- Session replay tools side by side
- Ten session replay tools to compare
- What session replay shows you, and what it doesn't
- Session replay privacy and consent: what to check first
- Questions to ask before you pick a session replay tool
- Which type of session replay tool suits which business
- Why a smaller session replay tool can be a smart pick
- Session replay mistakes to avoid
- A checklist before you start recording sessions
- Frequently asked questions
A good session replay tool records anonymised visits, masks sensitive fields and fits your site, traffic and privacy needs. Check consent handling, where data is stored, filtering, and whether you also want heatmaps or funnels. This page lists ten options in no particular order, then covers how to choose and what to check before you start recording.
Analytics tells you what happened on your website. Session replay shows you how it happened. You watch an anonymised recording of a visitor moving their mouse, scrolling, tapping and sometimes giving up, and suddenly a confusing button or a broken form makes sense. For a small business owner, it's the quickest way I know to stop guessing about why a page isn't working.
Below are ten session replay tools in no particular order, sorted alphabetically. A few are well-known names and most are smaller, specialist or open-source options. I've taken every description from each tool's own website and directory listings, so check the current details on the tool's own site before you sign up. If you'd like to start with the basics, my roundup of heatmap tools covers the closely related job of seeing where people click.
Session replay tools side by side
In the free plan column, Yes means the tool's own site shows a permanent free plan or a free open-source edition. Trial only means a free trial but no ongoing free plan. Plans change, so treat this as a starting point and confirm it on the tool's own website.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contentsquare | Experience analytics suite | Replays plus heatmaps from a larger analytics platform | Yes |
| Crazy Egg | Heatmaps and recordings | Heatmaps and recordings on a small site | Trial only |
| FullSession | Experience analytics | Replays, funnels and error monitoring together | Trial only |
| Inspectlet | Recordings and heatmaps | Simple recordings with form analytics | Yes |
| LogRocket | Replay and error monitoring | Replays alongside technical errors | Trial only |
| Lucky Orange | Behaviour analytics | Recordings, heatmaps and live chat together | Trial only |
| Microsoft Clarity | Free behaviour analytics | Free recordings and heatmaps with no traffic cap | Yes |
| Mouseflow | Session replay | Replays, funnels and form drop-off | Yes |
| OpenReplay | Self-hosted replay | Keeping recordings on your own servers | Yes |
| PostHog | Analytics with recordings | Product analytics and recordings in one place | Yes |
Ten session replay tools to compare
Contentsquare
Best for: Larger teams who want session replay inside a wider experience analytics suite, with a free tier to start on.
Crazy Egg
Best for: Small site owners who want heatmaps, recordings and simple A/B tests in one tool, starting with a free trial.
FullSession
Best for: Product and marketing teams who want replays, heatmaps and funnels with AI help to spot where visitors get stuck.
Inspectlet
Best for: Site owners who want visitor recordings, heatmaps and form analytics from a long-running tool with a free starting tier.
LogRocket
Best for: Web app teams who want to see user sessions next to the errors and slow pages that caused the trouble.
Lucky Orange
Best for: Small shops and service sites who like recordings, heatmaps, surveys and live chat gathered in one dashboard.
Microsoft Clarity
Best for: Anyone who wants session recordings and heatmaps with no cap on traffic and no card needed to start.
Mouseflow
Best for: Online shops and lead generation sites who want replays, funnels and form analytics, starting on a free plan.
OpenReplay
Best for: Teams who want session replay data kept on their own servers, using the self-hosted open-source edition.
PostHog
Best for: Product teams who want replay, analytics and experiments together, with open-source code and a free monthly allowance.
What session replay shows you, and what it doesn't
A replay is a recreation of what a visitor saw, built from the clicks, scrolls and page changes the tool recorded. It isn't a video camera pointed at a person. That's good news for privacy, and it also means a replay can't tell you why someone left, only what they did before they went.
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- Rage clicks are repeated clicks on something that doesn't respond. They often point to a button that looks clickable but isn't.
- Dead ends show visitors scrolling up and down looking for something, such as contact details or delivery information.
- Form trouble appears when people start a form and quit at the same field every time.
- Mobile problems show up when a menu or banner covers the part of the screen people need.
Watching a handful of recordings from one page, then fixing one obvious thing, beats trying to review everything. If you want a plan for what to change afterwards, my guide to getting more visitors to take action is a sensible next read.
Session replay privacy and consent: what to check first
Because session replay records behaviour, privacy matters more here than with most website tools. This isn't legal advice, so check the rules that apply to you with the official body or a solicitor. In the UK, that usually means looking at UK GDPR and the rules on cookies and similar technologies, and many other countries have their own versions.
- Masking. Check the tool hides passwords, payment details and personal information by default, and lets you mask extra fields or whole pages.
- Consent. Find out whether the tool sets cookies, and whether it can wait for your cookie banner before it records anything.
- Where data is stored. Look at which regions the tool uses, and whether a self-hosted option keeps recordings on your own servers.
- Retention. Ask how long recordings are kept and how you delete them if someone asks you to.
- Your privacy notice. Say plainly on your site that you use session replay and what for.
Questions to ask before you pick a session replay tool
- How many visitors does my site get, and will the free allowance last long enough to be useful?
- Do I need web only, or mobile app recordings as well?
- Will I also want heatmaps, funnels or surveys, or only replays?
- Does it work with my website builder, shop platform or tag manager?
- Who'll watch the recordings, and how often?
- Can I filter recordings by page, device or visitors who got stuck, rather than scrolling through everything?
Which type of session replay tool suits which business
- Small shops and local service sites usually do well with a simple tool that combines recordings and heatmaps, and a free plan to learn on.
- Lead generation sites benefit from form analytics, so you can see which field makes people quit.
- Software and web app teams often prefer tools that link replays to errors and technical events.
- Privacy-minded organisations may favour open-source tools they can host themselves.
- Larger teams may want replay inside a wider analytics suite, with permissions and support for many users.
Why a smaller session replay tool can be a smart pick
Smaller tools often do a few things clearly, move quickly on new features and are easier to learn than a big suite. They can also be gentler on your page speed and your patience.
Before you rely on one, check that it's still being updated, read its help pages on privacy, try it on one or two pages first and look at how you'd export or delete your data if you changed your mind.
Session replay mistakes to avoid
- Recording everything without masking sensitive fields.
- Installing the script and never watching a single recording.
- Judging a page from two or three sessions. Look for patterns across many.
- Changing several things at once, so you can't tell what helped.
- Forgetting to update your privacy notice and cookie banner.
Do you make a session replay or website behaviour tool? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
A checklist before you start recording sessions
Write down the page you most want to understand, shortlist two tools, and install one on that page only. Mask anything personal, update your privacy notice, then watch a small batch of recordings and note what you see. Make one change, watch again, and keep the tool only if it helps you decide what to fix.
Frequently asked questions
What is session replay?
It's a recording of how a visitor moved through your site, rebuilt from their clicks, scrolls, taps and page changes. You watch it back to see where people got stuck or confused.
Is session replay the same as a heatmap?
No. A heatmap combines many visits into one picture of where people click or scroll. A session replay shows one visit from start to finish. They answer different questions, and many tools offer both.
Is session replay legal?
It depends on where you and your visitors are and how you set it up. Rules on consent, cookies and personal data apply in many places. This isn't legal advice, so check with the official body or a solicitor for your own situation.
Will session replay slow my website down?
Any extra script can add some load. Most tools load in the background, but it's sensible to check your page speed before and after installing one.
How many recordings should I watch?
Start with a small batch from one page, filtered to visitors who struggled. Look for the same problem appearing again and again rather than judging from a single session.
Do I need a free plan to start?
Not necessarily, but a free plan or trial lets you check the tool suits your site before you commit. Always confirm the current terms on the tool's own website.
