Pick Amplitude if your team has engineers, wants experiments and feature management in the same tool, and likes a stated free plan for starting small. Pick Heap if you want every click and form fill captured automatically from one snippet, without tagging each event, and you're comfortable with its Contentsquare direction. There's no outright winner.
Heap has joined forces with Contentsquare, and its homepage now promotes a combined Experience Intelligence Platform. That one change makes a lot of older write-ups about this pair out of date, because they treat it as a standalone startup. It isn't one any more, and that's the first thing to weigh.
For the rest of this page I'll call the first tool the experimentation platform and the second the autocapture tool, because those are the clearest ways to tell them apart.
What the Contentsquare move means for you
The ownership news doesn't change what the autocapture tool does today. It still captures behaviour from a single snippet and offers session replay and heatmaps. What it changes is direction. You're now buying into a wider experience analytics family, so if you already use Contentsquare, or might, that's a plus. If you wanted a small, independent vendor, it's worth knowing before you sign up.
The experimentation platform states no ownership change on its homepage.
How the data gets in
This is the second big split, and for many teams it's the deciding one. The autocapture tool says one snippet captures every view, click, swipe and form fill automatically. It also offers Smart Capture, manual tracking and server-side options for the events you want to define on purpose. The vendor calls this the most complete data capture on the market.
The experimentation platform shows an SDK install with npm and tracking setup for web, Python, Go, Swift, Kotlin and more. That's more work at the start. The upside is more deliberate data: you decide what matters and name it, rather than sorting through everything later.
Neither approach is wrong. If nobody on your team writes code, automatic capture means you'll have data this week. If you've got engineers and a clear idea of the events you care about, a tracking plan tends to keep reports cleaner.
Six differences in one table
| Area | Amplitude | Heap |
|---|---|---|
| Data capture | SDK install and tracking setup for web, Python, Go, Swift, Kotlin and more | One snippet captures views, clicks, swipes and form fills, plus Smart Capture, manual and server-side |
| Scope beyond analytics | Feature and web experimentation, feature management, guides and surveys, AI feedback | Analytics with session replay, heatmaps and web analytics; governance and warehouse sync for data teams |
| AI | Global Agent, AI-powered replays, Agent Analytics and an MCP server | Sense AI for newcomers and Illuminate to surface friction |
| Who sets it up | Developer-friendly prompts for AI editors and terminals, plus a Developer Hub | Marketed as needing no engineering to capture data |
| Ownership | No change stated | Joined forces with Contentsquare |
| Getting started | Free plan stated | Free trial and demo requests |
Beyond the charts: experiments, guides and surveys
The experimentation platform has grown into much more than analytics. Next to product analytics, session replay and heatmaps, it sells feature experimentation, web experimentation, feature management, in-app guides and surveys, and AI feedback. A product team could plausibly run tests, ship flags and ask users questions without leaving it.
The autocapture tool stays centred on analytics: session replay, heatmaps and web analytics, with governance and warehouse sync for data teams. If you already run experiments in another tool, that narrower focus may suit you fine. If you'd like one vendor for the lot, the experimentation platform covers more ground.
Where the AI shows up
The experimentation platform puts AI front and centre: a Global Agent, AI-powered replays, Agent Analytics and an MCP server for Claude, Cursor and other tools. The vendor describes its agent as the highest performing analytics agent on the market, which is its claim rather than an independent finding.
The autocapture tool's AI is aimed at a different person. Sense AI is pitched at people with no analytics experience, and Illuminate uses data science to surface friction you didn't think to track. That fits its promise: capture everything, then let the software point at what's worth a look.
Who in your company will run it?
- A product team with engineers who can own a tracking plan: the experimentation platform.
- Marketers or product managers who need answers without waiting on a developer: the autocapture tool.
- A data team that wants governance and warehouse sync: the autocapture tool lists both.
- Developers who work in AI code editors and terminals: the experimentation platform has setup prompts for them.
Verdict: match the tool to the team you have
Go with the experimentation platform if you've got engineering time, want experiments and feature management in the same place, and like starting on a stated free plan. Go with the autocapture tool if you'd rather capture everything from one snippet and skip the tagging, and the Contentsquare direction doesn't put you off. Neither vendor's site crowns a winner, and I won't either. For a wider view, our guide to the best product analytics tools ranks the field, and this Amplitude and Mixpanel comparison helps if you're weighing an event-based rival.
Alternatives we'd also shortlist
Mixpanel
Best for: Product teams wanting event-based analytics, now framed as a product intelligence platform with a get-started-free route.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
PostHog
Best for: Developer-led teams that want analytics, errors, replays and business data stored together for people and agents to query.
Fullstory
Best for: Ecommerce and finance teams improving digital experience through session replay, heatmaps, product analytics and StoryAI agents.
Pendo
Best for: Teams focused on adoption and retention, turning usage data into in-app nudges and next-build decisions, with an MCP server.
Do you make a product analytics tool? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this page.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Related: writing for us on python.
Frequently asked questions
Is Heap still an independent company?
No. Its homepage says it has joined forces with Contentsquare and promotes a combined Experience Intelligence Platform.
Does Amplitude capture events automatically?
Its homepage shows SDK installs and tracking setup across many languages, so expect a more deliberate setup than one snippet.
Which one includes A/B testing and feature flags?
The experimentation platform sells feature and web experimentation plus feature management. The autocapture tool stays focused on analytics.
Can a non-technical team set up Heap?
That's how it's marketed: one snippet captures behaviour without engineers instrumenting each event, and Sense AI helps newcomers get started.
Is there a free option on either?
The experimentation platform states a free plan. The autocapture tool offers a free trial and demo requests.
