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Software · head to head

FullStory vs Libsyn

FullStory logo

FullStory

Software

Digital experience intelligence platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Libsyn logo

Libsyn

Software

The original podcast hosting platform since 2004

From
$5/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only FullStory has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: FullStory free tier limited to 30,000 sessions per month, no 5,000+ monthly active user sites; Libsyn basic plan at $12 per month allows only 3 hours of audio upload per month
  • They diverge on capability: FullStory covers Session replay, Libsyn covers Reliable hosting.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which FullStory and Libsyn actually diverge.

Attributes where FullStory and Libsyn differ
AttributeFullStoryLibsyn
Starting priceFree$5/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, MobileWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20142004

Identical on both: 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 Libsyn

  • Reliable hosting
  • Advanced analytics
  • Monetization platform
  • Distribution network
  • Custom website
  • Ad insertion
  • Apple Podcasts
  • Spotify

What people use each for

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

FullStory

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

Libsyn

  • Hosting podcast audio and distributing it to Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTubenot FullStory
  • Measuring audience with IAB certified download statisticsnot FullStory
  • Monetising shows through advertising on enterprise plansnot 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

Libsyn

  • Basic plan at $12 per month allows only 3 hours of audio upload per month
  • Advanced IAB verified stats require the $25 per month Advanced plan; Basic gets basic stats only
  • Spotify video distribution requires the Advanced or Max plan
  • Dynamic ad insertion sits on Professional and Enterprise plans that are quoted by sales with no published rate
  • The top published tier, Max at $150 per month, still caps audio uploads at 55 hours per month

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

Libsyn

$5/month
  • Classic 50$5/month
    • 50 MB monthly storage
    • Basic statistics
    • Podcast page
  • Classic 150$15/month
    • 150 MB monthly storage
    • Advanced statistics
    • Custom website
  • Advanced 400$20/month
    • 400 MB monthly storage
    • Premium analytics
    • Multiple shows
  • Advanced 800$40/month
    • 800 MB monthly storage
    • Full analytics suite
    • Priority 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.
FullStory review

Choose Libsyn if

  • You need reliable hosting.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want advanced analytics.
Libsyn review

Questions people ask

Is FullStory or Libsyn better?
Neither clearly leads. FullStory starts at Free and Libsyn at $5/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, FullStory or Libsyn?
FullStory has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for FullStory and $5/month for Libsyn.
Does FullStory or Libsyn run on more platforms?
FullStory runs on Web, Mobile. Libsyn runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use FullStory for free?
Yes. FullStory has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Libsyn starts at $5/month.
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 Libsyn is typically brought in for.
What can FullStory do that Libsyn cannot?
FullStory covers Session replay, Heatmaps, Conversion funnels, User journey mapping. Libsyn covers Reliable hosting, Advanced analytics, Monetization platform, Distribution network.

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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