UXCAM VS SMARTLOOK
The Smartlook alternative for product teams
Cisco bought Smartlook. Innovation stopped. 18+ months without meaningful updates.
UXCam delivers unified mobile + web analytics with AI insights, automatic tracking, and regular product updates. One platform. One subscription. Complete visibility.
4.8/5 Gartner rating
Flexible data centers
Built for performance
Trusted by brands worldwide
FOR AI-POWERED ANALYTICS
UXCam is built for teams who need AI to find issues and provide action steps automatically. Tara analyzes sessions, events track themselves, and insights surface in minutes instead of hours.
UXCAM IS BETTER FOR:
- Automatic event tracking (no instrumentation)
- Modern frameworks (React Native New Arch, Flutter, SwiftUI and more)
- Teams who need continuous innovation
FOR MANUAL ANALYSIS
If you focus mainly on web products, Smartlook is a web-first analytics tool, but with limited updates across both web and mobile since the Cisco acquisition, it’s not enough for app-focused teams.
SMARTLOOK IS BETTER FOR:
- Basic web analytics
- Teams okay with mobile SDKs frozen since Q1 2024
- Simple projects with static tech stacks
Leader in product analytics
4.6
4.8
4.6
COMPARISON
Platform
coverage
Setup time
Session
recording
Heatmaps
Usability
Issue Detection
AI Assistant
User Flow /
Journey Analysis
Funnels
& Conversion
Cohort
& Retention
User Feedback
Polls
Alerts &
Anomaly Detection
Smart Events
& Auto Capture
Dashboards
& Reports
Mobile & Web
Native SDKs for all major mobile platforms + comprehensive web analytics.
15-30 minutes. Install SDK, data flows automatically. No event taxonomy planning needed. First insights available immediately.
Full mobile and web replay with gestures, screens, and UX context.
Taps, clicks, and scrolls on mobile and web.
Rage taps, dead interactions, and friction screens flagged automatically.
Tara AI analyzes sessions and surfaces actionable UX insights.
Detailed paths across screens, devices, and sessions.
Auto-built funnels with direct replay context.
Built-in retention dashboards and cohort analysis.
Analytics-focused, no surveys or polls.
Real-time alerts for product and UX issues.
Auto-captures gestures, screens, and key events.
Flexible dashboards and report library for each teams.
Web-First
Web-focused tool adapted for mobile. Mobile SDKs haven't been meaningfully updated since Q1 2024.
2-3 developer days. Requires event planning (4-8 hours), manual instrumentation (1-2 days), privacy config, testing. Weeks before complete insights.
Replay for web and apps, but mobile detail is more limited.
Strong for web, basic support for mobile.
Detects rage and error clicks, mainly web-focused.
No AI-driven product or UX insights.
Funnels and paths available, less granular for mobile.
Funnels supported, but limited replay linkage.
No dedicated retention or cohort reporting.
No built-in feedback collection.
No alerting or anomaly detection.
Auto event capture, more setup for depth.
Dashboards available, more focused on usage monitoring.
Integrate with multiple platforms
UXCAM OVERVIEW
Frequently asked questions
FAQ
I’m a product manager—should I pick Smartlook over UXCam?
Smartlook can work for basic replay + heatmaps. But if you’re running a modern mobile app and need reliable SDK coverage plus product analytics depth (funnels, cohorts/retention, crash context), UXCam is the better choice.
What’s the biggest product difference between UXCam and Smartlook?
UXCam is built as product analytics + UX diagnostics in one workflow. Smartlook is closer to replay/behavior tracking, and teams often need extra tooling for deeper product analysis and mobile debugging.
Does Smartlook support mobile apps?
Yes. But Smartlook’s published mobile SDK release notes show several platform pages with updates dated years ago, which can be a risk if your app depends on frequent SDK updates for new OS/platform changes.
Why does SDK “freshness” matter for mobile teams?
Mobile platforms change constantly (iOS/Android updates, React Native architecture shifts, build tooling). If a replay SDK or wrapper lags, you can see missed gestures, incomplete screens, or integration friction.
Are Smartlook’s iOS requirements up to date?
Their iOS demo repo lists iOS 14.0 and Xcode 12.4 as minimum requirements.
Even if the SDK works on newer Xcode, outdated implementation guidance can slow down modern teams.
Is Smartlook “now part of Cisco” relevant to product teams?
Cisco states Smartlook expands AppDynamics/FSO digital experience monitoring (session replay + heatmaps).
For some product teams, that can mean priorities lean more toward digital experience monitoring than product analytics depth.
When does Smartlook still make sense?
If you’re web-first and want basic replay + heatmaps with lighter analytics needs, Smartlook can be sufficient. If you need deep mobile UX diagnostics + product analytics together, UXCam is the better fit.
