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Software · head to head

FullStory vs KeystoneJS

FullStory logo

FullStory

Software

Digital experience intelligence platform

From
Free
Rated
-
KeystoneJS logo

KeystoneJS

Software

Powerful Node.js headless CMS framework and API platform

From
Free
Rated
-

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; KeystoneJS database support is limited to PostgreSQL, MySQL and SQLite
  • They diverge on capability: FullStory covers Session replay, KeystoneJS covers REST API.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which FullStory and KeystoneJS actually diverge.

Attributes where FullStory and KeystoneJS differ
AttributeFullStoryKeystoneJS
Pricing modelquoteopen-source
PlatformsWeb, MobileNode.js, Self-hosted
Founded20142016

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 KeystoneJS

  • REST API
  • GraphQL API
  • Admin interface
  • Node.js
  • Next.js
  • React
  • Databases
  • Node.js support

What people use each for

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

FullStory

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

KeystoneJS

  • Building a headless CMS with a GraphQL API from a TypeScript schemanot FullStory
  • Generating a configurable Admin UI for editorsnot FullStory
  • Adding structured rich text content with the document fieldnot 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

KeystoneJS

  • Database support is limited to PostgreSQL, MySQL and SQLite
  • Keystone 5 is a separate legacy product documented on a different site and is not covered by the Keystone 6 docs
  • Upgrading requires following a dedicated Migrate to 8.0.0 guide, so major versions are not drop-in
  • Free support is a community Slack; enterprise-grade consulting and support is a separate paid engagement with Thinkmill and no published price

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

KeystoneJS

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Full KeystoneJS
    • Community support

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.

Choose KeystoneJS if

  • You need rest api.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Node.js, Self-hosted.
  • You also want graphql api.

Questions people ask

Is FullStory or KeystoneJS better?
Neither clearly leads. FullStory starts at Free and KeystoneJS at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, FullStory or KeystoneJS?
FullStory starts at Free and KeystoneJS at Free.
Does FullStory or KeystoneJS run on more platforms?
FullStory runs on Web, Mobile. KeystoneJS runs on Node.js, Self-hosted.
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 KeystoneJS is typically brought in for.
What can FullStory do that KeystoneJS cannot?
FullStory covers Session replay, Heatmaps, Conversion funnels, User journey mapping. KeystoneJS covers REST API, GraphQL API, Admin interface, Node.js.

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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