The Best Smartlook Alternatives in 2026, Compared Honestly
The best Smartlook alternatives are Microsoft Clarity for free recordings and heatmaps, Contentsquare (Hotjar's new home) when you want surveys and a higher session cap, Mouseflow when you want funnels and form analytics, and Crazy Egg when you want A/B tests next to heatmaps. PostHog fits when the job is product analytics plus replay. Existing customers who want to stay in Smartlook's ecosystem should also read the official path to Digital Experience Analytics in Splunk Observability Cloud. Cortality belongs on the list when the job is not more footage to watch, but a ranked list of what to fix on a live page, and whether the change worked.
Cortality: AI website UX analysis that shows where visitors get stuck and what to fix. It is not a heatmap. Start your free week.
Updated November 2026. Prices below were checked on each vendor's own page on November 13, 2026, except where a vendor only prices through a demo or quote. Prices change often, so confirm before you buy. Smartlook is no longer selling new paid plans, so this page does not invent a Smartlook price.
Disclosure: I'm Colton, a co-founder of Cortality, which is one of the tools on this page. Where another tool is the better pick, this page says so.
Quick answers
Can I still buy Smartlook?
No. Smartlook's official FAQ says End of Sale has been in effect since 31 May 2026, so no new paid plans are available. Contract renewals ended on 31 August 2026. Paid subscriptions end no later than 31 August 2027, and Smartlook says the platform will be decommissioned on 30 September 2027.
What should I use instead?
If you just need free recordings and heatmaps, start with Microsoft Clarity. If you want surveys next to recordings, look at Contentsquare. If you want funnels and form analytics, look at Mouseflow. See Hotjar alternatives if you were comparing Smartlook with Hotjar, which also no longer accepts new sign-ups.
Is Cortality a replacement for Smartlook?
No. Smartlook shows what visitors did. Cortality measures how real visitors use each element of a page and gives you a ranked Fix List. It works alongside a recording tool, not instead of it. Start your free week.
What is happening to Smartlook
Smartlook has joined Cisco, and its FAQ, checked November 13, 2026, says it will "gradually wind down as a standalone product." The dates it lists are:
- 31 May 2026: End of Sale. No new paid plans.
- 31 August 2026: End of contract renewals and expansions.
- 31 August 2027: Last day of support, and the latest date paid subscriptions end.
- 30 September 2027: The platform is decommissioned and remaining data is deleted.
After a paid plan ends, Smartlook says you can use the free plan until 30 September 2027, with that plan's limits. It also says current subscriptions are not automatically moved to the new product, and that Splunk will not migrate historical Smartlook data. If you still have access, export anything you need to keep before your paid plan ends, and in any case no later than 31 August 2027, using the export and API steps Smartlook links from that FAQ.
The official path Smartlook points existing customers toward is Digital Experience Analytics in Splunk Observability Cloud. The FAQ does not list a public price for that product, so I am not inventing one. If you want to stay in that ecosystem, contact Smartlook or your Splunk representative. Everyone else can pick from the tools below.
Which alternative matches the job
| Gap you still have | Kind of tool | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| I just need free recordings and heatmaps | Behavior tool | Microsoft Clarity |
| I want surveys and a higher session cap | Experience analytics | Contentsquare (Hotjar's new home) |
| I want funnels, forms and friction | Session replay + form analytics | Mouseflow |
| I want heatmaps plus A/B tests | Heatmaps and testing | Crazy Egg |
| I want live chat plus recordings and surveys in one plan | All-in-one for small sites | Lucky Orange |
| I want product analytics plus replay | Product analytics + session replay | PostHog, FullStory |
| I want to stay in the Cisco / Splunk ecosystem | Observability + digital experience | Digital Experience Analytics in Splunk Observability Cloud (price not listed on Smartlook's site) |
| I want a ranked list of what to change on a live page | Element-level measurement | Cortality |
For a marketer-focused stack that also covers written and visual feedback, see best UX analytics and feedback tools for marketers.
The alternatives, side by side
Updated November 2026. Prices checked November 13, 2026, on each vendor's public page, except quote-based plans.
| Tool | Best for | Fills a Smartlook gap? | Price as listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smartlook | Session recordings, heatmaps and funnels, if you already have access | The baseline, but you cannot buy a new paid plan | No new paid plans since 31 May 2026; free plan access until 30 September 2027 after a paid plan ends, per Smartlook's FAQ |
| Microsoft Clarity | Free recordings and heatmaps on any site | Yes, if you want a free recording tool you can still sign up for | Free forever, no paid tier |
| Contentsquare (Hotjar's new home) | Recordings, heatmaps and surveys together | Yes: surveys on the free plan, and a higher free session cap | Free up to 200k sessions/month; Growth $49/month paid monthly or $39/month paid yearly; Pro and Enterprise through sales |
| Mouseflow | Funnels, form analytics and friction | Yes: form analytics and friction on paid plans | Free (500 sessions/month); Essential 25, Advanced 109, Premium 319 per month billed yearly; Enterprise custom; 14-day free trial |
| Crazy Egg | Heatmaps, surveys and A/B tests | Yes: surveys on the free plan, and A/B testing from Plus | Free plan for analytics, instant heatmaps and surveys; Starter $29, Plus $99, Pro $249, Enterprise $599 per month, billed yearly; 30-day trial |
| Lucky Orange | Recordings, heatmaps, surveys and live chat in one plan | Yes: live chat and every feature on every plan; no free plan | Build $32, Grow $72, Expand $199, Scale $839 a month if you pay yearly; Build $39, Expand $249 and Scale $1,049 a month on the monthly compare table; Enterprise custom; 7-day free trial |
| PostHog | Self-serve product analytics plus replay | Yes: product analytics, flags, experiments and surveys | Free allowance of 1M analytics events and 5,000 session recordings/month; then pay-as-you-go |
| FullStory | Deep product analytics and replay at scale | Yes: product analytics and 12 months of analytics retention on the free plan | FullstoryFree (30,000 sessions/month, 12 months' retention, up to 10 users); Business, Advanced and Enterprise by request |
| Cortality | Knowing which element to fix first, and whether the fix worked | Yes, for a ranked Fix List; no, it is not a recording tool | $99, $249 or $499/month; Enterprise custom; free first week |
1. Microsoft Clarity: the free recording tool you can still start today
What it does well. Session recordings, click and scroll heatmaps, rage and dead clicks, funnels, a Google Analytics integration, and Copilot summaries of heatmaps (Clarity FAQ).
Pricing. Free forever, with no traffic limits. Microsoft says you're never compelled to upgrade to a paid version. Clarity records up to 100,000 sessions per project per day.
Keep in mind. Recordings are kept for 30 days (favorites and a random sample can be kept for up to 9 months). Heatmaps can be viewed for up to 9 months. Microsoft says Copilot takeaways "shouldn't be treated as expert recommendations".
Who it's for. Teams that need recordings and heatmaps they can sign up for now, at no cost. For other Clarity options, see Microsoft Clarity alternatives.
2. Contentsquare, Hotjar's new home: surveys and a higher session cap
What it does well. Heatmaps, recordings, funnels and basic surveys on the free plan. Growth adds journey analysis and AI summaries of replays and heatmaps, with 13 months of data (pricing).
Pricing. Free covers up to 200k sessions a month, with 1 month of data access. Growth is $49 a month paid monthly or $39 a month paid yearly. Voice of Customer surveys start at $79 a month, with a free plan that lists 100 monthly responses. New accounts start with a 15-day trial of Growth.
Keep in mind. Hotjar sign-ups are closed, so a new user is choosing Contentsquare (source). This is the closer "recordings plus surveys" swap for marketing teams.
Who it's for. Marketing teams that want written feedback next to recordings.
3. Mouseflow: funnels and forms on a simpler paid plan
What it does well. Session replays, click, scroll and attention heatmaps, friction detection and conversion funnels. Higher plans add feedback surveys (from Advanced) and form analytics (from Premium) (pricing).
Pricing. Free covers 500 sessions a month on 1 website, with 1 month of data history. On November 13, 2026, the pricing page listed Essential, Advanced and Premium at 25, 109 and 319 a month billed yearly (5,000, 25,000 and 100,000 sessions). Enterprise is custom. Mouseflow's page shows these numbers without a currency symbol, so check the price for your region. There's a 14-day free trial.
Who it's for. Smaller sites that want funnels, friction and form analytics. For other Mouseflow options, see Mouseflow alternatives.
4. Crazy Egg: heatmaps, surveys and A/B tests
What it does well. Instant heatmaps, recordings, website surveys and, from the Plus plan, A/B testing (pricing).
Pricing. There is a free plan with web analytics, instant heatmaps, conversion analytics and surveys. Paid plans are Starter $29, Plus $99, Pro $249 and Enterprise $599 a month, and all paid plans are billed yearly. They offer a 30-day trial.
Who it's for. Marketers who want heatmaps and simple A/B tests together. For other Crazy Egg options, see Crazy Egg alternatives.
5. Lucky Orange: live chat and every feature on every plan
What it does well. Dynamic heatmaps, session recordings, surveys and announcements, live chat, live visitor view, conversion funnels, and page and form analytics, all on every plan (pricing).
Pricing. On November 13, 2026, the yearly prices were Build $32, Grow $72, Expand $199 and Scale $839 a month (3,500, 10,000, 50,000 and 300,000 sessions). The monthly compare table listed Build $39, Expand $249 and Scale $1,049 a month; it did not clearly list a monthly price for Grow, so I am not inventing one. Enterprise is custom, starting at 700,000 sessions. There's a 7-day free trial. Base data storage starts at 60 days. Discovery AI is an add-on. Extra sites are $5 each.
Keep in mind. There is no free plan on the pricing page, only the trial.
Who it's for. Small stores that want recordings, surveys and live chat in one product, and are fine paying for a session cap.
6. PostHog: product analytics plus replay, self-serve
What it does well. Product analytics, session replay, feature flags, experiments and surveys in one product (pricing).
Pricing. As listed on November 13, 2026, the free allowance includes 1 million analytics events and 5,000 session recordings a month. Above that, PostHog is pay-as-you-go. Recordings are kept for 1 month on the free plan and 90 days on pay-as-you-go.
Keep in mind. It is strongest when a technical team is happy to install and configure it.
Who it's for. Product and engineering teams that want analytics and replay without a sales-quoted plan.
7. FullStory: product analytics at scale
What it does well. Session replay, heatmaps, funnels and product analytics, with add-ons for StoryAI and in-app guides and surveys (plans).
Pricing. FullstoryFree includes 30,000 sessions a month and 12 months of analytics retention, for up to 10 users. The Business, Advanced and Enterprise plans are priced on request. I am not inventing a paid number.
Who it's for. Product and analytics teams that need more depth, or that already like the platform.
8. Cortality: which element to fix first, not another replay tool
What it does well. One small tag measures how real visitors use every element of the page: what they see, what they skip, and where they scroll, tap and stop. You get a ranked Fix List. Each finding shows what we measured, why it costs you, the exact change to make, and a re-measure that shows whether it worked, with a verdict of Improved, Worse, No change or Not enough data yet (how it works).
Pricing. Starter $99 a month, Growth $249 a month, Scale $499 a month, and Enterprise is custom, month to month (pricing). Every plan starts with a free first week, and you see your first report before any charge. Any charge can be refunded within 14 days, no reason needed (refunds).
Keep in mind. It is not a heatmap and not a Smartlook replacement. It does not replace session recordings. It works alongside a recording tool when the missing piece is a ranked list of page fixes.
Who it's for. Marketing sites, online stores and SaaS sites that have traffic but not enough conversions, and want to know what to change first.
Want a quick look before installing anything? The free page scan works from a URL alone, takes about a minute, and needs no install. It's a prediction from our attention model, not data from your real visitors, and the full findings arrive by email.
How to pick
- You need a free recording tool you can start today: Microsoft Clarity.
- You want surveys and a higher free session cap: Contentsquare's free plan.
- You want funnels and form analytics: Mouseflow.
- You want heatmaps and A/B tests in one product: Crazy Egg.
- You want live chat in the same product: Lucky Orange, if you are fine paying for a session cap.
- You want product analytics plus replay: PostHog if you can install it yourself, or FullStory if you need that depth and can get a quote.
- You are an existing Smartlook customer who wants to stay in that ecosystem: read Smartlook's FAQ and talk to your account manager or Splunk representative about Digital Experience Analytics. Export data you need to keep before your paid plan ends.
- You have traffic, few conversions, and no time to watch recordings: add Cortality for a ranked list of fixes and a re-measure on each one. Start your free week.
Related: Best UX analytics and feedback tools for marketers · Hotjar alternatives · Microsoft Clarity alternatives
Sources (checked November 13, 2026)
- Smartlook, "The Future of Smartlook" FAQ: smartlook.com
- Microsoft Clarity FAQ: learn.microsoft.com/en-us/clarity/faq
- Contentsquare pricing: contentsquare.com/pricing and "Hotjar is now part of Contentsquare": contentsquare.com/hotjar
- Mouseflow pricing: mouseflow.com/pricing
- Crazy Egg pricing: crazyegg.com/pricing
- Lucky Orange pricing: luckyorange.com/pricing
- PostHog pricing: posthog.com/pricing
- FullStory plans: fullstory.com/plans
- Cortality: pricing, refunds
Questions
What is Cortality?
Cortality is AI website UX analysis that shows where visitors get stuck and what to fix. It is not a heatmap. The paid product measures how real visitors use each element of the page, ranks the fixes, and re-measures each change. Every plan starts with a free first week.
What are the best Smartlook alternatives?
Microsoft Clarity is the usual free pick for recordings and heatmaps. Contentsquare, Hotjar's new home, is the closer option when you want surveys and a higher session cap. Mouseflow fits if you also want funnels and form analytics. Crazy Egg is the better pick when you want A/B tests next to heatmaps. PostHog is stronger when the job is product analytics plus replay. Existing Smartlook customers who want to stay in that ecosystem should also read Smartlook's own path to Digital Experience Analytics in Splunk Observability Cloud. Cortality is not a recording tool; use it when you need a ranked list of page fixes and a re-measure of each one.
Is Smartlook shutting down?
Yes, as a standalone product. Smartlook's official FAQ, checked November 13, 2026, says End of Sale took effect on 31 May 2026, contract renewals ended on 31 August 2026, paid subscriptions end no later than 31 August 2027, and the platform will be decommissioned on 30 September 2027, when remaining data is deleted. After a paid plan ends, Smartlook says you can use the free plan until 30 September 2027.
Can I still sign up for Smartlook?
You cannot buy a new paid Smartlook plan. End of Sale has been in effect since 31 May 2026, and Smartlook says no new paid plans are available for purchase. Existing customers were able to renew only until 31 August 2026. If you need recordings and heatmaps today, start with one of the alternatives on this page.
Is Cortality a Smartlook alternative?
Only for a specific job. Smartlook is a session recording, heatmap and funnel tool. Cortality does not replace that, and it is not a heatmap. It measures how real visitors use each element of a page, ranks what to fix, and re-measures each change. Use a recording tool if you want footage, and add Cortality when the missing piece is a ranked Fix List.
How much does Cortality cost?
Plans are $99, $249 or $499 a month, and Enterprise is custom. Every plan starts with a free first week, you see your first report before any charge, and any charge can be refunded within 14 days.