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Software · head to head

Microsoft Azure API Management vs FullStory

Microsoft Azure API Management logo

Microsoft Azure API Management

Software

Hybrid, multi-cloud API management service on Azure

From
Free
Rated
-
FullStory logo

FullStory

Software

Digital experience intelligence platform

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Microsoft Azure API Management prices are not shown on the pricing page itself; every tier renders as a placeholder and routes to the calculator or sales; FullStory free tier limited to 30,000 sessions per month, no 5,000+ monthly active user sites
  • They diverge on capability: Microsoft Azure API Management covers API Gateway, FullStory covers Session replay.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Microsoft Azure API Management and FullStory actually diverge.

Attributes where Microsoft Azure API Management and FullStory differ
AttributeMicrosoft Azure API ManagementFullStory
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsCloud, Hybrid, Multi-cloudWeb, Mobile
Founded19752014

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Microsoft Azure API Management

  • API Gateway
  • Developer Portal
  • API Policies
  • Azure services
  • AWS
  • Google Cloud
  • On-premises
  • Cloud support

Only in FullStory

  • Session replay
  • Heatmaps
  • Conversion funnels
  • User journey mapping
  • Error tracking
  • Frustration signals
  • Search functionality
  • Custom events

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Microsoft Azure API Management

  • API gateway and lifecycle management on Azurenot FullStory
  • Throttling, keys and policies in front of backend servicesnot FullStory
  • Developer portal for internal and partner APIsnot FullStory
  • Hybrid deployments using self-hosted gatewaysnot FullStory

FullStory

  • User experience analysisnot Microsoft Azure API Management
  • Bug reproductionnot Microsoft Azure API Management
  • Conversion optimizationnot Microsoft Azure API Management
  • Customer supportnot Microsoft Azure API Management
  • Product developmentnot Microsoft Azure API Management

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Microsoft Azure API Management

  • Prices are not shown on the pricing page itself; every tier renders as a placeholder and routes to the calculator or sales
  • Two parallel generations of tiers, classic and v2, so the choice is which lineage before which size
  • The Developer tier is explicitly not for production
  • Self-hosted gateways and workspace gateways are charged separately from the service

FullStory

  • Free tier limited to 30,000 sessions per month, no 5,000+ monthly active user sites
  • Personal email addresses cannot be used for signup; business email domain required
  • Paid plan pricing not publicly listed, requires sales contact for quotes
  • Free plan has no email support, only community-based assistance
  • Mobile app analytics requires a separate add-on purchase

Pricing, plan by plan

Microsoft Azure API Management

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1M calls/month
    • Community support
  • Developer$50/monthly
    • 10M calls/month
    • Email support
  • Premium$500/monthly
    • Unlimited calls
    • Priority support
    • SLA

FullStory

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1,000 sessions/month
    • 14-day data retention
    • Basic analytics
  • Business$undefined/month
    • Custom sessions
    • 3-month retention
    • Advanced analytics
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Unlimited sessions
    • Custom retention
    • Advanced privacy controls

Which should you pick?

Choose Microsoft Azure API Management if

  • You need api gateway.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, Hybrid, Multi-cloud.
  • You also want developer portal.

Choose FullStory if

  • You need session replay.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want heatmaps.

Questions people ask

Is Microsoft Azure API Management or FullStory better?
Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Azure API Management starts at Free and FullStory at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Microsoft Azure API Management or FullStory?
Microsoft Azure API Management starts at Free and FullStory at Free.
Does Microsoft Azure API Management or FullStory run on more platforms?
Microsoft Azure API Management runs on Cloud, Hybrid, Multi-cloud. FullStory runs on Web, Mobile.
Can I use Microsoft Azure API Management for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Microsoft Azure API Management best used for?
Microsoft Azure API Management is most often used for api gateway and lifecycle management on azure, throttling, keys and policies in front of backend services, developer portal for internal and partner apis, hybrid deployments using self-hosted gateways. Of those, api gateway and lifecycle management on azure and throttling, keys and policies in front of backend services are not what FullStory is typically brought in for.
What can Microsoft Azure API Management do that FullStory cannot?
Microsoft Azure API Management covers API Gateway, Developer Portal, API Policies, Azure services. FullStory covers Session replay, Heatmaps, Conversion funnels, User journey mapping.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

FullStory: What does FullStory's free tier include?

30,000 sessions per month, 10 user seats, 5,000 server-side events per month, 1 year of session replay retention, and 1 year of product analytics retention. Session capture pauses when you exceed the monthly limit, though existing sessions remain accessible.

Source
FullStory: What features are excluded from the free plan?

Dashboards, configurable form privacy, Go-Live functionality, Streams, client-side rate hooks, mobile app analytics, and StoryAI are not available on the free tier. Email support is also unavailable; only community-based help is provided.

Source
FullStory: Can I use a personal email to sign up for FullStory's free plan?

No. FullStory requires a business email domain for signup; personal email services like Gmail cannot be used for free plan registration.

Source
FullStory: How does FullStory integrate with Slack?

FullStory's Slack integration allows individual users to send noteworthy sessions to Slack channels. Advanced and Enterprise plans can configure Alerts to receive notifications in Slack when user metrics exceed defined thresholds.

Source
FullStory: What analytics platforms does FullStory integrate with?

FullStory integrates with Segment, Mixpanel, Adobe Analytics, Google Analytics, Salesforce, HubSpot, and others. These integrations allow you to attach FullStory session URLs to events in your analytics platform for cross-platform correlation.

Source

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