Softwr

Marketing · head to head

Microsoft Clarity vs Plausible

Microsoft Clarity logo

Microsoft Clarity

Marketing

Free behaviour analytics tool with session recordings, heatmaps, and AI insights

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Plausible logo

Plausible

Marketing

Simple, privacy-friendly analytics

From
$9/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Microsoft Clarity has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Microsoft Clarity no paid tier means no premium support; enterprise SLAs and dedicated account management are unavailable; Plausible there is no free tier, only a 30 day trial
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Microsoft Clarity and Plausible actually diverge.

Attributes where Microsoft Clarity and Plausible differ
AttributeMicrosoft ClarityPlausible
Starting priceFree$9/month
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb
FoundedUnknown2018

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Marketing).

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 Microsoft Clarity

Nothing recorded that Plausible does not also cover.

Only in Plausible

  • Page view tracking
  • Goal tracking
  • Real-time analytics
  • Outbound link click tracking
  • Privacy-focused
  • No cookies
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Microsoft Clarity

  • SaaS product teams identifying checkout and signup funnel frictionnot Plausible
  • E-commerce sites optimising product discovery and purchase flowsnot Plausible
  • Content websites understanding reading patterns and article engagementnot Plausible
  • Mobile app teams (iOS/Android) analysing user journey and drop-off pointsnot Plausible
  • B2B platforms optimising onboarding and feature discoverynot Plausible
  • Agencies and consultants providing UX analysis to clients free of chargenot Plausible

Plausible

  • Privacy-focused web analytics without cookies or personal datanot Microsoft Clarity
  • A Google Analytics replacement that needs no consent bannernot Microsoft Clarity
  • Self-hosted analytics on your own infrastructurenot Microsoft Clarity
  • EU-hosted measurement for data residency requirementsnot Microsoft Clarity

Where each one falls short

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

Microsoft Clarity

  • No paid tier means no premium support; enterprise SLAs and dedicated account management are unavailable
  • Dependency on JavaScript tracking; websites with strict CSP (content security policy) may struggle with integration
  • Session replay is limited to browser-based interactions; native app behaviour in web wrappers is not captured
  • AI Chat and summaries require adequate session volume; low-traffic sites lack sufficient data for meaningful pattern detection
  • Privacy masking is automatic but lacks granular configuration; custom masking rules for proprietary data require workarounds

Plausible

  • There is no free tier, only a 30 day trial
  • Paid plans are metered on monthly pageviews, so a traffic spike moves you up a plan
  • Self-hosting is possible but means running and updating the service yourself
  • Deliberately simple, so there are no user-level profiles or funnel-by-individual reports the way a cookie-based analytics tool provides

Pricing, plan by plan

Microsoft Clarity

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Microsoft Clarity review.

Plausible

$9/month
  • Starter$9/month
    • Up to 10k monthly pageviews
    • 1 site
    • 3 years data retention
  • Growth$14/month
    • Up to 3 sites
    • Up to 3 team members
  • Business$19/month
    • Up to 10 sites
    • Up to 10 team members
    • 5 years data retention
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • 10+ sites
    • Custom pricing

Which should you pick?

Choose Microsoft Clarity if

  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
Microsoft Clarity review

Choose Plausible if

  • You need page view tracking.
  • You also want goal tracking.
Plausible review

Questions people ask

Is Microsoft Clarity or Plausible better?
Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Clarity starts at Free and Plausible at $9/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Microsoft Clarity or Plausible?
Microsoft Clarity has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Microsoft Clarity and $9/month for Plausible.
Does Microsoft Clarity or Plausible run on more platforms?
Microsoft Clarity runs on Web, iOS, Android. Plausible runs on Web.
Can I use Microsoft Clarity for free?
Yes. Microsoft Clarity has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Plausible starts at $9/month.
What is Microsoft Clarity best used for?
Microsoft Clarity is most often used for saas product teams identifying checkout and signup funnel friction, e-commerce sites optimising product discovery and purchase flows, content websites understanding reading patterns and article engagement, mobile app teams (ios/android) analysing user journey and drop-off points. Of those, saas product teams identifying checkout and signup funnel friction and e-commerce sites optimising product discovery and purchase flows are not what Plausible is typically brought in for.
What can Microsoft Clarity do that Plausible cannot?
Plausible covers Page view tracking, Goal tracking, Real-time analytics, Outbound link click tracking.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Microsoft Clarity: Is Microsoft Clarity truly free?

Yes. Microsoft Clarity is completely free with no traffic limits, no paid tier, and no restrictions based on session volume. It integrates with web properties via a single tracking snippet.

Source
Plausible: How much does Plausible Analytics cost?

Plausible offers plans starting at $9/month for the Starter tier, $14/month for Growth, and $19/month for Business. Enterprise pricing is custom. All plans include a 30-day free trial without requiring a credit card.

Source
Microsoft Clarity: Does Clarity comply with GDPR and CCPA?

Yes. Clarity automatically masks sensitive form field data before transmission and supports privacy-by-default configuration. EU and California data residency options are available.

Source
Plausible: Is there a free version of Plausible?

Plausible does not offer a free plan; however, all paid plans include a 30-day free trial with full access to features.

Source
Microsoft Clarity: Can Clarity track mobile apps?

Yes. Clarity provides native SDKs for iOS and Android, as well as support for React Native and Flutter apps.

Source
Plausible: What is the difference between Plausible's pricing tiers?

The Starter plan covers up to 10k monthly pageviews for 1 site. Growth adds up to 3 sites and 3 team members. Business expands to 10 sites, 10 team members, and includes advanced features like API access and 5 years data retention.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Microsoft Clarity

More on Plausible

Keep looking

Other head to heads