Side-by-side comparison · SEO & Analytics
Google Analytics vs Microsoft Clarity vs SE Ranking
Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.
Comparing 3 tools, the maximum.
At a glance
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.
Pick it if: Store owners and marketers who want to know why visitors aren't converting, without paying for it.
Pick it if: Small businesses, freelancers and agencies who want a full SEO toolkit with AI search tracking for less than the big names.
Overview
| Attribute | Google Analytics | Microsoft Clarity | SE Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| In one line | Google'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. | A cheaper all-in-one SEO tool that also tracks your brand in AI search answers. |
| Pricing model | Free | Free | Paid |
| Starting price | Free | Free | $129/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | No |
| Works with Claude Code | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Rating breakdown
Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.
| Attribute | Google Analytics | Microsoft Clarity | SE Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4.0 | 4.3Winner | 4.1 |
| Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it. | 3.0 | 4.5 | 4.0 |
| FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together. | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.5 |
| Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them. | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.5 |
| Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan. | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.5 |
| Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over. | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
Feature comparison
A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.
| Attribute | Google Analytics | Microsoft Clarity | SE Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access & platform | |||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | No |
| Mobile app | Yes | – | No |
| Desktop app | No | No | No |
| Browser extension | No | No | Yes |
| API access | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Teams & business | |||
| Team workspace | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Enterprise plan or SSO | Yes | No | Yes |
| Connects to other apps | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Open source or self-hosted | No | No | No |
| AI abilities | |||
| Works with your files | No | No | No |
| Understands images | – | No | – |
| Makes images | No | No | No |
| Makes video | No | No | No |
| Writes code | No | No | No |
| Runs agents or automations | No | – | No |
| Learns your brand or style | – | No | – |
| Works in many languages | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Capabilities score | 7/ 17 | 5/ 17 | 6/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | Google Analytics | Microsoft Clarity | SE Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans | Google AnalyticsOur pick Free Almost every business. | FreeOur pick Free Every website and online store. | CoreOur pick $129/mo, or $103.20/mo billed yearly Small businesses and freelancers. |
Analytics 360 Custom Very large sites with huge traffic. | Growth $279/mo, or $223.20/mo billed yearly Agencies and teams with many sites. | ||
Enterprise Custom Large teams. | |||
| Which plan to pick | Use 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. | Start the 14-day free trial. Core covers most small businesses and freelancers, and paying yearly saves 20%. Agencies should look at Growth plus the $69 a month Agency Pack for white-label reports and client seats. |
Key features
| Attribute | Google Analytics | Microsoft Clarity | SE Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
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Pros and cons
| Attribute | Google Analytics | Microsoft Clarity | SE Ranking |
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Who each one is for
| Attribute | Google Analytics | Microsoft Clarity | SE Ranking |
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Questions people ask
Which is better, Google Analytics, Microsoft Clarity or SE Ranking?
Microsoft Clarity scores highest overall in our ratings (Google Analytics 4.0/5, Microsoft Clarity 4.3/5 and SE Ranking 4.1/5). 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. SE Ranking is best for daily rank tracking on a budget and agencies needing white-label client reports.
Which is cheaper, Google Analytics, Microsoft Clarity or SE Ranking?
Google Analytics: It's free to use. Microsoft Clarity: It's free to use. SE Ranking: There's no free plan. Paid plans start at $129/mo.
Which is easier to use, Google Analytics, Microsoft Clarity or SE Ranking?
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.
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