Smartlook Alternative: What to Use After the Smartlook Shutdown
Smartlook stopped selling new subscriptions on May 31, 2026 and the platform is decommissioned on September 30, 2027. If you are picking a replacement, decide which half of the job you actually need: watching sessions, or knowing what to change.
Why this tends to convert:
Data-informed, not guarantees
Where each one fits
Smartlook is on a published end-of-life path, so this is a forced migration rather than a preference. The dates Smartlook lists are firm: May 31, 2026 was End of Sale and no new subscriptions are being sold, August 31, 2026 ends contract renewals and expansions, August 31, 2027 is the last day of support for remaining paid subscriptions, and the platform is decommissioned on September 30, 2027. Existing customers drop to the Smartlook Free plan until that final date. The most important detail for anyone planning: your subscription is not automatically transitioned, and Splunk is not migrating historical Smartlook data into Digital Experience Analytics in Splunk Observability Cloud, so if you want your recordings and event history you have to export it through the Smartlook API before the platform goes dark. Once you accept you are rebuying, split the decision. If what you valued was session replay and heatmaps, the honest picks are Microsoft Clarity (free, unlimited sessions, no A/B testing), Hotjar (paid from about $49/mo, surveys and longer retention), Lucky Orange, or Mouseflow for form analytics. Converto is not a replay tool and does not pretend to be. It covers the half Smartlook never did: paste a live URL and it audits the copy, layout, CTAs, page speed, and AI-readability, names the leaks, and generates ready-to-ship headline, CTA, and layout variants, with nothing to install and no waiting for sessions to accumulate. Many teams leaving Smartlook end up with a free replay tool plus Converto and pay less than they did before. It is self-serve from $19/mo. Suggestions are data-informed, not guarantees.
Side by side
Converto vs Smartlook
| Capability | Converto | Smartlook |
|---|---|---|
| Still available to buy in 2026 | End of Sale May 31, 2026 | |
| Audits a live URL instantly | After snippet + sessions | |
| Generates ready-to-ship variants | ||
| Nothing to install (no snippet) | ||
| Session recordings and heatmaps | Until Sept 30, 2027 | |
| Historical data migrates to the successor product | Not applicable | |
| Self-serve, priced for one person | From $19/mo | No longer sold |
Comparison reflects general product positioning and is provided in good faith. Verify current capabilities with each vendor.
Questions
Smartlook alternative questions
Is Smartlook shutting down?
Yes. Smartlook published an end-of-life schedule: End of Sale on May 31, 2026, no further renewals or expansions after August 31, 2026, last day of support on August 31, 2027, and the platform is decommissioned on September 30, 2027. Existing customers keep Smartlook Free access until that last date.
What is the best Smartlook alternative?
It depends which job you need. For free session replay and heatmaps, Microsoft Clarity is the rational default. For surveys and longer retention, Hotjar. For form analytics, Mouseflow. For knowing what to actually change on the page and getting the rewritten copy and CTA, Converto audits a live URL and generates the variants, from $19/mo.
Does my Smartlook data move to Splunk automatically?
No. Smartlook states that current subscriptions are not automatically transitioned to Digital Experience Analytics in Splunk Observability Cloud, and that historical Smartlook data is not migrated. If you need your recordings, events, or funnels, export them through the Smartlook API before the platform is decommissioned on September 30, 2027.
Is there a free Smartlook alternative?
Microsoft Clarity is free with unlimited sessions and covers heatmaps and recordings, which is the closest free match for what Smartlook did. It has no A/B testing and caps heatmaps at 100,000 page views. Converto is paid from $19 a month and does the different job of auditing the page and writing the fix.
How much does it cost to replace Smartlook?
Less than most teams expect. Microsoft Clarity is free, Hotjar starts around $49 a month, Mouseflow around $25 a month, and Converto is $19 a month self-serve. A common post-Smartlook stack is a free replay tool plus one paid audit tool, which usually lands under what a mid-tier Smartlook plan cost.
Other comparisons
Paste your page and see what is leaking
Drop in any live URL and Converto audits the copy, layout, CTAs, speed, and AI-readability of the page you already have, then hands you ready-to-ship variants to lift signups and sales. Self-serve pricing, no snippet, no sales call. Suggestions are data-informed, not guarantees. Decide for yourself.