Matomo vs Microsoft Clarity

Matomo is a web analytics platform for tracking events, conversions, ecommerce activity, and visitor sessions. It includes heatmaps, session recordings, A/B testing, funnels, and flows, with API access and more than 100 integrations. It is available as Cloud-hosted or self-hosted on-premise software. The Community plan is free forever, with unlimited users and hits and forum support; self-hosted Matomo is also available free forever. Cloud plans start at €230/mo (annual), and a 21-day Cloud trial does not require a credit card. Cloud billing can be monthly or annual, with two months free annually. Matomo says its data is unsampled and customers retain ownership through cloud or on-premise hosting. Privacy capabilities include support for GDPR compliance, cookieless tracking, and anonymisation; the platform is certified to ISO 27001:2022. Cloud data is stored in Frankfurt, Germany. Raw data retention is 24 months, while report data is retained forever. Matomo was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand.

Microsoft Clarity is a behavior analytics tool for websites and apps, offering heatmaps, session recordings, and insights into user interactions. Heatmaps show clicks, scrolling, focus, drop-off, and conversion patterns; rage-click and dead-click insights can help identify interaction trouble spots. Recordings are retained for 30 days. Clarity also includes AI summaries, AI chat, AI visibility, and brand agents. Its mobile SDK supports Android, iOS, Flutter, and React Native, with low-code setup described as having minimal performance or bandwidth impact. Google Analytics integration connects behavior data with analytics, and Clarity also offers an MCP server and a live browser extension. Microsoft lists Clarity as free forever, with all features included, unlimited heatmaps, websites, and team members, and no traffic limits. The listed Free plan is free. Microsoft says user data is not shared with third parties and presents the product as GDPR and CCPA ready. Clarity is built by Microsoft and is used by more than 2 million sites and apps globally.