Softwr

Software · head to head

FullStory vs WSO2 API Manager

FullStory logo

FullStory

Software

Digital experience intelligence platform

From
Free
Rated
-
WSO2 API Manager logo

WSO2 API Manager

Software

Complete API management platform for designing and managing APIs

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; WSO2 API Manager the free open source distribution does not include a subscription to the WSO2 Update service, so continuous improvements and security patches require a paid subscription
  • They diverge on capability: FullStory covers Session replay, WSO2 API Manager covers API Gateway.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which FullStory and WSO2 API Manager actually diverge.

Attributes where FullStory and WSO2 API Manager differ
AttributeFullStoryWSO2 API Manager
Pricing modelquoteopen-source
PlatformsWeb, MobileJava, Linux, Docker, Kubernetes
Founded20142005

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 WSO2 API Manager

  • API Gateway
  • API Designer
  • Developer Portal
  • LDAP
  • Okta
  • Keycloak
  • Microservices
  • Java support

What people use each for

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

FullStory

  • User experience analysisnot WSO2 API Manager
  • Bug reproductionnot WSO2 API Manager
  • Conversion optimizationnot WSO2 API Manager
  • Customer supportnot WSO2 API Manager
  • Product developmentnot WSO2 API Manager

WSO2 API Manager

  • Publishing, securing and rate limiting APIs behind a gatewaynot FullStory
  • Running an API developer portal with subscription key managementnot FullStory
  • Self hosting an open source API management layer on premisesnot 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

WSO2 API Manager

  • The free open source distribution does not include a subscription to the WSO2 Update service, so continuous improvements and security patches require a paid subscription
  • A commercial production licence is not part of the free download and comes only with a subscription
  • No subscription price is published; Basic Support and Enterprise Support both require contacting sales for a quote
  • 24x7x365 coverage requires Enterprise Support; the general query SLA is one business day
  • A Customer Success Manager is a paid optional add on covering business hours only
  • Consulting services and WSO2 Private Cloud hosting are quoted separately

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

WSO2 API Manager

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Core API management
    • Community support
  • Commercial$undefined/monthly
    • Enterprise features
    • Technical support
    • SLA

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 WSO2 API Manager if

  • You need api gateway.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Java, Linux, Docker, Kubernetes.
  • You also want api designer.

Questions people ask

Is FullStory or WSO2 API Manager better?
Neither clearly leads. FullStory starts at Free and WSO2 API Manager at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, FullStory or WSO2 API Manager?
FullStory starts at Free and WSO2 API Manager at Free.
Does FullStory or WSO2 API Manager run on more platforms?
FullStory runs on Web, Mobile. WSO2 API Manager runs on Java, Linux, Docker, Kubernetes.
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 WSO2 API Manager is typically brought in for.
What can FullStory do that WSO2 API Manager cannot?
FullStory covers Session replay, Heatmaps, Conversion funnels, User journey mapping. WSO2 API Manager covers API Gateway, API Designer, Developer Portal, LDAP.

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

Related pages

Other head to heads