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Side-by-side comparison · SEO & Analytics

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.

Best overall

Microsoft Clarity

4.3

Free to start

DetailsVisit

SE Ranking

4.1

From $129/mo

DetailsVisit

Comparing 2 tools. Add one more if you like.

At a glance

Microsoft Clarity4.3
Best overallBest valueEasiest to use

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

SE Ranking4.1

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

AttributeMicrosoft ClaritySE Ranking
In one lineFree 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 modelFreePaid
Starting priceFree$129/mo
Free plan Yes No
Works with Claude Code Yes Yes

Rating breakdown

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

AttributeMicrosoft ClaritySE Ranking
Overall rating4.3Winner4.1
Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.
4.5
4.0
FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together.
4.0
4.5
Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them.
4.0
3.5
Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan.
5.0
4.5
Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over.
4.0
4.0

Feature comparison

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

AttributeMicrosoft ClaritySE Ranking
Access & platform
Free plan Yes No
Mobile app– No
Desktop app No No
Browser extension No Yes
API access Yes Yes
Teams & business
Team workspace Yes Yes
Enterprise plan or SSO No Yes
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 score5/ 176/ 17

Pricing

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

AttributeMicrosoft ClaritySE Ranking
Plans

FreeOur pick

Free

Every website and online store.

CoreOur pick

$129/mo, or $103.20/mo billed yearly

Small businesses and freelancers.

Growth

$279/mo, or $223.20/mo billed yearly

Agencies and teams with many sites.

Enterprise

Custom

Large teams.

Which plan to pickThere'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

AttributeMicrosoft ClaritySE Ranking
Standout features
  • Session recordings
  • Heatmaps
  • Copilot
  • Smart events and funnels
  • AI visibility
  • MCP server
  • Daily rank tracking
  • Keyword and competitor research
  • Website audit
  • AI visibility
  • Content tools
  • API and MCP

Pros and cons

AttributeMicrosoft ClaritySE Ranking
Pros
  • 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
  • Much cheaper than Ahrefs or Semrush for similar features
  • AI visibility tracking on every plan
  • API and MCP access included
  • Strong white-label reports for agencies
  • 14-day trial without a card
Cons
  • 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
  • Smaller keyword and backlink data than the biggest suites
  • Extra seats, keywords and locations cost more
  • No cheap entry plan any more
  • Deeper AI tracking in SE Visible is a separate subscription

Who each one is for

AttributeMicrosoft ClaritySE Ranking
Best for
  • Finding checkout drop-offs
  • Watching real user sessions
  • Scroll and click heatmaps
  • Spotting broken buttons
  • Daily rank tracking on a budget
  • Agencies needing white-label client reports
  • Tracking your brand in AI answers alongside Google
  • All-round SEO for small businesses
You'll find it used by
  • Store owners
  • Marketers
  • Product teams
  • Agencies
  • Agencies
  • Freelancers
  • Small businesses
  • In-house marketers

Questions people ask

Which is better, Microsoft Clarity or SE Ranking?

Microsoft Clarity scores highest overall in our ratings (Microsoft Clarity 4.3/5 and SE Ranking 4.1/5). 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, Microsoft Clarity or SE Ranking?

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, 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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