Smartlook was a solid pick for teams that wanted session replay, heatmaps, events and funnels for a website and a native iOS or Android app in one place.
But it is no longer a choice for new buyers: Smartlook stopped selling new subscriptions on May 31, 2026 and will shut down on September 30, 2027. If you have a site and an app, look at Microsoft Clarity, PostHog or Contentsquare instead.
This review explains what Smartlook did, what the Cisco and Splunk wind-down means for current customers, and which tools cover the same web-plus-app use case.
We have not used Smartlook ourselves. Everything below comes from vendor sites and docs.
What Smartlook does: web and mobile app replay, events and heatmaps
Smartlook is a behavior analytics tool. Its homepage lists six core features: session recordings, events, funnels, heatmaps, behavior flows and crash reports.
- Session recordings with filters that jump to the moment a user did something specific.
- Events that count actions (signups, add-to-cart taps) and also work as recording filters.
- Funnels that link each drop-off to the recordings of the people who left.
- Heatmaps showing where users click and how far they scroll.
- Behavior flows that map the paths users take through a site or app.
- Crash reports paired with the recording of the session that crashed.
The mobile side was what set it apart.
Smartlook's docs list a JavaScript SDK for websites and a mobile SDK for Apple and Android, and the mobile developer docs cover installing it through Gradle on Android and a Swift package on iOS.
Many replay tools only record websites, so this was the main reason app teams picked Smartlook.
In a CRO workflow, a tool like this belongs in the research step.
Replays and heatmaps show where people get stuck, which gives you a hypothesis, and an A/B test tells you whether your fix actually works.
Our customer research guide walks through that loop.
Heatmap findings are where a lot of the tests in our database start.
Dave Diederen changed the above-the-fold USPs to the points heatmaps showed buyers engaging with and got +7.28% revenue per visitor.
In another test, Dave Diederen added a countdown timer where heatmaps showed shoppers were focused, which gave +20.65% revenue per visitor.
Peter Christensen rearranged homepage sections based on scroll maps for a +12.64% conversion rate.
@DaveDiederen@DaveDiederen
KlientBoost
@peterac_The same approach works beyond ecommerce. KlientBoost's heatmap-led landing pages plus new PPC for a lead-gen client came with a +77% conversion rate.
In apps, recordings help you find weak spots in onboarding and paywalls before you test them.
For example, CoinStats tested an animated character paywall and reported an average 2.9x conversion on Android and iOS.
Our app growth hub covers what to test once you know where users drop off.
Cisco ownership and the Splunk wind-down
Smartlook was founded in Brno, Czech Republic. Cisco completed its acquisition on June 29, 2023, and announced it as an addition to AppDynamics and its full-stack observability products.
Since then, Smartlook's features have been folded into Splunk, which Cisco also owns.
Smartlook's own site says the product will "gradually wind down as a standalone product." The published timeline:
- May 31, 2026: End of Sale. No new Smartlook subscriptions.
- August 31, 2026: End of contract renewals and expansions.
- August 31, 2027: Last day of support. All remaining paid subscriptions end.
- September 30, 2027: The platform is shut down and remaining customer data is deleted.
After a paid plan ends, accounts drop to the Free plan, with its limits, until the shutdown.
Splunk says it will not migrate historical data to its replacement product.
If you want to keep your data, export it through the Smartlook APIs before then.
The replacement is Digital Experience Analytics in Splunk Observability Cloud.
It covers session replay, conversion funnels, journey maps, event analytics and friction signals such as rage clicks.
It is built for engineering and observability teams, and Splunk sends you to sales for pricing.
Smartlook pricing
As of November 2026, Smartlook has no plans for sale.
Its pricing page now redirects to the wind-down notice instead of a price list.
Existing customers can keep their current plan until it expires and then use the Free plan until September 30, 2027.
That means no Smartlook price is worth comparing.
If you were drawn to it as a cheap way to record a site and an app together, the comparison table below shows what the main alternatives charge today.
| Tool | Web replay and heatmaps | Native app replay | Pricing model (as of November 2026) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smartlook | Yes | Yes (iOS, Android) | No new sales since May 31, 2026 | Existing customers only, until 2027 |
| Microsoft Clarity | Yes | Yes (native, React Native, Flutter) | Free | Teams with no budget for a paid replay tool |
| PostHog | Yes | Yes (iOS, Android, React Native, Flutter) | Usage-based, 5K recordings a month free | Product teams that also want analytics and feature flags |
| Contentsquare (includes Hotjar) | Yes | Yes (iOS, Android) | Free tier; Growth from $39/mo billed annually; Pro and Enterprise custom | Marketing and UX teams that want surveys too |
| Lucky Orange | Yes | Not listed on pricing page | From $32/mo billed annually (3,500 sessions) | Small and mid-size websites |
| Heatmap.com | Yes (Shopify revenue heatmaps) | No, website-focused | From $199/mo for stores up to $10M revenue | Shopify brands that want revenue per element |
Smartlook vs Hotjar
The two were often compared because both offered recordings and heatmaps at small-business prices.
The biggest difference was apps. Smartlook recorded native iOS and Android apps.
Hotjar works on websites and web apps, and its help center says native app testing in Hotjar Engage is still in progress.
Smartlook was also more event-driven. It had funnels, behavior flows and crash reports, which product and engineering teams use.
Hotjar is stronger on the voice-of-customer side, with on-site surveys, feedback widgets and user interviews alongside replays.
That suits marketers who want to know why users act a certain way, not only what they do.
Ownership has changed both tools. Hotjar is now part of Contentsquare, and hotjar.com/pricing redirects to Contentsquare's pricing.
New Hotjar accounts can no longer be created, but its tools live on in Contentsquare, which new users can still sign up for.
Smartlook takes no new subscriptions at all. For a fuller look, see our Hotjar review.
Smartlook alternatives
Your best replacement depends on whether you need app recording and who will use the tool.
Our session replay tools roundup covers more options.
For a website and a native app
Microsoft Clarity is the closest free match. Its mobile SDK docs list session recordings, heatmaps, rage and dead taps, funnels and smart events, with support for native Android and iOS, React Native and Flutter.
The tradeoff is that it offers less analysis depth and support than paid tools. See our Microsoft Clarity review.
PostHog records sessions from web, React Native, iOS, Android and Flutter.
It also bundles product analytics, feature flags and experiments.
The free tier includes 5K recordings a month, and free-plan recordings are kept for one month.
It assumes some technical setup, so it fits product teams better than marketers. See our PostHog review.
Contentsquare offers mobile app analytics for iOS and Android apps, though its pricing page doesn't say which plans include it.
It is the enterprise option, and most plans are priced through sales. See our Contentsquare review.
For websites only
If your app is a small part of the business, a web-focused tool may be a better fit.
Lucky Orange combines recordings, heatmaps and other conversion tools, starting at $32 a month billed annually for 3,500 sessions (pricing page).
Heatmap.com is built for Shopify and shows revenue by page element, priced by store revenue.
Both have affiliate programs, so we may earn a commission if you sign up through our links.
Read our Lucky Orange review, or browse heatmap tools and our Mouseflow review.
Whatever you pick, replays only help you find problems.
To learn which fix works, run the change as a test.
If you want help going from heatmaps to tests that win, a practitioner who does this every week can save you months.
Verdict: who Smartlook is for now
Smartlook is now only for existing customers who need time to export data and move to another tool.
It is not for anyone starting fresh, because you can't buy it, and it is not for teams that need support past August 31, 2027. Plan your switch before your renewal date, not near the September 2027 shutdown.