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Software · head to head

FullStory vs Google Optimize

FullStory logo

FullStory

Software

Digital experience intelligence platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Google Optimize logo

Google Optimize

Software

A/B testing for Google Analytics

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: FullStory free tier limited to 30,000 sessions per month, no 5,000+ monthly active user sites; Google Optimize google Optimize and Optimize 360 were sunset and are no longer available as of September 30, 2023
  • They diverge on capability: FullStory covers Session replay, Google Optimize covers A/B testing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which FullStory and Google Optimize actually diverge.

Attributes where FullStory and Google Optimize differ
AttributeFullStoryGoogle Optimize
Pricing modelquotefreemium
PlatformsWeb, MobileWeb
Founded20141998

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 FullStory

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

Only in Google Optimize

  • A/B testing
  • Google Analytics integration
  • Visual editor
  • Real-time analytics
  • Google Tag Manager
  • Google's security
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support

Both cover

  • Google Analytics

What people use each for

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

FullStory

  • User experience analysisnot Google Optimize
  • Bug reproductionnot Google Optimize
  • Conversion optimizationnot Google Optimize
  • Customer supportnot Google Optimize
  • Product developmentnot Google Optimize

Google Optimize

  • A/B and multivariate testing of web pages tied to Google Analytics goalsnot FullStory
  • Personalising page content for defined audience segmentsnot FullStory
  • Redirect tests between alternative landing page URLsnot FullStory

Where each one falls short

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

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

Google Optimize

  • Google Optimize and Optimize 360 were sunset and are no longer available as of September 30, 2023
  • Any experiments and personalizations still running on that date were ended by Google
  • Google directs former users to third-party A/B testing tools, naming AB Tasty, Optimizely and VWO, rather than a replacement Google product

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Google Optimize

Free
  • FreeFree
    • A/B testing
    • Google Analytics integration
    • Visual editor

Which should you pick?

Choose FullStory if

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

Choose Google Optimize if

  • You need a/b testing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want google analytics integration.
Google Optimize review

Questions people ask

Is FullStory or Google Optimize better?
Neither clearly leads. FullStory starts at Free and Google Optimize at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, FullStory or Google Optimize?
FullStory starts at Free and Google Optimize at Free.
Does FullStory or Google Optimize run on more platforms?
FullStory runs on Web, Mobile. Google Optimize runs on Web.
Can I use FullStory for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is FullStory best used for?
FullStory is most often used for user experience analysis, bug reproduction, conversion optimization, customer support. Of those, user experience analysis and bug reproduction are not what Google Optimize is typically brought in for.
What can FullStory do that Google Optimize cannot?
FullStory covers Session replay, Heatmaps, Conversion funnels, User journey mapping. Google Optimize covers A/B testing, Google Analytics integration, Visual editor, Real-time analytics. Both handle Google Analytics.

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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Related pages

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