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Posted on Oct 16 • Originally published at zipy.ai on Oct 16

We tried LogRocket vs Smartlook — Key Features and Pricing Comparison for 2024

Alright, we did something so that you don’t have to. We committed ourselves to trying out two of the most popular tools when it comes to understanding your users and their experience. So, after all that work, this guide to LogRocket vs Smartlook was born. If you’re here reading this it probably means that you’ve already heard some good things about both and now you’re trying to figure out which one is really going to get the job done. Spoiler alert: there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. But hey, that’s why you’re here, right? Let’s break this down and see what each of these solutions brings to the table.

LogRocket

Let’s start with LogRocket, a tool that is uber useful for tracking down what went wrong in your app. It’s primarily built for front-end teams who need to get into the weeds of session replays, console errors, and performance issues really fast. Whether it’s a bug that is causing your user problems or something causing page load times to drag, LogRocket helps you pinpoint the issue so you can get it fixed. It is also a bonus that it plays nice with other tools you probably already use, like Sentry, Slack, or Intercom.

Smartlook

What about Smartlook? That’s a solution which is all about the bigger picture. While it also offers session replays, the real power lies in its user behavior analytics. You’ve got heatmaps, funnels, and a whole host of additional insights that tell you how users are moving through your app or site. And more importantly, it also tell you where your users are falling off. It is as close as you can get to a product manager’s dream of understanding user behavior and improving the experience. If you’re looking to dig deep into why people are interacting (or not) with your product, Smartlook is a great bet.

Quick look at LogRocket vs Smartlook

At first glance, it might seem like LogRocket vs Smartlook do the same thing. They both offer session replays, sure. But the real difference comes down to focus. LogRocket is more of a troubleshooting buddy for those “something broke, fix it now” moments while also providing details about user behavior. Smartlook, on the other hand, is more about the long game. It helps you discover trends in user behavior and then refine user journeys based on the insights gained.

So, the question still is — which one should you choose? Well, you’ve got a few more sections to get through before you find your answer. However, here is the short answer: If your priority is tracking down bugs and performance issues, LogRocket probably has the edge. But if you are solely focusing on overall user experience and behavioral insights, Smartlook might be a good choice to make. And, while we’re weighing the pros and cons of LogRocket vs Smartlook, let me just hint at a third option out there that might be worth checking out (we’ll get into that later).

Now that you’ve got the rundown, let’s dive into the details of LogRocket vs Smartlook and figure out which solution is the best solution for your needs.

LogRocket vs Smartlook: An Overview

When it comes to LogRocket vs Smartlook, you’re talking about a head-to-head between two tools that each have their distinct strengths. It’s less about one being outright better than the other and more about figuring out what your team needs the most. As I was saying a few paragraphs ago, LogRocket vs Smartlook isn’t about comparing similar platforms, instead, it is a decision between two approaches to understanding your users and improving your product.

As you might be able to see from the above table, LogRocket leans into being a comprehensive, full-stack solution for both user experience insights and error tracking. If you’re looking to spot experience-hampering bugs, diving into stack traces to debug them, or tracking network and console logs, LogRocket does a great job of it. The addition of tools like pagespeed monitoring to that stack means that LogRocket helps keep your site performing. Couple that with core features of the solution like session replays and heatmaps and it gives your team all the tools they need to perfect both functionality and user flow. So, it covers almost (almost being the imperative word) everything a team needs to improve both the user experience and the technical performance of their product. Engineers and product managers alike can quickly spot problems and fix them, and the real-time performance insights make it super clear why something might be going wrong.

Smartlook’s main focus is all about helping you understand your user behavior. Its strength lies in features like session recording, heatmaps and funnels. Want to visualize where users are clicking (or not clicking)? Smartlook’s heatmaps give you a clear visual of user engagement, which makes it easier to identify design flaws or user flow issues. The funnels feature helps you track conversion paths so that you can see where users are dropping off and make changes accordingly. If your goal is to perfect the user experience, Smartlook offers a solid toolbox for UX and product teams. But when it comes to error tracking, it’s a bit more basic compared to LogRocket. Deep technical performance analysis or error resolution aren’t its core strengths and that’s evident. So, Smartlook will turn out to be of solid value if your focus is strictly on fine-tuning the user journey without diving too deep into technical issues.

Remember when I said that these two might not be your only choice? That’s because Zipy is a third option you should definitely consider if you’re researching LogRocket vs Smartlook. Our alternative solution brings you the best of both worlds — error tracking and user behavior insights, with a little bit of AI magic thrown into the mix. Not only does Zipy offer the same in-depth session replays and error tracking as LogRocket, but it also brings AI bug resolution capabilities and API performance monitoring to the table. So, if you’d like to give your team a serious edge when it comes to faster debugging and decision-making, this third option would be a great choice to make.

To be honest, whatever choice you make comes down to what your team values more: a balanced mix of user experience and error diagnostics with LogRocket, or focusing heavily on user behavior analysis with Smartlook. But if you want a solution that doesn’t just give insights but also brings AI into the mix for faster and smarter problem-solving, Zipy could easily be your top choice. So, moving forward in this article, it’s not just a debate between LogRocket vs Smartlook. Instead, I’ll also be covering how Zipy stacks up against both of these tools.

LogRocket vs Smartlook: User Behavior and Product Analytics

When it comes to understanding what your users are up to and how they navigate within your product, the right tools can make all the difference. That’s where platforms like LogRocket vs Smartlook, or even Zipy come in. Each of them has its own approach to providing you with the right insights when it comes to user behavior and product analytics, but they’re not all equal. In this section, we’re looking at how these three tools do in helping you understand the “why” behind user actions.

Let’s start with LogRocket the heavyweight when it comes to comprehensive user tracking and analytics. If you’re serious about understanding how users interact with your product across both web and mobile, LogRocket covers those aspects with cross-platform support. It gives you web-app replays, mobile-app replays, and real-time recordings, so you can literally watch user sessions unfold as they happen.

Another area where LogRocket really shines is in its conversion funnels and path analysis features. These are gold for growth and product teams because they show you the exact steps users take before converting or bouncing. Want to know where users are dropping off in the checkout flow? Or why they never make it past a certain step? LogRocket will show you. Plus, it comes with heatmaps, click maps, and scroll maps so that you get all the visual data you need to know which areas need improvement. Bundle that with the AI-based user struggle insights that help surface key user frustrations and you’d have no need to sit through hours of footage. LogRocket’s AI, called Galileo, does a lot of the heavy lifting, making it easier to find the important bits.

Smartlook takes a simpler yet effective approach to user behavior analysis. Just like LogRocket, you get web and mobile replays, along with real-time recordings, so you can monitor user behavior in both live and historical contexts. For teams that focus on UX and product optimization, Smartlook’s heatmaps, click maps, and scroll maps give you solid visual data on where users are interacting with your product. The area where Smartlook stands out is its no-code event tracking. Unlike LogRocket, you don’t need a developer to set up some of the event tracking for button clicks or form submissions. This feature is a huge win for non-technical teams who don’t have access to their codebase or need actionable insights without having to write a line of code. It’s a bit more user-friendly in that regard.

That said, Smartlook also falls short in a few key areas. There’s no proactive user struggle identification, which means you’ll have to manually sift through sessions to spot user frustrations. This can make it more time-consuming to pinpoint specific issues or optimize your user journeys. Also, data retention is limited to one month on standard plans, which could be a dealbreaker if you need long-term historical data for product analysis.

Then there’s Zipy, bringing something extra to the table. Pretty much like we saw with the comparison between LogRocket vs Smartlook, Zipy offers web and mobile replays, as well as real-time recordings. But it’s the AI-driven insights that make Zipy particularly interesting. Zipy’s session summarization uses AI to give you a quick rundown of key interactions within a session so that you can save time from the tedious process of watching every second of every replay — kinda like an assistant to highlight the important parts of user behavior for you.

While Zipy doesn’t offer conversion funnels or path analysis, it does provide a strong set of tools for identifying experience-hampering issues. Plus it comes equipped with unique features like private sharing of sessions. Zipy also allows you to customize how long you keep your data based on your needs. This provides flexibility, unlike Logrocket vs Smartlook, and can be a big plus for teams working with large data sets or those who need longer-term historical data for analysis.

LogRocket vs Smartlook: Error and Performance Monitoring

Nothing hampers a user’s experience quite like a glitchy app or a sluggish website. From pages not loading fast enough to functions failing right when users need them most, such issues can lead to frustration, lower engagement, and even customers being lost. When a user encounters a problem with your app, every second counts. That’s exactly why proactive identification and resolution of these issues are key to maintaining a wonderful user experience. Whether you’re tracking bugs, monitoring your APIs, or pinpointing where an error came from, you’ll need a solution that can handle all of this without driving your team up the wall. So in this section of our LogRocket vs Smartlook comparison, we’re diving into how each platform handles error monitoring and performance.

When it comes to LogRocket, the platform does a great job of catching issues that can negatively impact user experience, whether it’s console errors, network errors, or even bugs caused by new releases. These errors might seem like minor annoyances, but in reality, they can create massive problems for users. Take a slow API call for example — that’s an extra few seconds and a user might abandon your product. A console error that breaks key functionality? That could mean losing a customer for good.

LogRocket’s gives developers details about such issues in real time. It bubbles up what’s going wrong and where. Features like stack traces and error dashboards allow teams to pinpoint exactly where things go south. And the ability to track release performance means you’ll know instantly if the latest update has introduced new problems, helping you fix bugs before users even notice. LogRocket also offers release tracking so that if something breaks because of your latest update (because let’s be honest, it happens), you can quickly pinpoint which deployment caused the problem. Add in error dashboards and error grouping, and you’ve got yourself a pretty tidy way of organizing and tackling issues as they arise.

Now, when we talk API performance, LogRocket is decent, but not a heavyweight. You get some insights, but if you’re looking for full-blown diagnostics, it might not give you everything you’re looking for. But for most teams, especially those focusing on front-end performance, LogRocket’s set of tools will do the job nicely.

Smartlook is a go-to tool for many for behavior analysis, but when it comes to error tracking? Not so much. Sure, you get the standard console errors and network errors, but beyond that, there’s not a lot of depth on offer. No API performance monitoring, no diagnostics. So, if it is a key area of focus in improving your product and your user experience, you might feel a little short-changed here.

And while Smartlook does many things well, the lack of release tracking and error grouping can really slow down your troubleshooting process. You’ll find yourself dealing with errors one by one, rather than being able to batch similar ones together for faster fixes. When you’re under pressure to get things back on track, this lack of efficiency can be a huge dealbreaker.

Now, if the LogRocket vs Smartlook comparison leaves you wanting more, Zipy could be the answer. Zipy goes beyond just showing you what’s wrong as it helps you figure out how to fix it and fix it fast. Beyond the standard error monitoring, it comes equipped with AI code resolution and a feature called “steps to reproduce”. So, not only can you spot the bugs but you can get quick suggestions on how to resolve them. Instead of just getting error alerts, you get actionable insights that can save your team a ton of time.

Zipy also goes beyond just the API performance insights offered by LogRocket and provides diagnostics for fixing them. Something neither of the tools in the LogRocket vs Smartlook debate does as comprehensively. For teams that need to track down performance bottlenecks, this is a huge advantage. Combine that with error digests and error grouping, and Zipy makes sure everything is organized and prioritized for you.

So, looking at LogRocket vs Smartlook side-by-side in this aspect, it’s pretty clear that LogRocket is the stronger player. It gives you more features to help track and resolve issues. Smartlook does the basics, but if performance tracking is a priority, it might not be the best fit.

But if you’re looking to improve efficiency, Zipy gives you AI-powered tools and deep performance diagnostics that can really help your team get ahead of issues. Whether it’s API performance, AI code resolution, or simply better-organized error tracking, Zipy has a lot to offer that LogRocket and Smartlook just don’t.

So when you’re weighing LogRocket vs Smartlook, don’t forget to consider Zipy as a serious contender. It might just have everything you’re looking for, and more.

LogRocket vs Smartlook: Privacy and Compliance

When it comes to handling user data responsibly, the LogRocket vs Smartlook comparison shows some key distinctions. Both tools make sure your app meets basic privacy and compliance standards. However, the level of coverage and the features they offer vary. And let me tell you something, these differences might just sway your decision.

When comparing LogRocket vs Smartlook on privacy, LogRocket does offer a little more the lead in some crucial areas. It offers the basic compliance requirements needed from solutions like these such as GDPR and SOC 2 standards. This means that whether you’re operating in Europe or managing user data across global markets, you can feel confident that the right security protocols are in place. Along with that it also includes data anonymization so that sensitive details like emails or passwords are masked during session replays.

Where LogRocket really sets itself apart is in its self-hosting option, which is available for enterprise users. If keeping data on your own servers is a non-negotiable for you, LogRocket makes this possible. However, keep in mind that it’s a feature that’s mainly reserved for larger enterprise teams with specific needs. An area where LogRocket falls short is the lack of custom masking. So, you get the basic data protection tools, but if you need more granular control over which areas of your app are masked, you’ll have to look elsewhere.

Smartlook too, in fact, is SOC 2 Type II certified, and is hosted on AWS (which itself is ISO27001 and SOC 2 certified). So, their infrastructure is quite solid. On top of that, Smartlook provides default masking of sensitive information, meaning that fields like passwords and credit card info are obscured out of the box. They also take user consent seriously and thus, offer a pop-up window to ensure compliance.

However, there’s one thing both LogRocket vs Smartlook miss: custom masking. That’s where Zipy can be a stronger alternative for privacy-focused teams. Like both the other tools, you’ll get a solution that’s GDPR compliant and 2 Type II certified. While it lacks self-hosting, it offers custom masking, which allows you to dictate exactly which areas of your app should be masked. For companies handling large amounts of sensitive user data, this can be a crucial piece. You get full control over what’s hidden from recordings and data logs.

So, whether you’re weighing LogRocket vs Smartlook, or looking for an alternative like Zipy, the choice hinges on what your team values more — comprehensive privacy controls or strong out-of-the-box encryption and consent measures.

LogRocket vs Smartlook: Pricing

When comparing LogRocket vs Smartlook on pricing, the differences are in the details. Both solutions offer free plans. However, how they scale and what you get for your money could sway your decision, especially if budget is a key factor for your team.

LogRocket has a very limited, smaller free plan — just 1,000 sessions per month. This might work for tiny teams, but larger teams will find themselves outgrowing it quickly. Their paid plans start at $69/month for 10,000 sessions in the Team plan, and scale up to $295/month for the Professional plan. The Professional plan includes customizable seats and extended data retention options. As mentioned throughout this read, LogRocket is particularly useful if you’re focused on performance monitoring and error tracking, but keep an eye on those session limits as they can run out faster than you think, especially if your product has a lot of traffic.

Smartlook keeps things pretty straightforward too. Their Free plan lets you record up to 3,000 sessions per month, a marked increase compared to LogRocket. It might be a generous starting point if you’re a small business or just exploring analytics. It comes with core features like heatmaps, session recordings, and events. So, you can get a basic version of the platform without any financial commitment. But if your team’s needs grow, so does the price. The Pro plan starts at $55 per month and gives you 5,000 sessions. It comes added with more events, funnels, and heatmaps, plus integrations with popular tools like Mixpanel and Zendesk. For larger teams, Smartlook offers an Enterprise plan that has custom pricing based on your specific needs. The Enterprise plans include advanced features and dedicated support.

So, where does Zipy fit into the LogRocket vs Smartlook conversation? Zipy offers a more flexible and cost-effective pricing structure that could appeal to teams of all sizes. Our Free plan offers 6,000 sessions per month, more than both LogRocket and twice the amount offered by Smartlook. It also includes unlimited event capture. If you’re concerned about blowing through your session limits, this is a great choice. When you’re ready to scale, Zipy’s paid plans start at $39/month and we let you add features as needed. Whether it’s API performance monitoring, heatmaps, or AI-driven insights, all of it is completely customizable to your needs. Zipy’s modular approach means you only pay for what you need, a nice contrast to LogRocket vs Smartlook as they both have a more rigid pricing structure.

LogRocket vs Smartlook: What’s the Right Choice?

Finally, we’re here — at the end of the gruelling battle between LogRocket vs Smartlook. Well, it’s safe to say that both tools pack a punch. But they cater to slightly different needs, depending on your area of focus.

LogRocket is the choice to make if you’re prioritizing error tracking and performance monitoring. From console and network error reporting to release tracking and stack traces, it’s got you covered. In addition to that, the self-hosting option is a game-changer for larger teams wanting full control over their data. But let’s be honest, the pricing structure and session limits might hit harder than you’d like as your team grows, making LogRocket feel like a bit of a luxury.

On the other side, Smartlook is the choice to make if insights into user behavior and product analytics are your only areas of focus. Their generous free plan, combined with session recordings, heatmaps, and conversion funnels, make it a solid option. Smartlook takes privacy and compliance quite seriously too with its SOC 2 Type II compliance and automatic masking of sensitive info. However, it might leave you wanting more when it comes to performance monitoring and custom error grouping.

So, LogRocket vs Smartlook, who takes the crown? The answer depends, like everything else in life, on what you value most. If it is solving issues as part of improving your user experience, LogRocket should be your go-to. But if you’re focused on user behavior, session replays, and a more generous free tier, Smartlook might just edge ahead.Take a close look at what matters most to your workflow, and choose the one that fits. Because like I said at the very start of this guide, between LogRocket vs Smartlook, there is no no one-size-fits-all solution.

Oh, and you definitely should not forget about the wildcard — Zipy. It sneaks into the LogRocket vs Smartlook debate by offering a bit of both worlds with a flexible, customizable approach that doesn’t break the bank. From the additional diagnosticsn and AI-driven insights to a competitive free plan, Zipy is definitely worth considering if you’re feeling stuck between the two.

Ready to explore the wildcard option? Give Zipy a try with our 14-day free trial, loaded with premium features. No strings attached. Instead, you just get a powerful platform designed to help you make smarter decisions, faster. Click here to get started!