Session replay tools have become essential for understanding how users actually interact with your product. Teams need these recordings to debug issues, optimize conversion funnels, and identify friction points that analytics alone can't reveal.
Yet most session replay platforms create new problems: they sample too aggressively, missing critical user journeys; they lack integration with your existing tools; or they charge prohibitive rates that scale poorly as your product grows. The right session replay tool captures every important interaction while maintaining user privacy and reasonable costs.
This guide examines seven session replay tools that address the capabilities teams actually need.
Statsig delivers enterprise-grade session replay with 50,000 free monthly replays - 10x more generous than competitors. The platform captures event-level granularity for every user action, including feature flag checks and A/B test exposures. Unlike standalone tools, Statsig connects replays directly to your experiments and analytics data.
The platform supports both cloud-hosted and warehouse-native deployments across Snowflake, BigQuery, and Databricks. This flexibility lets teams maintain complete data control while scaling to billions of users. Companies like OpenAI, Notion, and Figma trust Statsig to process over 1 trillion events daily.
"With mobile development, our release schedule is driven by the App Store review cycle, which can sometimes take days. Using Statsig's feature flags, we're able to move faster by putting new features behind delayed and staged rollouts, and progressively testing the new features." — Paul Frazee, CTO, Bluesky
Statsig provides comprehensive session replay capabilities that match dedicated tools while adding unique integrations.
Session capture and playback
Records DOM mutations, clicks, scrolls, and form interactions with millisecond precision
Captures console logs, network requests, and JavaScript errors for debugging
Supports mobile app recording alongside web sessions
Privacy and security
Blocks sensitive data capture with customizable CSS selectors
Excludes form inputs and password fields by default
Provides GDPR-compliant data retention controls
Integrated insights
Links replays to feature flag exposures and experiment variants
Shows which A/B test group each user belongs to during playback
Connects session events to product analytics funnels
Performance and scale
Handles billions of monthly sessions with 99.99% uptime
Delivers sub-second replay loading times
Offers warehouse-native deployment for enhanced data control
"Statsig's powerful product analytics enables us to prioritize growth efforts and make better product choices during our exponential growth with a small team." — Rose Wang, COO, Bluesky
Statsig offers the lowest cost per session at every scale. The generous free tier includes 50,000 monthly replays - enough for most startups to run indefinitely without paying.
Session replays connect seamlessly with experiments, feature flags, and analytics. Teams can watch how users interact with different test variants or trace bugs back to specific feature releases.
Deploy Statsig directly in your data warehouse for maximum privacy and control. This approach eliminates data silos while maintaining compliance with strict security requirements.
The infrastructure handles over 1 trillion daily events across billions of users. Major tech companies rely on this scale for their mission-critical applications.
"Our engineers are significantly happier using Statsig. They no longer deal with uncertainty and debugging frustrations. There's a noticeable shift in sentiment—experimentation has become something the team is genuinely excited about." — Sumeet Marwaha, Head of Data, Brex
While Statsig excels at integrated workflows, teams seeking only session replay might find more specialized features in tools built exclusively for recording.
The breadth of capabilities means new users spend time discovering features beyond basic replay. Teams focused solely on session recording may not use the full platform.
Statsig is better known for experimentation than session replay. Teams specifically searching for replay tools might overlook this capable option.
FullStory stands out as a session replay specialist that focuses heavily on capturing detailed user interactions and behavioral patterns. The platform has built a strong reputation among UX designers and product teams for its intuitive interface and comprehensive recording capabilities. G2 reviews highlight FullStory's effectiveness in diagnosing user experience issues quickly.
FullStory differentiates itself through AI-powered session analysis that automatically surfaces key insights and user frustration indicators. The platform emphasizes privacy-first design with robust controls for excluding sensitive data from recordings. Teams appreciate FullStory's ability to transform raw session data into meaningful behavioral insights without requiring extensive manual analysis.
FullStory delivers comprehensive session replay capabilities with advanced analytics and visualization tools.
Session recording and playback
Captures every mouse movement, click, scroll, and form interaction across web and mobile apps
Records complete user sessions with pixel-perfect accuracy and smooth playback quality
Provides event-level granularity showing exact user actions and timing sequences
AI-powered insights
Generates automatic session summaries highlighting key user behaviors and friction points
Detects rage clicks, dead clicks, and other frustration indicators without manual review
Surfaces anomalies and patterns across large volumes of session data
Heatmaps and analysis
Creates click heatmaps showing where users interact most frequently on pages
Builds conversion funnels to identify drop-off points in user journeys
Tracks user paths and navigation patterns to understand behavior flows
Privacy controls
Blocks sensitive form fields and personal information from session recordings
Allows customization of data capture rules to meet compliance requirements
Provides granular controls over what elements get recorded or excluded
FullStory captures incredibly detailed user interactions with high-fidelity recordings that make debugging and analysis straightforward. The platform's recording quality surpasses many competitors in accuracy and playback smoothness.
The platform requires minimal training for team members to start analyzing sessions effectively. FullStory's search and filtering capabilities help users quickly find relevant sessions without technical expertise.
Teams save significant time with FullStory's AI features that automatically identify user frustration patterns and behavioral anomalies. The system highlights important sessions without requiring manual review.
FullStory provides comprehensive data protection controls that help teams maintain compliance while still capturing valuable user insights. The platform's privacy-first approach addresses common concerns about session replay implementation.
FullStory's pricing can become expensive as teams scale usage or need advanced analytics capabilities. Small teams and startups may find the cost prohibitive compared to more affordable alternatives.
While FullStory excels at session recording, it lacks the comprehensive product analytics features found in integrated platforms. Teams often need additional tools for broader product performance analysis.
The automated analysis doesn't always catch subtle user experience problems that require human interpretation. Complex behavior patterns may need manual review despite AI assistance.
Customer feedback indicates that support quality can be inconsistent during peak periods. Teams may experience delays when seeking help with implementation or troubleshooting.
LogRocket positions itself as a developer-first session replay tool that combines user behavior tracking with technical debugging capabilities. Unlike tools focused purely on user experience insights, LogRocket captures the technical context developers need to reproduce and fix issues quickly.
The platform integrates session replay with error monitoring, performance tracking, and network analysis. This approach makes LogRocket particularly valuable for engineering teams who need to understand both what users experienced and why technical issues occurred during those sessions.
LogRocket's feature set spans both user behavior capture and technical debugging tools.
Session replay and debugging
Records complete user sessions with DOM snapshots and interaction events
Links session replays directly to JavaScript errors and stack traces
Captures console logs, network requests, and Redux actions during user sessions
Performance monitoring
Tracks frontend performance metrics like page load times and rendering speed
Identifies slow network requests and API calls that impact user experience
Monitors JavaScript execution time and memory usage patterns
Integration ecosystem
Connects with popular development tools like Sentry, Jira, and Slack
Supports webhook integrations for custom workflow automation
Provides APIs for programmatic access to session data and insights
Technical data capture
Records network activity including failed requests and slow responses
Captures browser console output and JavaScript runtime errors
Tracks user agent information and device specifications for context
LogRocket excels at providing the technical context developers need to reproduce bugs. The combination of session replay with console logs and network data eliminates guesswork when investigating issues.
The platform automatically links session replays to JavaScript errors and performance issues. This connection helps teams understand the user impact of technical problems and prioritize fixes accordingly.
LogRocket integrates seamlessly with existing development workflows through connections to issue tracking, monitoring, and communication tools. Teams can route session data directly into their preferred debugging processes.
The free tier includes 1,000 sessions monthly, making it accessible for smaller teams. Paid plans scale based on session volume rather than user seats, which works well for growing development teams.
LogRocket prioritizes technical debugging over user experience insights. Teams seeking detailed user behavior analysis or conversion optimization tools may find the UX analytics capabilities insufficient compared to specialized session replay platforms.
The platform requires more configuration than plug-and-play alternatives. Non-technical team members may struggle with initial setup and ongoing management of LogRocket's advanced features.
Lower-tier plans have restricted data retention periods that limit long-term analysis capabilities. Teams needing extended historical access to session data may require expensive upgrades.
The comprehensive data capture can impact application performance, particularly on resource-constrained devices. Teams must balance the depth of technical insights against potential user experience degradation.
Amplitude Session Replay takes a different approach by integrating session recordings directly with behavioral analytics. This combination lets you connect what users do with why they do it. The platform focuses on bridging quantitative data with qualitative insights through comprehensive user journey analysis.
Unlike standalone session replay tools, Amplitude embeds recordings within its broader analytics ecosystem. You can filter sessions based on specific user behaviors, cohorts, or conversion events. This integration means you're not just watching random sessions: you're viewing targeted recordings that matter to your business goals.
Amplitude Session Replay combines video recordings with deep analytics to provide context-rich user insights.
Analytics integration
Sessions link directly to user events and behavioral data
Filter recordings by specific user actions or conversion funnels
Connect session data to retention, engagement, and revenue metrics
Advanced segmentation
Target specific user cohorts based on behavior patterns
Focus on high-value users or problematic user journeys
Segment by demographics, usage patterns, or custom properties
Privacy and compliance
Block sensitive data from recordings automatically
Configure privacy settings at the element level
Maintain GDPR and CCPA compliance with built-in controls
Enterprise capabilities
Role-based access controls for team collaboration
API access for custom integrations and workflows
Scalable infrastructure for high-volume session capture
Amplitude Session Replay shines when you need to understand user behavior beyond surface-level interactions. The tight integration with analytics means every session comes with rich behavioral context.
You can quickly find relevant sessions using Amplitude's advanced segmentation tools. This saves significant time compared to manually searching through random recordings.
The platform offers robust security, compliance, and collaboration features that larger organizations require. Role-based access and API integrations support complex team workflows.
Sessions connect to broader user journeys, helping you understand how specific interactions fit into overall behavior patterns. This holistic view supports better product decisions.
Getting Amplitude Session Replay configured properly requires significant technical effort and planning. The learning curve can be steep for teams new to the platform.
Pricing scales with usage and can become expensive quickly for growing companies. The session replay platform cost analysis shows Amplitude among the pricier options.
The session replay features work best within Amplitude's broader ecosystem. Teams using other analytics tools may find the integration challenging.
Mastering Amplitude's extensive functionality takes time and training. Teams need dedicated resources to fully leverage the platform's capabilities.
Hotjar positions itself as a user experience optimization platform that combines session replay with heatmaps and feedback tools. The platform targets small to medium businesses with its straightforward approach to understanding user behavior. Unlike enterprise-focused solutions, Hotjar emphasizes simplicity and accessibility for teams without dedicated analytics resources.
The tool's strength lies in its ability to merge qualitative insights from session recordings with quantitative data from heatmaps. This combination helps teams identify not just what users do, but why they might be struggling with specific interface elements. Hotjar's feedback widgets and surveys add another layer of user insight that many session replay tools don't offer natively.
Hotjar's feature set focuses on core user experience analysis rather than advanced technical debugging.
Session recordings
Records user interactions including clicks, scrolls, and form inputs
Provides playback controls to analyze specific user journeys
Filters sessions by device type, traffic source, and user behavior patterns
Heatmaps and tracking
Generates click heatmaps showing where users interact most frequently
Creates scroll maps to identify how far users read down pages
Offers move heatmaps to track cursor movement patterns
User feedback
Deploys on-page polls to gather specific user opinions
Includes feedback widgets for collecting general user comments
Provides survey tools for more structured user research
Funnel analysis
Tracks user progression through defined conversion paths
Identifies drop-off points in key user flows
Offers simple conversion rate metrics for optimization efforts
Hotjar requires minimal technical setup compared to enterprise session replay platforms. Most teams can implement the tracking code and start collecting data within hours.
The platform integrates session recordings, heatmaps, and user feedback in one interface. This approach helps teams understand user behavior from multiple angles without switching between tools.
Hotjar offers a free tier that includes basic session replay functionality for small websites. Pricing remains competitive compared to enterprise alternatives.
The interface requires no specialized knowledge to navigate and interpret data. Product managers and designers can access insights without depending on engineering teams.
Hotjar lacks sophisticated filtering, segmentation, and technical debugging capabilities found in enterprise platforms. Teams with complex applications may find the analysis tools insufficient.
The platform samples sessions rather than recording all user interactions, which can miss critical user journeys. This limitation becomes more problematic as traffic volume increases.
Hotjar focuses primarily on web-based session replay with limited mobile app support. Teams building mobile applications need dedicated mobile solutions for comprehensive coverage.
The platform offers fewer integrations with development tools, error tracking systems, and analytics platforms compared to enterprise solutions. This isolation can create workflow inefficiencies for technical teams.
Microsoft Clarity stands out as a completely free session replay and analytics tool that removes cost barriers for teams exploring user behavior analysis. The platform provides unlimited session recordings, heatmaps, and basic analytics without charging for data volume or user seats. Clarity focuses on simplicity and performance, ensuring the tracking script doesn't impact website speed or user experience.
Unlike premium alternatives that charge based on session volume, Clarity offers its core features at no cost to any organization. This makes it particularly attractive for startups, small businesses, or teams testing session replay capabilities before committing to paid solutions.
Clarity combines essential session replay functionality with AI-powered insights.
Session recording
Records unlimited user sessions without sampling restrictions
Captures mouse movements, clicks, and scrolling behavior across all pages
Provides playback controls for detailed session analysis
Heatmap generation
Creates click heatmaps showing where users interact most frequently
Generates scroll heatmaps revealing how far users navigate down pages
Updates heatmaps in real-time as new session data arrives
AI-powered insights
Identifies dead clicks where users click on non-interactive elements
Detects rage clicks indicating user frustration with interface elements
Flags excessive scrolling patterns that suggest content discovery issues
Privacy features
Offers GDPR and CCPA compliance features for data protection
Provides masking options for sensitive form fields and personal information
Includes geographic data filtering to exclude specific regions
Clarity eliminates budget constraints that often prevent teams from exploring session replay tools. You can implement comprehensive user behavior tracking without negotiating contracts or managing costs.
The setup process requires only adding a single JavaScript snippet to your website. Most teams can start capturing sessions within minutes of account creation.
Microsoft designed Clarity's tracking script to minimize impact on page load times. The lightweight implementation ensures session recording doesn't slow down your website.
Unlike paid alternatives that restrict session volumes, Clarity captures all user interactions without sampling. This comprehensive data collection provides complete visibility into user behavior patterns.
Clarity lacks sophisticated filtering, segmentation, and analysis tools found in premium session replay platforms. Teams requiring detailed user journey analysis may find the feature set restrictive.
The platform offers limited connectivity with other tools beyond Google Analytics integration. Teams using complex tech stacks may struggle to incorporate Clarity data into existing workflows.
Clarity focuses exclusively on web-based session replay and doesn't support mobile application tracking. Organizations needing cross-platform user behavior analysis must seek alternative solutions.
The free model means Microsoft provides minimal customer support and lacks enterprise-grade features like advanced user permissions or custom data retention policies.
Sentry takes a developer-first approach to session replay by connecting user sessions directly to error tracking and performance monitoring. This integration makes it particularly valuable for debugging since you can see exactly what users were doing when errors occurred. The platform supports web, mobile, and desktop applications across multiple programming languages and frameworks.
Unlike dedicated UX tools, Sentry's session replay features focus on technical debugging rather than comprehensive user behavior analysis. The tool excels at linking user actions to specific errors, making it easier to reproduce and fix issues quickly. This approach works well for development teams who need session replay primarily for troubleshooting rather than conversion optimization.
Sentry's session replay capabilities center around error diagnosis and performance monitoring integration.
Error-linked replays
Sessions automatically connect to error reports for immediate context
Console logs and network requests capture alongside user interactions
Stack traces link directly to specific moments in user sessions
Multi-platform support
JavaScript, Python, Ruby, Java, and 20+ other language SDKs available
Mobile apps on iOS and Android supported with native integrations
Desktop applications can integrate through various framework-specific SDKs
Performance integration
Slow transactions automatically trigger session replay capture
Database queries and API calls visible within session context
Real-time performance metrics overlay on user interaction recordings
Developer workflow
GitHub, Slack, and Jira integrations for seamless issue tracking
Custom alerts trigger when specific error patterns occur during sessions
Team collaboration features allow developers to share and discuss specific session moments
Sentry's tight integration between errors and session replays eliminates guesswork when reproducing bugs. You can watch exactly what users did before encountering issues, making fixes faster and more accurate.
The tool works across virtually any development stack with robust SDKs for major languages and frameworks. This broad compatibility means you can implement session replay regardless of your technical architecture.
Sentry offers a generous free plan that includes basic session replay features for small teams. This makes it accessible for startups and side projects without upfront costs.
Native integrations with GitHub, Slack, and other development tools streamline your existing workflow. Issues automatically create tickets and notifications without manual intervention.
Sentry lacks advanced user behavior analytics like heatmaps, conversion funnels, or user journey mapping. The focus remains on technical debugging rather than user experience optimization.
The platform's developer-centric design can overwhelm product managers or UX designers who aren't familiar with technical debugging workflows. Navigation requires technical knowledge to use effectively.
Costs can increase significantly as your application generates more events and errors. High-traffic applications may find the pricing structure expensive compared to dedicated session replay tools.
The tool treats session replay as a supporting feature rather than a primary capability. This means you might miss important user interactions that don't trigger errors or performance issues.
Session replay tools have evolved beyond simple screen recording. The best solutions now integrate directly with your product stack, connecting user behavior to technical performance, experiments, and analytics. Whether you need enterprise-scale capabilities like Statsig, specialized debugging features like LogRocket, or free options like Microsoft Clarity, there's a tool that fits your specific requirements.
The key is choosing a platform that aligns with your team's primary goals. Development teams fixing bugs need different capabilities than product managers optimizing conversion funnels. Consider your budget constraints, technical requirements, and integration needs before committing to any solution.
Start with free tiers where available to test real-world performance with your actual users. Most platforms offer trials or generous free plans that let you validate their capabilities before scaling up.
Hope you find this useful!