• Mobile web support

Pricing

| Plan | Sessions/Month | Monthly Cost | |------|----------------|--------------| | Free | Limited | $0 | | Pro | 25,000 | $99 | | Business | 100,000 | $299 | | Enterprise | Custom | Custom |

Pros

• Uniquely powerful for frontend engineers
• Error + recording + performance in one tool
• Excellent React and Redux support
• Console logs captured in replays
• Network waterfall visible in recordings
• Source map support

Cons

• Steeper learning curve for non-technical teams
• Free tier is very limited
• Less focus on user behavior vs. technical debugging
• Not ideal for marketing or UX teams

Best For: Engineering teams debugging issues and performance problems. If your team is split between dev and product, LogRocket bridges both worlds better than pure session recording tools.

5. Mouseflow — Best for Form and Funnel Analysis

Starting Price: $31/month (Starter) Free Tier: Yes (limited) Best For: E-commerce, forms, conversion optimization

Overview

Mouseflow specializes in funnel analysis and form optimization. Its strength is identifying exactly where users drop off in multi-step processes and which form fields cause abandonment.

Key Features

• Session recordings with advanced filtering
• 7 heatmap types (click, scroll, attention, geo, move, content-based)
• Conversion funnels with drop-off tracking
• Form analytics with field-level analysis
• Automatic friction scoring
• Rage click and U-turn detection
• Mobile web support
• Segment recordings by behavior

Pricing

| Plan | Sessions/Month | Monthly Cost | |------|----------------|--------------| | Free | Limited | $0 | | Starter | 5,000 | $31 | | Growth | 15,000 | $109 | | Business | 50,000 | $219 | | Pro | 150,000 | $399 |

Pros

• Best form analytics on the market
• Excellent funnel visualization with recording links
• Automatic friction detection
• Affordable mid-tier pricing
• Strong mobile support
• Includes multiple heatmap types

Cons

• Free tier is very limited
• UI can feel overwhelming with many options
• Not as strong on qualitative insights as Hotjar
• Less emphasis on mobile apps

Best For: Teams focused on conversion optimization where form filling is critical. If cart abandonment or lead form drop-off is your biggest problem, Mouseflow's form analytics are unmatched.

6. Lucky Orange — Best for Real-Time Monitoring

Starting Price: Free (100 sessions/month), $39/month Free Tier: Yes (100 sessions/month) Best For: E-commerce, customer-facing teams, live support

Overview

Lucky Orange combines session recording with live chat, making it unique for teams that want to monitor visitors in real-time AND talk to them. It's particularly strong for e-commerce teams.

Key Features

• Session recordings with live visitor list
• Live chat widget with proactive messaging
• Heatmaps (click, scroll, move)
• Conversion funnels
• Form analytics
• Session playback with speed control
• Mobile web support
• Surveys and feedback forms

Pricing

| Plan | Sessions/Month | Monthly Cost | |------|----------------|--------------| | Free | 100 | $0 | | Build | 5,000 | $39 | | Grow | 25,000 | $89 | | Expand | 100,000 | $229 |

Pros

• Live chat integrated (no separate tools)
• Real-time visitor list lets you see who's on your site now
• Excellent for e-commerce with conversion-focused features
• Affordable entry point ($39)
• Proactive messaging based on behavior

Cons

• Free tier limited to 100 sessions/month
• Live chat requires team capacity
• Not ideal for high-volume SaaS (chat would be overwhelming)
• Less emphasis on technical debugging

Best For: E-commerce and customer support teams wanting to combine monitoring with live interaction. If you want to engage visitors in real-time plus see their recorded sessions, Lucky Orange is the right fit.

7. Smartlook — Best for Mobile and Cross-Platform

Starting Price: Free (limited), $39/month Free Tier: Yes (3K sessions/month) Best For: SaaS, mobile apps, progressive web apps

Overview

Smartlook emphasizes comprehensive recording across web and mobile platforms. It's uniquely strong if you have both a web app and native mobile apps you want to monitor together.

Key Features

• Session recordings for web and mobile (iOS, Android)
• Automatic event tracking (no manual setup)
• Conversion funnels with event-based tracking
• Heatmaps (click and scroll)
• Rage click and dead click detection
• Advanced session search and filtering
• Screen recordings on mobile (not just events)
• Cross-platform behavior analysis

Pricing

| Plan | Visits/Month | Monthly Cost | |------|--------------|--------------| | Free | 3,000 | $0 | | Starter | 10,000 | $39 | | Business | 50,000 | $99 | | Enterprise | Custom | Custom |

Pros

• Best unified web + mobile recording (native apps supported)
• Automatic event tracking requires minimal setup
• Mobile screen recording (not just interaction data)
• Good balance of features across platforms
• Affordable pricing tier

Cons

• Free tier smaller than competitors
• Mobile recording requires SDK integration (not just script)
• Less emphasis on form analytics compared to Mouseflow
• Community support (paid tier gets better support)

Best For: Teams with web apps AND native mobile apps wanting unified behavioral analytics. If you need consistent user experience tracking across web and mobile, Smartlook provides that visibility.

8. Crazy Egg — Best for A/B Testing + Recording

Starting Price: $29/month Free Tier: 30-day trial (no ongoing free plan) Best For: Conversion optimization, split testing, traffic analysis

Overview

Crazy Egg combines heatmaps with built-in A/B testing—unique among session recording tools. For teams wanting to not just observe problems but immediately test solutions, Crazy Egg integrates both.

Key Features

• Session recordings
• 5 heatmap report types (Heatmap, Scrollmap, Confetti, Overlay, List)
• Built-in A/B testing with visual editor
• Confetti reports (segment clicks by traffic source, device, etc.)
• Form analytics
• Conversion tracking
• Mobile web support

Pricing

| Plan | Pageviews/Month | Monthly Cost | |------|-----------------|--------------| | Basic | 30,000 | $29 | | Standard | 75,000 | $49 | | Plus | 150,000 | $99 | | Pro | 500,000 | $249 |

Pros

• Only tool combining recording + heatmaps + A/B testing
• No external A/B testing tool needed
• Excellent confetti reports for traffic analysis
• Visual editor for test variants (no code needed)
• Affordable entry ($29/month)

Cons

• No free plan (only 30-day trial)
• Less emphasis on mobile apps
• Fewer integrations than larger competitors
• Form analytics not as detailed as Mouseflow

Best For: Conversion optimization teams wanting to move from analysis to experimentation. If you want to identify problems with session recordings and immediately run A/B tests to fix them, Crazy Egg eliminates tool switching.

9. Heap — Best for Product Analytics + Recording

Starting Price: Free, $500+/month (paid) Free Tier: Yes (unlimited events, limited advanced features) Best For: Product teams, SaaS companies, data-driven teams

Overview

Heap is designed for product teams that need behavioral analytics with session replay capability. It emphasizes automatic event capture (retroactive data) rather than manual implementation.

Key Features

• Session recordings with automatic event capture
• Retroactive data model (all interactions automatically tracked)
• User path analysis and journey visualization
• Funnel analysis with real-time drill-in
• Cohort creation and segmentation
• A/B testing integration (via third-party tools)
• Mobile web support
• Advanced SQL-based reporting

Pricing

| Plan | Monthly Cost | |------|--------------| | Free | $0 | | Plus | $500+ | | Enterprise | Custom |

Pros

• Automatic event capture (no manual tagging)
• Retroactive data model unique in category
• Excellent funnel and journey visualization
• Free plan surprisingly generous
• Strong for product-driven teams

Cons

• Steep learning curve for non-technical teams
• Free plan limited (paid starts at $500)
• Overkill for simple websites
• Less emphasis on mobile apps vs. web

Best For: Product teams that need both session recordings and comprehensive product analytics. If your team needs to analyze user journeys across complex apps, Heap's retroactive data model is powerful.

10. UXCam — Best for Mobile App Analytics

Starting Price: Free, $99+/month Free Tier: Yes (limited) Best For: Mobile app teams (iOS, Android), mobile-first products

Overview

UXCam specializes exclusively in mobile app analytics and session recording. If your product is primarily mobile (app or web), UXCam provides mobile-first experience.

Key Features

• Native iOS and Android session recording
• Gesture-based heatmaps (tap, pinch, swipe)
• Crash and error tracking
• Mobile-specific metrics (battery, network quality, orientation)
• Automatic feature tracking
• User cohorts and segmentation
• Real-time session monitoring
• Push notification engagement tracking

Pricing

| Plan | Monthly Cost | |------|--------------| | Free | $0 | | Growth | $99 | | Scale | $299 | | Enterprise | Custom |

Pros

• Most comprehensive mobile app analytics
• Gesture tracking (not just tap heatmaps)
• Mobile-specific metrics (battery, network)
• Excellent crash reporting
• No-code setup
• Strong mobile UX expertise

Cons

• Mobile-only (no web support)
• Free tier very limited
• Expensive for high-volume apps
• Less useful if you have web presence

Best For: Mobile app teams (iOS, Android native apps) wanting deep behavioral insights. If your users interact primarily through a mobile app, UXCam provides capabilities web-focused tools cannot.

Session Recording Tools Comparison Table

| Tool | Starting Price | Free Tier | Mobile Apps | Mobile Web | Best For | |------|----------------|-----------|-------------|-----------|----------| | Hotjar | $39/mo | 35 sessions/day | No | Yes | General websites | | Microsoft Clarity | Free | Unlimited | No | Yes | Budget-conscious | | FullStory | $300/mo | 30K sessions | Yes | Yes | Enterprise | | LogRocket | $99/mo | Limited | No | Yes | Frontend engineers | | Mouseflow | $31/mo | Limited | No | Yes | Funnel optimization | | Lucky Orange | $39/mo | 100 sessions | No | Yes | E-commerce + chat | | Smartlook | $39/mo | 3K sessions | Yes | Yes | Cross-platform | | Crazy Egg | $29/mo | 30-day trial | No | Yes | A/B testing | | Heap | Free | Limited | No | Yes | Product analytics | | UXCam | $99/mo | Limited | Yes | No | Mobile apps |

Use Case Guide: Which Tool is Right for You?

For Startups (Under $10K/month revenue)

Start with: Microsoft Clarity (free, unlimited) Upgrade to: Lucky Orange ($39/month) if you need live chat or more sessions

Why: Clarity is 100% free with no limits. When you need live monitoring or chat, Lucky Orange's affordable entry tier ($39) makes sense.

For Growing E-Commerce ($10K-$100K/month revenue)

Start with: Lucky Orange ($39/month) or Hotjar Plus ($39/month) Consider: Mouseflow if cart abandonment is the main problem

Why: Lucky Orange combines recording + live chat for customer-facing teams. Mouseflow excels at form optimization. Both are affordable at $39-$31/month range.

For SaaS and Web Apps ($50K+/month revenue)

Start with: FullStory ($300+) or LogRocket ($99+) depending on team composition Alternative: Heap if you need comprehensive product analytics

Why: SaaS tools need enterprise-scale capabilities. FullStory handles complex digital experiences. LogRocket appeals to engineering teams. Heap suits product teams.

For Mobile-First Companies

Use: Smartlook (web + mobile web) or UXCam (native mobile apps)

Why: If most users are on mobile, you need tools designed for mobile first. Smartlook handles web + mobile web. UXCam is the best for native iOS/Android apps.

For Conversion Optimization Teams

Use: Crazy Egg or Mouseflow

Why: Both include A/B testing or funnel analysis. Crazy Egg integrates testing directly. Mouseflow specializes in form analytics.

For User Research Teams

Use: Hotjar

Why: Hotjar combines recordings with surveys, feedback widgets, and user interview scheduling. It's the most complete user research tool.

Privacy and GDPR Considerations

All session recording tools capture sensitive data. Here's how to ensure compliance:

Key Privacy Steps

1. Privacy Policy: Disclose that you use session recording
2. Consent: Most tools require explicit consent (via cookie banner or privacy notice)
3. Data Masking: Enable automatic PII masking for passwords, credit cards, email addresses
4. Data Retention: Most tools let you set retention periods (default is 30-90 days)
5. User Opt-Out: Provide users option to exclude their sessions from recording
6. EU Compliance: If you have EU users, ensure GDPR compliance (most tools support this)

Tools with Strong Privacy Features

• FullStory: Enterprise SSO, role-based access control, detailed audit logs
• LogRocket: SOC 2 certified, detailed privacy controls
• Microsoft Clarity: GDPR compliant, no PII tracking by default
• Hotjar: GDPR-compliant setup wizards

Industries with Restrictions

• Healthcare: Limited tool support (HIPAA compliance required)
• Finance: Restricted (PCI compliance needed)
• Government: Most tools not permitted

Microsoft Clarity and some others explicitly prohibit use in these industries.

How to Get Started with Session Recording

Step 1: Identify Your Goals

• Are you debugging technical issues? → LogRocket or FullStory
• Improving conversions? → Mouseflow or Crazy Egg
• Understanding user behavior? → Hotjar or Clarity
• Monitoring in real-time? → Lucky Orange

Step 2: Start with Free Tier

Most tools offer free plans or trials. Start there to understand the product without commitment.

Good free options:

• Microsoft Clarity (unlimited)
• Lucky Orange (100 sessions/month)
• Hotjar (35 sessions/day)
• Heap (feature-limited)

Step 3: Collect 1,000-2,000 Sessions

Before making optimization changes, collect enough data for statistical significance. For most sites:

• Low-traffic sites (under 1K visitors/day): 1-2 weeks
• Medium traffic (1K-10K visitors/day): 3-7 days
• High traffic (10K+ visitors/day): 1-3 days

Step 4: Analyze with Purpose

Don't just watch random recordings. Look for:

• Patterns: Do all users hesitate at the same point?
• Frustration signals: Rage clicks, errors, backtracking
• Successful users: What do completers do differently?
• Mobile issues: Are mobile recordings showing device-specific problems?

Step 5: Test Changes

Use your learnings to make changes, then measure impact:

• Set a hypothesis: "Adding progress indicators will reduce abandonment"
• Watch new recordings to see if behavior changes
• Measure conversion impact
• Iterate

Session Recording Best Practices

1. Set Specific Goals

Don't use session recording as "let's just watch users." Instead:

• "Fix checkout abandonment"
• "Understand why mobile users leave early"
• "Identify where users get confused"

Specific goals lead to actionable insights.

2. Watch Extreme Cases First

Before scrolling through random recordings:

• Watch users who converted successfully (what did they do right?)
• Watch users who abandoned (where did they get stuck?)
• Watch mobile users (do they interact differently than desktop?)
• Watch new visitors vs. returning visitors

3. Combine with Heatmaps

Session recordings alone show individual stories. Combined with heatmaps:

• Heatmaps show patterns across all users
• Recordings show the story behind the pattern

Together they're powerful.

4. Note Browser Issues

When watching recordings, watch for:

• JavaScript errors (often visible as broken interactions)
• Form field failures (users try to fill a field that doesn't respond)
• Slow performance (page loads taking 5+ seconds)
• Mobile-specific issues (buttons too small, not clickable)

5. Share Recordings with Team

Create short clips (30-60 seconds) showing:

• The problem: "Watch how users struggle with the navigation"
• The impact: "This happens on 15% of sessions"
• The solution: "Here's what we could try"

Video is more persuasive than metrics.

Comparing Session Recording Tools: Decision Matrix

Price vs. Features

Best Value (Performance per Dollar):

• Microsoft Clarity: Free, unlimited → Best value overall
• Mouseflow: $31/month → Good value for conversion teams
• Crazy Egg: $29/month → Good value for A/B testing

Premium Pricing (Justified by Capabilities):

• FullStory: $300+ → Enterprise features justify cost
• LogRocket: $99+ → Technical depth for engineering teams

Ease of Setup

Easiest (Minutes to Setup):

• Lucky Orange (Shopify app store)
• Smartlook (copy-paste script)

Medium (Requires Theme/Code Access):

• Hotjar, Clarity, Mouseflow (theme code or GTM)

Complex (SDK Integration):

• UXCam (mobile SDK setup required)
• FullStory (enterprise configuration)

Best for Each Role

| Role | Recommendation | |------|-----------------| | Product Manager | Heap or Hotjar (user journeys) | | UX Designer | Hotjar or Crazy Egg (detailed recordings) | | Frontend Engineer | LogRocket (technical debugging) | | E-Commerce Manager | Mouseflow or Lucky Orange | | Growth Marketer | Crazy Egg or Google Optimize + Clarity | | Support Manager | Hotjar (understand customer issues) | | Mobile Team | UXCam (native apps) or Smartlook (web + mobile) |

FAQ

How much does session recording impact page speed?

Modern tools use asynchronous loading and have minimal impact (typically 50-150ms added to page load). Microsoft Clarity and Hotjar are among the lightest. Test with Google PageSpeed after installation.

Can I use multiple session recording tools simultaneously?

Yes, but be mindful of:

• Cumulative performance impact
• Redundant data capture costs
• Conflicting metrics

A common combo: Clarity (free recording) + Hotjar (surveys only mode).

How long are recordings stored?

Varies by tool:

• 30 days: Microsoft Clarity, most free tiers
• 90 days: Hotjar, Lucky Orange (standard)
• Custom: FullStory, enterprise plans (configurable)

After retention expires, recordings are automatically deleted.

Are session recordings GDPR compliant?

Yes, with proper setup:

• Enable data masking for sensitive fields
• Add privacy policy disclosure
• Implement consent management (cookie banners)
• Provide user opt-out options

All major tools support GDPR compliance. Consult their privacy documentation.

Can I watch mobile app sessions?

Depends on the tool:

• Mobile web: Most tools support this (browser-based)
• Native apps: FullStory, Smartlook, UXCam (requires SDK)
• Limited app support: Clarity (analytics only, not recording)

If you have native iOS/Android apps, choose FullStory, Smartlook, or UXCam.

What's the difference between session recording and heatmaps?

• Session recordings: Play-by-play video of individual user sessions
• Heatmaps: Aggregate visualization showing where all users click/scroll

Both are valuable. Heatmaps show patterns; recordings show stories.

Conclusion

For most websites, we recommend:

1. Start with Microsoft Clarity (free, unlimited) to establish the habit of watching user behavior
2. Add Hotjar ($39/month) if you need surveys or more sessions
3. Upgrade to Mouseflow or Crazy Egg if conversion optimization is critical
4. Use FullStory or LogRocket if you're an enterprise SaaS with technical team

By use case:

• E-commerce: Lucky Orange ($39) combines recording + live chat + heatmaps
• SaaS: FullStory ($300+) or LogRocket ($99) for enterprise depth
• Startups: Microsoft Clarity (free) + invest in other tools later
• Mobile: UXCam for native apps, Smartlook for web + mobile
• Optimization: Mouseflow ($31) or Crazy Egg ($29)

The best session recording tool is the one your team will actually use. Start free, build the habit of watching user behavior, and upgrade when you hit specific feature limits.

Session recordings are the video evidence of user experience. They turn opinions into facts. Every product team should have them.

Want simpler session recording analytics focused on the insights that matter? UXHeat is building a session recording tool designed for founders and product teams. Join the waitlist to get early access and shape the product.