Microsoft Clarity Alternatives for Session Replay

The best Microsoft Clarity alternatives depend on why Clarity is not enough. Hotjar and Mouseflow add surveys, funnels and form analytics. PostHog, OpenReplay and Matomo can run on your own servers, Smartlook focuses on native mobile apps, and AnyReplay offers replay for web and React Native with in-browser masking and on-demand translation.

This guide compares seven tools by public positioning, self-hosting and mobile support. It does not list prices or plan limits, which change often; check each vendor's site for current details.

Why look for an alternative to Microsoft Clarity?

Microsoft Clarity is generally known for free heatmaps and session recordings from Microsoft. For many websites it is an easy first tool. The reasons teams look for a Clarity alternative are usually these:

• Data location. Recordings are processed and stored by Microsoft. Some organisations need to know exactly where data lives or keep it on their own infrastructure; check Clarity's documentation for its current data handling.
• Consent and control. Privacy reviews often want recording to wait for consent and inputs masked before configuration. Clarity has its own settings for this; compare them with what your review requires.
• Mobile apps. Teams with React Native or native apps want to check how well a tool covers their stack before committing.
• Self-hosting. Clarity is a hosted service, so teams that must self-host need another tool.
• Support and contracts. A free product may not come with the support, agreements or guarantees a larger organisation expects.

Microsoft Clarity alternatives at a glance

The alternatives, one by one

Hotjar

Hotjar is generally known for heatmaps, session recordings and on-page surveys and feedback, and is part of the Contentsquare group. It covers the same visual ground as Clarity and adds ways to ask visitors questions. See AnyReplay vs Hotjar and Hotjar alternatives.

PostHog

PostHog is an open-source product platform: product analytics, session replay, feature flags, experiments and surveys, available in the cloud or self-hosted. It suits teams that have outgrown recordings on their own and want events and experiments in the same place. See AnyReplay vs PostHog session replay.

Mouseflow

Mouseflow positions itself around heatmaps, recordings, conversion funnels and form analytics. If you use Clarity to understand why a form or checkout loses people, Mouseflow is built for that question. Check their site for plans and data residency options.

OpenReplay

OpenReplay is an open-source, self-hostable session replay tool with developer tools such as network and console views, and a cloud option. It is a good fit when engineers are the main users and recordings must stay on your servers. See AnyReplay vs OpenReplay.

Matomo

Matomo is a privacy-focused web analytics platform you can self-host or use in the cloud. Heatmaps and session recordings are available as a paid add-on or premium feature, so check their site for what is included. It suits organisations that want web analytics and recordings under one privacy-focused roof.

Smartlook

Smartlook records websites and native mobile apps, with events and funnels on top, and is part of Cisco. If your product is mainly a native iOS or Android app, it is one of the more direct options. See AnyReplay vs Smartlook.

AnyReplay

AnyReplay records web sessions and React Native apps. Every field value is masked by default, password, one-time-code and payment inputs are masked in every configuration, and masking happens on the page or device before anything is sent. The React Native SDK behaves the same way as the browser one: email and phone fields are ordinary fields, masked unless you set maskAllInputs: false. With requireConsent: true it records nothing, and sends no requests, until your page calls anyreplay('consent', true). Retention is set per organisation from 1 to 365 days, and a reviewer can translate a session into English, Turkish, German, Spanish or French.

It does not build heatmaps, funnels or surveys, and it does not capture console logs or network requests. AnyReplay is in early access with a free plan: 1 project and 500 sessions a month. See AnyReplay vs Microsoft Clarity and pricing.

Is there a free alternative to Microsoft Clarity?

Clarity itself is the best-known free tool in this category, so most alternatives cost something once you go beyond a free tier. PostHog, OpenReplay and Matomo can be self-hosted, which moves the cost to your own servers and time. Several hosted tools, including Hotjar, are generally known to offer free plans with limits. AnyReplay has a free plan with 1 project and 500 sessions a month. Check each vendor for current limits, and see free session replay tools for a fuller comparison.

Which Clarity alternative can be self-hosted?

PostHog, OpenReplay and Matomo all offer self-hosted deployments. AnyReplay documents a single-host self-hosted deployment on Ubuntu 24.04 with PostgreSQL, the API, ingest and dashboard behind nginx, and encrypted, verified backups; self-hosted ingest is available on the Enterprise plan, so talk to us first. Hotjar is a hosted service. Self-hosted session replay explains when running it yourself is worth the effort.

Is Microsoft Clarity GDPR compliant?

No tool is compliant on its own; compliance depends on how you configure it and how you collect consent. For Clarity, that means reading Microsoft's documentation on data handling, masking and consent, and deciding whether recording should wait for your consent banner. The same questions apply to every alternative in this guide. Session replay and GDPR covers masking, retention and legal basis, and session replay and cookie consent covers wiring a recorder to a consent banner. This is general information, not legal advice.

How to choose

1. Write down why Clarity is not enough. Data location, consent, mobile, self-hosting and support lead to different tools.
2. Decide whether you still need heatmaps. If yes, keep Hotjar, Mouseflow or Matomo on the list, or keep Clarity for heatmaps and add a replay tool.
3. Check the privacy defaults. Ask what is masked before configuration and whether recording can wait for consent without sending anything.
4. List your platforms. Website only, React Native or native apps narrow the list quickly.
5. Test with a consent banner in place. Record a week of real sessions and confirm nothing is captured before a visitor agrees.

Where AnyReplay fits (and where it doesn't)

AnyReplay fits teams moving off Clarity because of privacy review, consent handling or data control, teams with a React Native app, and teams whose reviewers do not read every language their users speak. Sessions are searchable by email or URL and filterable by errors, rage clicks and custom events.

It is the wrong fit if heatmaps are your main use of Clarity, if you want a hosted tool that costs nothing at any volume, or if you need native Swift or Kotlin apps recorded. Many teams keep a heatmap tool and add AnyReplay for individual sessions.

Frequently asked questions

Microsoft Clarity, Hotjar, PostHog, Mouseflow, OpenReplay, Matomo and Smartlook are trademarks of their owners. AnyReplay is not affiliated with or endorsed by them. Descriptions are general and may be out of date; check each vendor's site for current features, pricing and limits.