CrazyEgg vs SessionStack: A Definitive Comparison [June 2023]

CrazyEgg is an excellent tool if you’re looking to optimize user experience with heatmaps and customer surveys. I imagine e-commerce sites would gain the most out of it to improve return visitors’ experience. However, it doesn’t offer any solutions to analyze your customer journey and its session replay feature is painfully slow.

SessionStack offers detailed error logging, easy-to-use session replay, sitewide user interaction tracking, and real-time co-browsing tools which makes it ideal for product designers, developers, and customer support teams looking to quickly troubleshoot and resolve issues with their SaaS platforms and web apps.

I’ll compare CrazyEgg vs SessionStack in six key areas:

1. Pricing
2. Heatmaps
3. Co-browsing
4. Session replay
5. Customer journey analysis
6. Error logs

I also talk about site loading speed impact and integrations to give you a more complete picture in the overview table below:

CrazyEgg	SessionStack
Price
⭐⭐⭐ 30-day free trial on all plans. Paid plans start at $29/mo for 30,000 page views.	🏆 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The free plan gives you access to all features. Paid plans start at $79/mo for 300+ daily sessions and the Scale plan is $129/mo for 800+ daily sessions.
Session Replay
⭐⭐ Session replay has a long load time, difficult-to-use UI, and no error log.	🏆 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Session replay supports features like filters, search bar, activity log, and an error logging tool.
Co-browsing
❌ Doesn’t support live session replay or co-browsing.	🏆 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Co-browsing features with <1-sec latency and interactive tools like pointer, pen, and control takeover.
Heatmaps
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Offers five unique heatmaps including Overlay and Confetti reports. Also supports visual side-by-side comparison.	⭐⭐⭐ Provides site-wide click tracking with information like dead clicks and rage clicks about each page element.
Customer Journey Analysis
⭐⭐ Doesn’t support funnel tracking. Instead, provides surveys to collect direct customer feedback and gauge NPS.	🏆 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Supports funnels with up to four events and no step limit. Maps basic user journeys to identify problematic site elements.
Site Speed Impact
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The JavaScript is asynchronous and doesn’t affect site speed or page load times.	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Extremely lightweight JavaScript. Doesn’t block main thread execution.
Integrations
⭐⭐⭐ 20+ native integrations & 9 third-party integrations	⭐⭐⭐ 14 native integrations + SessionStack API
G2 Reviews
4.2 rating from 104 reviews	4.9 Rating from 63 reviews
Used By
CNET, Etsy, Yahoo, Intuit Mint, Zendesk	Kraken, Bazaarvoice, Imagine.ai, Mend, Texas.gov
Best For
Collecting visitor feedback and broad interaction data to optimize your user experience.	Identifying user frustration points with your app or website.
	Try free forever (no card required)

What is CrazyEgg?
“Speak to your customers directly” 🧑‍🏫

In the early-2000s, as internet adoption grew, Asmee Shah and John Butler noticed a very bad trend: most websites offered confusing user experiences. So, in 2006, they started CrazyEgg to provide website owners with actionable insights to improve their online experience.

After pioneering one of the first heatmap technologies, CrazyEgg has added features that help improve your complete online customer experience from browser and mobile experiences to web apps. Tools like the Overlay and Confetti report provide a unique look into how users interact with each element of your webpage. You also have access to unlimited A/B tests and Surveys, letting you experiment with different layouts and optimize your website with direct feedback from your audience. This mix of tools will help you quickly understand what your customers like despite its limiting session recording feature.

E-commerce and utility sites will get the best out of CrazyEgg with direct customer feedback, heatmaps, and A/B tests. That’s reflected in their customer profile which includes companies like CNET, Etsy, and Yahoo.

What is SessionStack?
“Create the perfect customer experience” ⭐💻⭐

Alexander Zlatkov left his job as a software engineer at Progress in 2016 to create SessionStack: a tool that allowed companies to understand exactly how users interact with their online apps. 

SessionStack does this by providing advanced session replay features that offer more value than the others in the market, eventually earning them G2’s “session replay category leader” award in 2023. It essentially lets you join a user’s session in real time by maintaining a latency of under one second. This helped them build a live session support tool called co-browsing. Co-browsing lets you interact with users during a session and take control of their session without installing any third-party software. If you can’t be present in real-time, you can use its advanced error logging and user segmentation tools to identify the most important issues plaguing your website.

Businesses like Kraken.com, Bazaarvoice, and Imagine.ai trust SessionStack because of the tool’s flexibility which caters to most internal teams, including product management, development, and customer support teams.

CrazyEgg vs SessionStack: Session Replay

CrazyEgg is great for user segmentation while SessionStack makes troubleshooting easier

CrazyEgg	SessionStack
⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Session Replay is an analytics feature that records user sessions on your website, capturing interactions like clicks, mouse movements, scrolls, and page navigation. It’s crucial for understanding user behavior and optimizing the customer experience. 

In this section, we will compare the tool’s session replay capabilities on five criteria:

1. UI/UX design
2. User segmentation
3. Live sessions
4. Co-browsing

UI/UX design
SessionStack is very user-friendly while CrazyEgg has long load times and a clunky UI.

CrazyEgg has a very simple design with the video player on the left and the event log on the right. You can jump to an event by simply clicking on its corresponding entry in the event log or on the video player bar. CrazyEgg groups each session by users, making user segmentation and understanding user behavior easier. 

But, there are some kinks that I noticed while I was using the tool. The most frustrating one is the long load time (~20 seconds). Also, the console blocks the video player when you open it, restricting your view of the session replay – something you won’t see with SessionStack.

SessionStack’s session replay tool is more user-friendly. It has a video player on the right and an action log (1) on the left-hand side of the screen. As the video plays, the timestamp corresponding to each event is highlighted in the activity log, making it easier to track events as they occur. You can get more information on each event by clicking on the drop-down arrow.

You will also find the console (2) below the video player providing detailed logs on each action, making troubleshooting easier. You can find the exact action you’re looking for using the filters (3).

User Segmentation
Both support user segmentation. SessionStack offers the most relevant options while CrazyEgg segments users automatically.

CrazyEgg automatically segments your visitors by assigning each one a unique user ID. Sessions are grouped based on these unique IDs. You can go a step further by filtering your audience according to visitor details, session information, and ad campaign. You can also create up to five custom variables to track trends specific to your business. 

Meanwhile, SessionStack keeps things very simple. It simplifies user behavior analysis by providing filters covering important segmentation criteria like users, sessions, and events. If you are looking for something different, you can create and save custom user segments that align with your specific needs. 

Live Sessions & Co-Browsing
CrazyEgg doesn’t offer live sessions, while SessionStack does and provides a real-time support tool called co-browsing.

SessionStack is the only platform offering truly real-time live sessions with a latency of less than one second. Using this, they were able to develop co-browsing – a real-time customer support tool.

Co-browsing lets customer support teams and account managers guide users in real-time without installing any plug-ins, software, or add-ons. You get access to three tools in co-browsing mode:

• A pointer to highlight elements on the screen without interacting with the page elements.
• A pen to add annotations on your user’s screen.
• Control takeover which gives you permission to perform actions on the user’s behalf from your browser.

SessionStack protects a user’s privacy by hiding sensitive information like passwords, credit card details, etc. Most of the information is hidden by default. But you can also set your own parameters. 

NOTE: Co-browsing is not the same as screen sharing where you can access the user’s computer. Co-browsing only allows access to the shared tab and nothing else. You can read more about co-browsing here.    

CrazyEgg vs SessionStack: Heatmaps   

CrazyEgg measures the performance of clickable elements, while SessionStack helps you identify website issues more easily.

CrazyEgg	SessionStack
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐

CrazyEgg lets you deep-dive into each page element.

CrazyEgg has five different heatmaps to understand user interactions.

1. Heatmap reports are simple ‘click’ heatmaps to see which parts of the website are getting the most attention.
2. Scrollmap reports to illustrate how far visitors scroll on your most important web pages.
3. List report displays every interaction in a tabulated format.
4. Overlay reports measure the performance of your clickable elements individually.
5. Confetti map is just a more detailed heatmap report with metrics to assess on-page behavior.

It offers basic filters like date ranges, device types, etc. You can also compare sessions side-by-side, making it great for evaluating A/B test performances. 

SessionStack offers insights into the most relevant user interactions.

SessionStack doesn’t offer visual heatmaps. Instead, it provides a sitewide overview of essential user actions and problematic events like:

• Most clicked elements (1)
• Elements with the most ‘dead clicks’ (2)
• Elements with the most ‘rage clicks’ (3)

It simplifies troubleshooting by compiling the most interacted-with elements and frustration signals in one space — cutting down on time spent analyzing the webpage.

CrazyEgg vs SessionStack: Customer Journey Analysis

SessionStack has funnel analytic tools, while CrazyEgg lets you create and publish surveys.

CrazyEgg	SessionStack
⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

CrazyEgg lets you create unlimited surveys to understand your customer preferences.

CrazyEgg doesn’t have a funnel analytics tool. But you can use its survey tool to get feedback directly from your visitors, rate their website experience, and gauge your net promoter score (NPS).

With unlimited storage for surveys, you have the freedom to create as many surveys as you like. You get access to two layout types: pop-up and external link. You can also use custom settings and logic to create a dynamic quiz that asks your visitors only relevant questions while minimizing drop-off.

SessionStack tracks important event types for a flawless customer journey.

SessionStack lets you create funnels with unlimited steps. You can track two important event types: ‘dead clicks’ and ‘rage clicks’. Understanding when and where these events occur can help you resolve them and create a smoother customer journey. 

CrazyEgg vs SessionStack: Error Logs

SessionStack and CrazyEgg have dedicated error-logging pages but SessionStack provides more details for faster troubleshooting

CrazyEgg	SessionStack
⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

CrazyEgg doesn’t tell you what the error is.

CrazyEgg also has a dedicated error page similar to SessionStack. It automatically detects and lists errors along with important debugging details like full stack trace, visitor information, and application version. Once it’s resolved, you can update its status so your team knows the error has been dealt with. But, unlike SessionStack, CrazyEgg can’t tell you what the exact error is.

SessionStack’s console makes troubleshooting faster with detailed error information.

SessionStack has a dedicated errors page that provides a comprehensive overview of each error with important debugging information (1). You can also view the related session recording (2) to make troubleshooting easier. 

It also highlights errors in the session replay tool (1), making it easier for you to troubleshoot errors. You can use filters to identify specific errors (rage clicks, dead clicks, u-turns, etc.) during a session – something CrazyEgg’s error log doesn’t have. You also access the console feature (2) to get more information about each error. 

CrazyEgg vs SessionStack: Pricing

CrazyEgg’s starting plans are cheaper, but SessionStack plans offer the most value for money in the long term.

CrazyEgg	SessionStack
⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

SessionStack’s free plan gives you access to all its tools, while CrazyEgg only offers has a 30-day free trial. 

CrazyEgg offers a 30-day free trial on all its plans with full access to full functionality. Once the trial period ends, you continue with the same paid plan. But, you always have the option to change your plan at any time. 

NOTE: CrazyEgg doesn’t offer a monthly subscription plan.

SessionStack gives you access to all features with its free plan. It limits you to 1500 user sessions per month, 3 team seats, and 10 live and co-browsing sessions which is very small-business-friendly.

SessionStack considers the number of sessions, while CrazyEgg considers the number of page views.

CrazyEgg’s paid plans start at $29/month. Every plan gives you access to unlimited surveys and responses, websites, and A/B tests but limits you in terms of page views, snapshots, and recordings. But the number of recordings with each plan is the least of the three, starting at 100 recordings per month.

NOTE: Its pricing is based on page views, and not sessions. It only tracks visits to pages you WANT to track, and not total visits to your entire website. 

CrazyEgg has based its pricing on websites that focus on conversions. It is perfect for eCommerce and Shopify websites where tracking clicks and interactions on each page provides the most value.

Basic	Standard	Plus	Pro
$29/mo 30,000 pageviews/mo, 25 snapshots, 100 recordings/mo	$49/mo 75,000 pageviews/mo, 50 snapshots, 500 recordings/mo	$99/mo 150,000 pageviews/mo, 100 snapshots, 5,000 recordings/mo	$249/mo 500,000 pageviews/mo, 100 snapshots, 5,000 recordings/mo
Enterprise
Customized plan and pricingUnlimited pageviews & recordings + Priority support + Onboarding & training

SessionStack starts at $79/month for 10,000 monthly sessions, which is less compared to CrazyEgg. But it doesn’t place any limits on the number of websites and supports more recordings. It’s ideal for tracking user behavior on web apps and SaaS platforms where you only have a limited number of users. Also, it offers the most value for money with unlimited projects, error tracking, and advanced filters, and user segments. 

Launch	Scale	Enterprise
$79/mo 10,000 sessions/mo + Unlimited projects + Advanced filters and user segments	$129/mo Launch features + 25,000 sessions/mo + Data export via REST API	Custom Scale features + Unlimited sessions + Dedicated support teams

CrazyEgg vs SessionStack: Pros & Cons

CrazyEgg Pros	CrazyEgg Cons
✅ 30-day free trial on any plan	❌ Difficult-to-use session replay UI
✅ Comprehensive heatmaps	❌ Longer load times for session replay
✅ Unlimited surveys	❌ Doesn’t support live sessions or co-browsing
✅ Dedicated error logging page	❌ No funnel analytics
	❌ Pricing per page view

SessionStack Pros	SessionStack Cons
✅ Best free plan	❌ No annotation in session replay
✅ Affordable pricing plans	❌ Does not have page-specific heatmaps
✅ Lightweight & easy to set up	❌ Can’t track every user event with funnels
✅ Live sessions & co-browsing
✅ Intuitive session replays
✅ Dedicated error tracking page

Final Verdict: CrazyEgg vs SessionStack

CrazyEgg	SessionStack
Best for: Optimizing the user experience on e-commerce and utility sites by collecting direct feedback and visualizing user actions.	Best for: Web apps and SaaS platforms that need in-depth user interaction insights and tools for live user assistance.

CrazyEgg’s heatmaps and survey features make it best for collecting user feedback and gaining user interaction insights with multiple heatmaps. SessionStack’s advanced session replay features, real-time co-browsing, and error logging dashboard allow customer support teams, product designers, and developers to quickly identify and solve critical issues as they appear.

Use CrazyEgg if:

• You want to A/B test various versions of your web pages.
• You want to visually compare data from multiple sessions.
• You are looking to collect feedback directly from your website visitors.

Use SessionStack if:

• You’re looking to quickly troubleshoot and resolve issues and errors.
• You want to provide real-time, personalized customer support experiences.
• You are looking for a lightweight tool to track how users use your web app or SaaS platform.

Click here to get started with SessionStack!