Microsoft Clarity
Free heatmaps and session replay
See it in action
How to Use Heatmaps in Microsoft Clarity
Published by Microsoft Clarity on YouTube · loads only when you press play
Clarity is free, uncapped behaviour analytics that would be a bargain at a real price. Understand the data trade and it is very hard to argue against installing it.
Where it wins. No limits is the headline: unlimited recordings, unlimited heatmaps, unlimited traffic, no sampling, no paid tier. Sites that would cost hundreds a month on session-priced tools pay nothing. Friction detection — rage clicks, dead clicks, excessive scrolling, quick backs — is automatic and as good as the paid alternatives at surfacing the sessions worth watching. Native GA4 integration lets you jump from a segment in Analytics straight to the recordings behind it, which is a genuinely useful workflow. Setup is one script, and there is a solid WordPress plugin.
Where it falls short. You are paying with data — Microsoft uses collected information for its own purposes, and organisations with strict data governance need to read the terms rather than assume. There are no on-site surveys, so you cannot ask visitors anything. Filtering and segmentation are cruder than Hotjar's, and the interface is less polished. Support is community and documentation only, with no ticket to raise when something breaks.
Our call. Install it on almost any site — the value at zero cost is unmatched. Pay for Hotjar only if you need surveys or finer segmentation.
Best for
Any site owner who wants heatmaps and session replay without a budget, and is comfortable with the data trade.
Key takeaways
- 1Completely free with no session, traffic, or sampling limits
- 2Automatic friction detection for rage and dead clicks
- 3Native GA4 integration jumps from segment to recordings
- 4No on-site surveys — you cannot ask visitors anything
- 5Microsoft uses the collected data for its own purposes
- 6Community support only, with no ticket escalation
Clarity does most of what [Hotjar](/tool/hotjar) does and charges nothing, with no session caps and no sampling. Microsoft's incentive is data for its advertising and AI products rather than subscription revenue, which is the trade you are making — and for a great many sites it is a trade worth making knowingly.
What we like
- Free with genuinely no limits
- Strong friction and rage-click detection
- Useful GA4 integration
- Fast one-script setup
- Solid WordPress plugin
Worth noting
- You pay in data, not money
- No survey or feedback tooling
- Cruder segmentation than Hotjar
- No direct support channel
Plans
Pricing
Free
- Unlimited session recordings
- Unlimited heatmaps
- No traffic limits or sampling
- Rage and dead click detection
- Native GA4 integration
- Genuinely no paid tier
Pricing verified Aug 13, 2026. Prices shown are billed annually where available and may change — always confirm on the vendor site.
Capabilities
Features
Analytics
- Built-in heatmapsUnlimited, free
- Friction detectionRage, dead, and quick-back detection
- Funnels
- Goal & conversion trackingCustom events and tags
- On-site surveysNo survey tooling at all
- Session replayUnlimited, no sampling
Security
- Cookieless trackingUses cookies; Microsoft reuses the data
Platform
- Google Analytics integrationJump from a GA4 segment straight to recordings
- Unlimited sessionsNo caps, no sampling, no paid tier
From real users
Reviews
No verified reviews yet
We publish a user score only once real, verified reviews exist — so this tool is rated on our hands-on testing alone for now. Used it? Your review would be the first.
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Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Is Microsoft Clarity really free with no limits?＋
Yes. Unlimited recordings, unlimited heatmaps, unlimited traffic, and no sampling, with no paid tier at all. Sites that would cost hundreds a month on session-priced tools pay nothing.
What is the catch?＋
You pay in data. Microsoft uses information collected through Clarity for its own advertising and product purposes. That is a reasonable trade for many sites and unacceptable for some — read the terms rather than assuming either way.
How does Clarity compare to Hotjar?＋
It matches Hotjar on recordings, heatmaps, and friction detection, and loses on surveys, segmentation depth, interface polish, and support. Given the price difference is everything versus nothing, most sites should start with Clarity.
Does Clarity integrate with Google Analytics?＋
Yes, natively. You can jump from a GA4 segment straight to the session recordings behind it, which turns an anomaly in a report into something you can actually watch happen.
Is Clarity GDPR compliant?＋
It can be configured to be, and it masks sensitive fields by default, but consent and data-processing obligations remain yours. As with any session recording tool, review the configuration before deploying it on pages handling personal data.
Microsoft Clarity
Free plan available