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Side-by-side comparison · SEO & Analytics

Google Analytics vs Microsoft Clarity

Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.

Google Analytics

4.0

Free to start

DetailsVisit
Best overall

Microsoft Clarity

4.3

Free to start

DetailsVisit

Comparing 2 tools. Add one more if you like.

At a glance

Google Analytics4.0

Pick it if: Every business with a website that wants to know how many people visit, where they come from and what turns them into customers.

Microsoft Clarity4.3
Best overallEasiest to use

Pick it if: Store owners and marketers who want to know why visitors aren't converting, without paying for it.

Overview

AttributeGoogle AnalyticsMicrosoft Clarity
In one lineGoogle's free website analytics: who visits, where they came from and what they do.Free heatmaps and session replays that show where visitors get stuck.
Pricing modelFreeFree
Starting priceFreeFree
Free plan Yes Yes
Works with Claude Code Yes Yes

Rating breakdown

Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.

AttributeGoogle AnalyticsMicrosoft Clarity
Overall rating4.04.3Winner
Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.
3.0
4.5
FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together.
4.5
4.0
Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them.
4.0
4.0
Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan.
5.0
5.0
Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over.
3.5
4.0

Feature comparison

A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.

AttributeGoogle AnalyticsMicrosoft Clarity
Access & platform
Free plan Yes Yes
Mobile app Yes–
Desktop app No No
Browser extension No No
API access Yes Yes
Teams & business
Team workspace Yes Yes
Enterprise plan or SSO Yes No
Connects to other apps Yes Yes
Open source or self-hosted No No
AI abilities
Works with your files No No
Understands images– No
Makes images No No
Makes video No No
Writes code No No
Runs agents or automations No–
Learns your brand or style– No
Works in many languages Yes Yes
Capabilities score7/ 175/ 17

Pricing

Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.

AttributeGoogle AnalyticsMicrosoft Clarity
Plans

Google AnalyticsOur pick

Free

Almost every business.

FreeOur pick

Free

Every website and online store.

Analytics 360

Custom

Very large sites with huge traffic.

Which plan to pickUse the free version. Analytics 360 is only for very large companies that hit the free limits. Set data retention to 14 months in the admin settings when you set it up, since the default is shorter.There's one plan and it's free. Microsoft says it's free forever with no traffic limits. Install the tracking code through Shopify, WordPress or Google Tag Manager and it starts recording within minutes.

Key features

AttributeGoogle AnalyticsMicrosoft Clarity
Standout features
  • Traffic reports
  • Conversions
  • Google Ads link
  • Analytics Advisor
  • Explorations
  • Official MCP server
  • Session recordings
  • Heatmaps
  • Copilot
  • Smart events and funnels
  • AI visibility
  • MCP server

Pros and cons

AttributeGoogle AnalyticsMicrosoft Clarity
Pros
  • Free with no visitor limits for almost every business
  • Ties traffic to sales and links straight to Google Ads
  • Gemini-powered Analytics Advisor answers questions
  • Official MCP server for Claude
  • Works with almost every website platform
  • Completely free with no traffic or team limits
  • Session replays and heatmaps that match the paid tools
  • Copilot turns piles of recordings into plain findings
  • Easy installs for Shopify, WordPress and Tag Manager
  • MCP server for Claude
Cons
  • GA4's menus and reports are confusing
  • Setting up conversions properly takes work
  • Cookie consent and ad blockers mean it undercounts visitors
  • Google uses the data in its own products, which some businesses dislike
  • Your visitor data goes to Microsoft, which some businesses won't accept
  • Recordings keep for 30 days, so you can't go back far
  • The interface is rougher than Hotjar and filters take some learning
  • Can slow a page slightly if it's already heavy with scripts

Who each one is for

AttributeGoogle AnalyticsMicrosoft Clarity
Best for
  • Counting website visitors and where they came from
  • Seeing which ads and channels lead to sales
  • Tracking forms, bookings and purchases
  • Free reporting for any size of site
  • Finding checkout drop-offs
  • Watching real user sessions
  • Scroll and click heatmaps
  • Spotting broken buttons
You'll find it used by
  • Small businesses
  • Marketers
  • Agencies
  • Online stores
  • Large companies
  • Store owners
  • Marketers
  • Product teams
  • Agencies

Questions people ask

Which is better, Google Analytics or Microsoft Clarity?

Microsoft Clarity scores highest overall in our ratings (Google Analytics 4.0/5 and Microsoft Clarity 4.3/5). Google Analytics is best for counting website visitors and where they came from and seeing which ads and channels lead to sales. Microsoft Clarity is best for finding checkout drop-offs and watching real user sessions.

Which is cheaper, Google Analytics or Microsoft Clarity?

Google Analytics: It's free to use. Microsoft Clarity: It's free to use.

Which is easier to use, Google Analytics or Microsoft Clarity?

Microsoft Clarity rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Store owners and marketers who want to know why visitors aren't converting, without paying for it.

How we compare

Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.

Swap in another tool

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