Skip to content
testcritic

Your recommended stack

2 areas to cover, based on what you told us

“Users drop off and we don't know why”
Change my answersStart over

1. Session Replay & Product Analytics

Because you said: “Users drop off and we don't know why”

Buyer’s guide
Microsoft ClarityBest fitFree

Free, unlimited session replay and heatmaps. Genuinely free, at any traffic volume.

Why this fits you

  • No cost and no sampling at any volume
  • Rage-click and dead-click detection surfaces real usability problems immediately.

Main limitation

  • Data goes to Microsoft, which is a real consideration for GDPR-sensitive deployments.
  • Filtering and segmentation are shallower than paid tools.
HotjarTalk to salesQuote only

Closed to new signups — Hotjar has been absorbed into Contentsquare.

Why this fits you

  • Non-technical teams adopt it without training, which is why it spread inside organisations.
  • Surveys and recordings together let you ask a user about the behaviour you just watched.

Main limitation

  • You cannot buy it: new accounts are closed and you are really evaluating Contentsquare.
  • Existing customers face a migration onto separately billed product lines, which can change the total.
AmplitudeFree tier

Behavioural product analytics with strong cohort and retention analysis.

Why this fits you

  • The deepest retention and cohort analysis in mainstream product analytics.
  • Good free tier for early-stage products.

Main limitation

  • Requires deliberate event instrumentation — nothing works without it.
  • Enterprise pricing rises steeply with tracked users.
Compare these 3 side by side

2. User Research & Usability Testing

Because you said: “Users drop off and we don't know why”

Buyer’s guide
UserTestingBest fitTalk to salesQuote only

The largest participant network for moderated and unmoderated usability studies.

Why this fits you

  • The deepest participant panel, including hard-to-reach professional segments.
  • Sessions come back within hours, not days.

Main limitation

  • Expensive with a high minimum commitment; unaffordable for small teams.
  • Panel participants are experienced testers, which can skew behaviour towards articulate narration.
MazeFree tier

Rapid unmoderated testing on live products and Figma prototypes, with quantitative output.

Why this fits you

  • Test a Figma prototype with real users before building anything.
  • Quantitative metrics make results defensible in a product review.

Main limitation

  • Unmoderated only — you cannot ask a follow-up question.
  • Prototype testing measures a happy path, not the messy reality of a live product.
Compare these 2 side by side