Side-by-side comparison · SEO & Analytics
Microsoft Clarity vs Profound 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: Store owners and marketers who want to know why visitors aren't converting, without paying for it.
Pick it if: Marketing teams at mid-sized and large brands, and agencies, who need detailed tracking of how AI assistants talk about them.
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 | Microsoft Clarity | Profound | SE Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| In one line | Free heatmaps and session replays that show where visitors get stuck. | Shows how often ChatGPT, Gemini and other AI assistants mention and recommend your brand. | A cheaper all-in-one SEO tool that also tracks your brand in AI search answers. |
| Pricing model | Free | Paid | Paid |
| Starting price | Free | See website | $129/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | No | No |
| Works with Claude Code | Yes | No | Yes |
Rating breakdown
Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.
| Attribute | Microsoft Clarity | Profound | SE Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4.3Winner | 3.7 | 4.1 |
| Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it. | 4.5 | 3.5 | 4.0 |
| FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together. | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them. | 4.0 | 4.5 | 3.5 |
| Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan. | 5.0 | 2.0 | 4.5 |
| Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over. | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
Feature comparison
A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.
| Attribute | Microsoft Clarity | Profound | SE Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access & platform | |||
| Free plan | Yes | No | No |
| Mobile app | – | No | 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 | No | Yes | 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 | – | Yes | No |
| Learns your brand or style | No | – | – |
| Works in many languages | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Capabilities score | 5/ 17 | 6/ 17 | 6/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | Microsoft Clarity | Profound | SE Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans | FreeOur pick Free Every website and online store. | Trial Free for 7 days Seeing what AI says about you before talking to sales. | CoreOur pick $129/mo, or $103.20/mo billed yearly Small businesses and freelancers. |
Agency Growth Custom Agencies managing several client brands. | Growth $279/mo, or $223.20/mo billed yearly Agencies and teams with many sites. | ||
EnterpriseOur pick Custom Large brands. | Enterprise Custom Large teams. | ||
| Which plan to pick | 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. | Run the free 7-day trial to see how AI assistants describe you. If you're a larger brand or agency with a real budget, talk to sales about Enterprise. Small businesses will get more for their money from Peec AI or SE Ranking. | 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 | Microsoft Clarity | Profound | SE Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
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Pros and cons
| Attribute | Microsoft Clarity | Profound | SE Ranking |
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Who each one is for
| Attribute | Microsoft Clarity | Profound | SE Ranking |
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Questions people ask
Which is better, Microsoft Clarity, Profound or SE Ranking?
Microsoft Clarity scores highest overall in our ratings (Microsoft Clarity 4.3/5, Profound 3.7/5 and SE Ranking 4.1/5). Microsoft Clarity is best for finding checkout drop-offs and watching real user sessions. Profound is best for tracking brand mentions across many AI assistants and seeing which sources AI cites in your category. SE Ranking is best for daily rank tracking on a budget and agencies needing white-label client reports.
Which is cheaper, Microsoft Clarity, Profound or SE Ranking?
Microsoft Clarity: It's free to use. Profound: Pricing isn't published; check the vendor's site for a quote. SE Ranking: There's no free plan. Paid plans start at $129/mo.
Which is easier to use, Microsoft Clarity, Profound 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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