Softwr

SaaS · head to head

Heap vs Productboard

Heap logo

Heap

SaaS

Product analytics for the modern product team

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Productboard logo

Productboard

Technology

Product management system that helps you understand what customers need

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Heap no built-in A/B testing or feature flags; requires integration with separate tools for experimentation; Productboard per-maker pricing escalates quickly for larger product organizations
  • They diverge on capability: Heap covers Autocapture, Productboard covers Customer insights portal.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Heap and Productboard actually diverge.

Attributes where Heap and Productboard differ
AttributeHeapProductboard
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Mobile, API
CategorySaaSTechnology
Founded20132014

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

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 Heap

  • Autocapture
  • Retroactive analytics
  • Session replay
  • Funnel analysis
  • User segmentation
  • Path analysis
  • Data science
  • Virtual events

Only in Productboard

  • Customer insights portal
  • Feature prioritization
  • Dynamic roadmaps
  • User feedback management
  • Product hierarchy
  • Custom scoring
  • Release planning
  • Stakeholder alignment

Both cover

  • Salesforce
  • Zapier
  • SOC2
  • GDPR

What people use each for

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

Heap

  • User behavior analysisnot Productboard
  • Conversion optimizationnot Productboard
  • Product adoptionnot Productboard
  • Customer journey mappingnot Productboard
  • A/B testing analysisnot Productboard

Productboard

  • Product roadmappingnot Heap
  • Feature prioritizationnot Heap
  • Customer feedback managementnot Heap
  • Stakeholder alignmentnot Heap
  • Product strategynot Heap

Where each one falls short

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

Heap

  • No built-in A/B testing or feature flags; requires integration with separate tools for experimentation
  • Group analytics and advanced features require a sales conversation, not self-serve
  • Cloud-only deployment; no self-hosted option for data security or compliance requirements
  • Session replay lacks developer debugging tools compared to PostHog
  • Pricing for Growth and Pro plans requires direct sales contact; no transparency on how pricing scales

Productboard

  • Per-maker pricing escalates quickly for larger product organizations
  • Connection to Jira often functions as one-way integration with limitations
  • Manual feedback collection processes are time-consuming and error-prone
  • Lacks strategic product management functions beyond feedback centralization

Pricing, plan by plan

Heap

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 10,000 monthly sessions
    • Basic charts
    • 6 months data history
  • Growth$null/custom
    • Custom session pricing
    • Sense AI assistant
    • 12 months data history
  • Pro$null/custom
    • Custom session pricing
    • Account analytics
    • Engagement matrix
  • Premier$null/custom
    • Custom session pricing
    • Data warehouse integration
    • Unlimited projects

Productboard

Free
  • StarterFree
    • 50 feedback notes
    • 1 Teamspace
    • 1 Objective
  • Spark$15/month
    • Feedback portal
    • Prioritization boards
    • Roadmap views

Which should you pick?

Choose Heap if

  • You need autocapture.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want retroactive analytics.
Heap review

Choose Productboard if

  • You need customer insights portal.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, API.
  • You also want feature prioritization.
Productboard review

Questions people ask

Is Heap or Productboard better?
Neither clearly leads. Heap starts at Free and Productboard at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Heap or Productboard?
Heap starts at Free and Productboard at Free.
Does Heap or Productboard run on more platforms?
Heap runs on Web, iOS, Android. Productboard runs on Web, Mobile, API.
Can I use Heap for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Heap best used for?
Heap is most often used for user behavior analysis, conversion optimization, product adoption, customer journey mapping. Of those, user behavior analysis and conversion optimization are not what Productboard is typically brought in for.
What can Heap do that Productboard cannot?
Heap covers Autocapture, Retroactive analytics, Session replay, Funnel analysis. Productboard covers Customer insights portal, Feature prioritization, Dynamic roadmaps, User feedback management. Both handle Salesforce, Zapier, SOC2, GDPR.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Heap: What does Heap's autocapture feature do?

Heap's autocapture is a single code snippet that automatically captures every click, swipe, tap, pageview, and form fill on your website and apps without requiring manual event setup. Once installed, Heap captures the entire digital experience of every user on every platform with no ongoing engineering maintenance needed.

Source
Productboard: What is included in the Spark plan?

Productboard Spark at USD 15/maker/month (annual) or USD 19/maker/month (monthly) includes the feedback portal, prioritization boards, roadmap views, and AI features. Spark includes 250 AI credits per maker per month.

Source
Heap: What are Heap's pricing plans and how much do they cost?

Heap offers a Free plan for up to 10,000 monthly sessions. Growth, Pro, and Premier plans use custom session-based pricing that requires contacting sales for a quote. Free includes basic charts and 6 months data history. Growth adds the Sense AI assistant. Pro adds account analytics. Premier adds data warehouse integration and dedicated customer success management.

Source
Productboard: Is there a free plan available?

Yes. Productboard offers a free Starter plan with 50 feedback notes, 1 Teamspace, 1 Objective, and 1 Product Portal.

Source
Heap: Does Heap include session replay and A/B testing?

Heap includes integrated session replay showing exactly what users did on your site. However, Heap does not include built-in A/B testing or feature flags. Teams requiring these capabilities must use separate tools or integrate with third-party platforms.

Source
Productboard: How many AI credits do new users get?

New signups receive 150 free AI credits to trial AI features, plus the included 250 credits per maker per month on paid plans.

Source
Heap: What integrations does Heap support?

Heap supports over 100 integrations connecting to business tools including marketing platforms, CRMs, and data warehouses. This allows insights to reach relevant teams and ensures data flows to other business systems automatically.

Source
Heap: Does Heap offer self-hosting or is it cloud-only?

Heap is cloud-only and does not offer self-hosted options. Organizations requiring on-premises deployment should consider alternatives like PostHog which supports self-hosting alongside its cloud product.

Source
Heap: What is Sense and how does it help with analytics?

Sense Chat is Heap's AI assistant that enables users to access analytics without extensive technical knowledge. It allows teams to ask questions about user behavior and get answers directly without lengthy onboarding or technical expertise, making insights more accessible to non-technical stakeholders.

Source
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