The best session replay tools for developers, compared

Picture this: you've spent days building a feature. It looks perfect on dev and checks are green. You hit deploy, grab a coffee, and feel good about it.

Then your inbox starts lighting up with support tickets.

You check the logs. Nothing.
You try to reproduce it yourself. Works on my machine.
You ask the user what they did. "I don't know, it just broke."

This is when session replay tools save you. Instead of guessing, you get to watch exactly what happened: every click, every error, every network call that blew up.

In this guide, we'll compare the best session replay tools for developers, what each one does well, where they fall short, and how to choose the right fit for your stack.

What features do you need in your session replay tool?

A good session replay tool gives you visibility into the real user experience. It shows where users click, what they see, which errors pop up, and how they move through your product.

Most solid tools include:

• Automatic DOM recording and playback
• Event timelines that let you jump to key actions
• Basic privacy controls like input masking and field hiding
• Frontend SDKs for modern frameworks
• Live or near real-time session availability

Developer-focused tools go further with:

• Console and network capture so you can see which request failed or which error fired
• Performance and frustration signals like rage clicks and layout shifts
• Error tracking integration to trace an exception back to the exact replay
• Analytics tie in so you can jump from funnels or user paths directly into sessions

Here's how some of the most popular session replay tools compare:

What's the best session replay tool for developers?

1. PostHog

PostHog is an all-in-one developer platform that goes beyond session replay by combining product analytics, feature flags, experiments, error tracking, and even LLM analytics in one place.

Each recording gives you the complete context including the related user, events, feature flag variant, and any triggered errors. You can watch what happened, inspect console logs and network calls, identify the issue, ship a fix behind a feature flag, and measure the impact without switching tools.

PostHog uses simple usage-based pricing with optional caps. The free tier includes 5,000 web sessions and 2,500 mobile sessions per month, which is enough for most early teams.

Strengths:

• Recordings with full user and event context
• Console, network, rage click, and performance tracking
• Usage-based pricing with optional billing caps
• Mobile support (iOS, Android, React Native, Flutter)
• Unified suite: analytics, feature flags, surveys, experiments, error tracking, LLM analytics, and more

2. LogRocket

LogRocket focuses on giving developers a clear, structured view of what happened during a user session. When something breaks, it shows the exact sequence of user actions along with DOM snapshots, console output, JS errors, network calls, and even Redux or Vuex state mutations.

It integrates well with existing systems too. You can open a replay from a Sentry issue, send logs to Datadog, and attach recordings directly to Jira tickets.

LogRocket supports both web and mobile apps, though the mobile replay experience isn't as deep as the web version.

Strengths:

• Detailed session recordings with console, network, and state data
• Strong framework coverage (React, Vue, Next.js)
• Solid integrations (Sentry, Datadog, Jira)
• Growing set of AI-powered features for analysis and debugging

3. FullStory

FullStory is a heavyweight in the session replay space and is widely used by enterprise and product teams.

Its real strength is behavioral analytics: funnels, heatmaps, and journey mapping. Recordings are smooth and polished, though console and network data isn't as deep as developer-focused tools.

It includes powerful search and segmentation features, letting teams filter by events, errors, form interactions, device types, and more. For large teams, the collaboration tools stand out too: shared notes, saved segments, and easy links for PMs and designers.

Strengths:

• Best-in-class behavioral analytics (funnels, journeys, heatmaps)
• Strong UX and conversion analytics
• Advanced search and segmentation
• Great collaboration tools

4. Hotjar

Hotjar focuses on qualitative insights and quick wins for UX and conversion optimization. It's easy to set up and gives you heatmaps, scroll maps, and session recordings without developer overhead.

You won't get console logs, network requests, or state changes, but you will get a clear sense of where users get stuck or drop off. Hotjar also includes feedback tools (surveys, polls, and widgets) which help teams gather qualitative insights directly from users.

Strengths:

• Simple setup and intuitive UI
• Heatmaps and scroll maps
• Built-in feedback tools
• Pre-built frustration and engagement segments

5. OpenReplay

OpenReplay is an open-source, developer-friendly replay platform that captures full frontend context. It includes console logs, network requests, performance metrics, and detailed event timelines. You can extend it with plugins or integrate it with your observability stack.

Because it can be self-hosted, teams with strict compliance, residency, or security requirements often choose OpenReplay over commercial SaaS tools. You control where data lives, how long it's retained, and which internal systems it connects to.

Strengths:

• Open source and self-hostable
• Full console and network capture
• Plugin architecture and flexible integrations
• Strong privacy and data ownership
• Developer-first setup

6. Microsoft Clarity

Microsoft Clarity is a surprisingly capable free tool with unlimited session recordings. It's incredibly simple to add via script or Tag Manager and works well for high-traffic sites.

It includes rage click detection, scroll depth, heatmaps, and simple playback. But it's not designed for debugging since there's no console or network capture.

The fact that it's genuinely free with unlimited recordings makes it an attractive option for small teams and startups.

Strengths:

• Completely free with no limits
• Fast setup and lightweight SDK
• Heatmaps included
• GA4 integration

7. Replay.io

Replay.io is different. Instead of just recording the DOM, it records browser execution. That means you can step backward and forward through code, inspect variables, and see exactly how state changed over time – like "time-travel debugging" built for the web.

It integrates with Playwright and Cypress, making it useful for debugging automated tests too.

The downside is that it's overkill for simple UX analysis. Recordings are heavier, setup is more involved, and it appeals primarily to engineering teams working on complex frontend apps.

Strengths:

• Deep debugging with code-level replay
• Variable and state inspection
• Great for flaky test debugging

Which session replay tool should you choose?

• Want one platform for replay, analytics, feature flags, error tracking, and experiments? PostHog
• Need frontend debugging with AI-assisted insights? LogRocket
• Want polished playback and behavioral analytics? FullStory
• Prefer developer flexibility and self-hosting? OpenReplay
• Need deep, code-level debugging? Replay.io
• Want something free and unlimited? Microsoft Clarity
• Focused on UX and conversion? Hotjar

Recommendations by team type

For high-growth startups

• PostHog for transparent pricing, scalability, and a broad toolkit that replaces multiple SaaS tools
• Microsoft Clarity if budget is very tight and you only need lightweight insights

For enterprise or large product teams

• FullStory for advanced analytics, segmentation, and collaboration
• LogRocket for reproducible frontend debugging across large codebases, with AI-assisted insights

For developers and engineering-heavy teams

• PostHog if you want replay plus analytics, feature flags, and error tracking in one workflow
• LogRocket for detailed debugging data tied to frontend events
• Replay.io for stepping through code and debugging complex async issues
• OpenReplay if you want full control with the option to self-host

For less technical teams (PMs, UX, marketing)

• Hotjar for quick UX insights, heatmaps, and user feedback
• Microsoft Clarity for simple, free behavior analysis at scale
• FullStory if you need enterprise-grade UX analytics and collaboration features

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