home / rankings / session replay tools / datadog rum alternatives Datadog RUM alternatives 13 tools we tested head to head against Datadog RUM, ranked — and what each one actually does differently.
last reviewed 4 aug 2026 · from our best 14 session replay tools · list curated by Onur Ozcan x in
first — what you'd be leaving Datadog RUM ranks #5 of 14 in our session replay tools testing. `mask` is the default privacy level, and password, email, tel and card fields stay masked whatever you set..
78 /100 the strongest non-overridable masking floor in the category, wrapped in the hardest pricing to forecast.
why people look for an alternative
− three separate meters make cost forecasting genuinely hard − per-tier rates not confirmable on datadog's own pricing page − consent-integration mechanics undocumented − no free tier for replay stay with Datadog RUM if `mask` applied when no privacy level is specified is the thing you care about most — nothing below beats it on that.
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Microsoft Clarity #1 in session replay tools · input masking you are not allowed to switch off, free, with no traffic limit — and a business model worth understanding.
88 /100 verdict the only tool here where a careless install is still a safe install, because the masking is not yours to disable.
Microsoft Clarity vs Datadog RUM
Datadog RUM Microsoft Clarity price ~$2.50 per 1,000 replayed sessions free free tier no yes masking default `mask` — strictest level all input boxes, always opt-in or out opt-out, with a floor you can't lower neither — cannot be disabled cost at 100k sessions componentised — see note $0 eu hosting yes — datadoghq.eu, frankfurt eu contracting via microsoft ireland free tier trial only entirely free, unlimited
switch for teams that want the safest possible default and cannot rely on developers configuring anything.
pros
+ input masking cannot be disabled by anyone, including admins + free with no traffic limit at any volume + native consent api plus cmp support; consent enforced for eea/uk/swiss traffic + capture sdk is open source under mit cons
− funded by feeding microsoft advertising — a conflict to weigh, not ignore − retention period is not published − google consent mode support still listed as coming soon − no paid tier means no commercial leverage if priorities change 2
Contentsquare #2 in session replay tools · redacts emails, tokens and card numbers in the browser, before anything is sent.
86 /100 verdict the strongest technical privacy posture of the mainstream commercial tools, and its free tier swallows this page's entire benchmark.
Contentsquare vs Datadog RUM
Datadog RUM Contentsquare price ~$2.50 per 1,000 replayed sessions free to 200k sessions/mo free tier no yes masking default `mask` — strictest level inputs not captured; pii redacted in browser opt-in or out opt-out, with a floor you can't lower opt-out cost at 100k sessions componentised — see note $0 — inside free tier eu hosting yes — datadoghq.eu, frankfurt yes; residency options on enterprise free tier trial only 200,000 sessions/mo
switch for teams that want masking to happen before data leaves the browser rather than after it arrives.
pros
+ redaction happens client-side, before transmission + input values not captured by default; all-pages masking on by default + 200,000 free sessions a month + eu data centres, iso 27701 as controller and processor cons
− mid-merger with hotjar — pricing and backend both in flux − retention windows not stated in any single primary doc − consent-gating default unverified − pro and enterprise pricing requires a sales conversation 3
PostHog #3 in session replay tools · masks all inputs by default, hosts in the eu on every plan including free, and you can self-host the mit core.
84 /100 verdict the best combination of correct defaults, real eu hosting and an escape hatch, if you can live with an enterprise carve-out in the licence.
PostHog vs Datadog RUM
Datadog RUM PostHog price ~$2.50 per 1,000 replayed sessions $272.50/mo at 100k sessions free tier no yes masking default `mask` — strictest level all inputs masked opt-in or out opt-out, with a floor you can't lower opt-out cost at 100k sessions componentised — see note $272.50 eu hosting yes — datadoghq.eu, frankfurt yes — all plans, frankfurt free tier trial only 5,000 recordings/mo
switch for engineering teams that want a safe default, eu hosting and the option to run it themselves.
pros
+ `maskAllInputs: true` by default, with the reasoning documented + eu region on every plan including free + per-recording pricing you can compute in advance + mit-licensed core is genuinely self-hostable cons
− `ee/` directory is proprietary — the open core is not the full product − free-plan retention capped at 1 year until billing is attached − consent-gating behaviour undocumented − mobile replay billed separately at double the entry rate advertisement
4
Quantum Metric #4 in session replay tools · pii is encrypted at capture with a key only you hold — quantum metric cannot decrypt its own customers' data.
81 /100 verdict the only architecture here where the vendor is structurally unable to read your users' data, sold in the least transparent way.
Quantum Metric vs Datadog RUM
Datadog RUM Quantum Metric price ~$2.50 per 1,000 replayed sessions quoted free tier no no masking default `mask` — strictest level automatic pii and pci blocking opt-in or out opt-out, with a floor you can't lower opt-out cost at 100k sessions componentised — see note quoted — not published eu hosting yes — datadoghq.eu, frankfurt unverified free tier trial only none
switch for regulated enterprises that need a privacy guarantee stronger than a vendor's promise to mask.
pros
+ customer-held encryption key — vendor cannot decrypt pii + blocks health data, card details, cvv, passwords and otps automatically + admin review ui for flagged pii and false positives + built for regulated industries rather than retrofitted cons
− no public pricing, no free tier, no trial − retention and data residency undocumented − consent integration unverified − sales-led only — no way to evaluate without a contract conversation 5
Sentry Session Replay #6 in session replay tools · masks all text and all inputs by default, with an eu region available even on the free plan.
76 /100 verdict correct defaults and eu hosting on every plan, let down by pricing we could not verify from the vendor.
Sentry Session Replay vs Datadog RUM
Datadog RUM Sentry Session Replay price ~$2.50 per 1,000 replayed sessions ~$300–350/mo at 100k replays free tier no yes masking default `mask` — strictest level all text and all inputs opt-in or out opt-out, with a floor you can't lower opt-out cost at 100k sessions componentised — see note ~$300–350 (approximate) eu hosting yes — datadoghq.eu, frankfurt yes — all plans, frankfurt free tier trial only 50 replays/mo
switch for engineering teams already using sentry for errors who want the replay attached to the exception.
pros
+ `maskAllText` and `maskAllInputs` both true by default + eu region in frankfurt on every plan, including free + replays automatically linked to the triggering error + 5,000 free replays a month for the first three months cons
− per-replay overage rate not confirmable on sentry's own page − self-hosted server licence unverified — likely bsl, not open source − 30-day retention on free, fixed at ingestion time − consent integration undocumented 6
Hotjar #7 in session replay tools · suppresses typed input by default and auto-detects names, addresses and card numbers — but no longer exists as its own product.
74 /100 verdict genuinely good privacy defaults on a product that is being dissolved into its acquirer.
Hotjar vs Datadog RUM
Datadog RUM Hotjar price ~$2.50 per 1,000 replayed sessions free to 200k sessions/mo free tier no yes masking default `mask` — strictest level input suppressed; sensitive fields detected opt-in or out opt-out, with a floor you can't lower opt-out cost at 100k sessions componentised — see note $0 — inside contentsquare free tier eu hosting yes — datadoghq.eu, frankfurt yes — ireland, aws eu-west-1 free tier trial only 200,000 sessions/mo via contentsquare
switch for marketing and ux teams who want heatmaps plus recordings and don't mind buying contentsquare to get them.
pros
+ input suppressed by default, not on request + auto-detects names, addresses, phones, passwords and card numbers + suppresses digit sequences by default without extra configuration + eu storage in ireland, confirmed location cons
− no longer a standalone product — folded into contentsquare − pricing page redirects; you evaluate the acquirer's plans − retention period unverified − consent-gating default unverified 7
Highlight.io #8 in session replay tools · regex-matches emails, ssns, card numbers, addresses and ips anywhere on the page, not just in form fields.
72 /100 verdict the widest automatic pii detection of the open-source options, with no published rate at the volume this page compares.
Highlight.io vs Datadog RUM
Datadog RUM Highlight.io price ~$2.50 per 1,000 replayed sessions $50/mo for 500 sessions free tier no yes masking default `mask` — strictest level all inputs plus regex pii in page text opt-in or out opt-out, with a floor you can't lower opt-out cost at 100k sessions componentised — see note estimator only — not published eu hosting yes — datadoghq.eu, frankfurt self-hosted only free tier trial only 500 sessions/mo
switch for teams who want pii caught wherever it appears on the page, including rendered text.
pros
+ regex pii detection covers emails, ssns, cards, phones, addresses and ips + catches pii in rendered page text, not only in inputs + apache 2.0 across most of the codebase + free forever at 500 sessions with up to 15 seats cons
− no published rate at 100k sessions — estimator or sales only − base paid tier covers only 500 sessions − no confirmed eu-hosted region; self-host for residency − consent integration undocumented 8
Glassbox #9 in session replay tools · whitelist model — inputs are blocked until you allow them, sold entirely through sales.
70 /100 verdict the right default model for regulated industries, described almost entirely by people who aren't glassbox.
Glassbox vs Datadog RUM
Datadog RUM Glassbox price ~$2.50 per 1,000 replayed sessions quoted free tier no no masking default `mask` — strictest level whitelist — all inputs blocked opt-in or out opt-out, with a floor you can't lower opt-out cost at 100k sessions componentised — see note quoted — not published eu hosting yes — datadoghq.eu, frankfurt unverified free tier trial only none
switch for banks, insurers and healthcare providers who need iso 27701 certification on the vendor as well as the product.
pros
+ whitelist model — inputs blocked until explicitly allowed + iso 27701 certified privacy management + client-side and server-side masking across web and mobile + built for hipaa, glba and pci environments cons
− no public pricing whatsoever and no free trial − masking behaviour confirmed only through secondary sources − retention, residency and consent all undocumented − circulating cost estimates are unverifiable 9
FullStory #10 in session replay tools · form privacy masks inputs, textareas and selects on every account by default; radio and checkbox aren't captured at all.
68 /100 verdict sensible masking defaults and a generous free tier, attached to pricing you cannot see until you ask.
FullStory vs Datadog RUM
Datadog RUM FullStory price ~$2.50 per 1,000 replayed sessions free to 30k sessions/mo free tier no yes masking default `mask` — strictest level input, textarea, select, contenteditable opt-in or out opt-out, with a floor you can't lower opt-out cost at 100k sessions componentised — see note quoted — not published eu hosting yes — datadoghq.eu, frankfurt unverified free tier trial only 30,000 sessions/mo
switch for product teams who want replay and analytics together and are prepared to talk to sales for real volume.
pros
+ form privacy on by default across all accounts + radio and checkbox elements not captured at all + 30,000 free sessions a month with 12-month retention + replay and product analytics in one product cons
− no published pricing above the free tier − eu data residency not confirmed anywhere on the site − masking scope for custom input components needs manual verification − consent integration and vendor data use both unverified 10
Mouseflow #11 in session replay tools · the clearest published price in the category — $319 a month lands exactly on 100,000 sessions.
66 /100 verdict honest, legible pricing and adequate masking, with the compliance documentation left blank.
Mouseflow vs Datadog RUM
Datadog RUM Mouseflow price ~$2.50 per 1,000 replayed sessions $319/mo at 100k sessions free tier no yes masking default `mask` — strictest level password, card and cvv fields opt-in or out opt-out, with a floor you can't lower opt-out cost at 100k sessions componentised — see note $319 eu hosting yes — datadoghq.eu, frankfurt unverified free tier trial only 500 sessions/mo
switch for teams who want to know exactly what they will pay before they install anything.
pros
+ published rate card with session volumes — $319 at exactly 100k + password, card number and cvv masked automatically + visual privacy tool needs no developer + 14-day full-feature trial with no card cons
− retention is fixed by tier, not configurable − no data residency information published − no consent-management integration documented − 12-month retention requires the $319 plan regardless of traffic + 3 more tested, not detailed here
we ranked 14 session replay tools in total. the 3 that didn't make this page are written up in the full ranking →
how these were compared every tool on this page went through the same test as Datadog RUM — same tasks, same order, scored the same way. the comparison tables are the figures from that testing, not vendor spec sheets.
the session replay tools test in full → was this useful?
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Microsoft Clarity alternatives Contentsquare alternatives PostHog alternatives Quantum Metric alternatives Sentry Session Replay alternatives Hotjar alternatives