UXCam vs Smartlook: Which Enhances User Insights Better?

Setting The Tone : 

I have been writing blogs comparing various platforms like UserExperior, UXCam, Embrace, and many more for a while now. A common question I often receive is, "What's the significance of such comparisons?" This is an obvious question because, at a surface level, all these platforms serve the same purpose: providing user insights to businesses. 

Nevertheless, my answer remains the same: although all these platforms aim to serve the same purpose, the way they do it and the extent to which they succeed according to different business needs vary significantly. A platform may be good for small businesses or startups because of its pricing structure and another might be good for large businesses who need more features and can pay the corresponding amount to those features. 

Across the internet there are very few resources which actually help you to compare all such platforms side by side, sneaking into each of the features they provide and at what price. Hence such kinds of blogs act as a source which users can rely on to select the right tool as per their business needs. And hence, here is one more!

Who Should Hunt For Such Platforms?

We are seeing a sudden rise in web and mobile analytics platforms, especially platforms like Zipy, UXCam, Smartlook and some more. What is actually so compelling in these platforms that businesses are getting attracted to them. The answer lies in between those business leaders who are well aware of the great power these platforms have within them.

Imagine, you are owning an E-Commerce business. Everyday there are thousands of customers, maybe even millions? So it's obvious that when such a huge number of crowds will be using your platform simultaneously, there are going to be some issues, may be app crashes, app freeze or something unknown that a user might come across. Now how will you know that a user is facing any such issue? Obviously when that user will contact your support team and explain to them that they have an issue. But isn't it making you dependent on your users to know if they are facing some issues? Even if we ignore this fact, isn't it compelling you to give a significant amount of time trying to reproduce the issue?

Imagine a hypothetical world. Lets say you own a company. And your customer is facing some issue, let's say they faced an abrupt app crash. Now since they are just exploring your platform they don't feel it important enough to report you, as a result, your platform issue remains unresolved and it will surely hamper those customers who really want to make use of it. But in this hypothetical scenario you have a tool which sends you a notification the moment your app crashes…you get to know the exact steps the user followed to get to that issue. How easy would it be to hunt down and kill those bugs ? 

Now, what if I tell you, this happens in the real world too! Platforms like Zipy, UXCam, and Smartlook serve this purpose thoroughly.

So the answer is easy, if you don't want to rely on users to know what issues your platform has then tools like Zipy are the best tools that you can’t miss out on. If you want to hunt down a bug before it affects a large population pool of your customers…go for it!

The Roadmap : What We Will Explore ? 

Now that we, who have really gotten a glimpse of how powerful all these tools can be, are together, let's take a glimpse at what we will be covering in our journey through this blog.

Firstly, let’s build our roots in the ground for each of these platforms. In this section, we will briefly see an overview of each platform, including what purpose they serve, how they serve it, and other key details.

After that, we will hunt for some features in these tools. The whole purpose of this section is to explore the functionalities that are there provided by these tools, even though these features may be the same, they don’t necessarily work in the same way.

Next, as I always say, "transparent and user-friendly pricing" is a game changer when deciding which platform suits your business needs. By the end of this blog, you will know that all these platforms offer many similar features with a few distinct ones. If you're still confused about which one to choose at that point, pricing will be the deciding factor. The platform that provides more features at a significantly lower cost will be the winner.

Security is yet another crucial factor when deciding which tool to choose. You would never want the data collected from users for their benefit to end up in the wrong hands. Nor would you ever want to capture data that users don't want to share, such as passwords or credit card details. This is where security and privacy come into play. We will see how all these tools perform in terms of security.

Now, I personally think that, among all the user behavior tracking tools available on the web, Zipy is the best possible tool you can get. It guarantees all the important features in a single tool, with a user-friendly price and top-priority security. How did I come to this conclusion? You’ll realize it yourself as you go through this blog. So, in this section, I will be giving you my opinion on why I think Zipy is the best.

Finally, I will conclude the blog by handing over the power to you to decide for yourself which tool is best, which one suits your business needs, and which one you should go for. This will be a very informative yet interesting journey through all the platforms, so let’s dive right into it!

Building Our Roots : 

So as we planned this section will be dedicated to knowing each platform individually in brief. So let’s start with it.

UXCam : 

UXCam is a mobile app analytics platform designed to help businesses to track user behavior and improve their app experiences. It captures session recordings, allowing teams to replay user interactions and identify pain points. Its heatmaps highlight touch gestures, showing where users engage most or struggle. 

Funnel analytics help track user drop-offs in key app flows like onboarding or checkout. With event tracking, UXCam monitors specific user actions, helping teams optimize feature usage and engagement. It also offers crash and issue tracking, pinpointing technical problems affecting user experience. 

UXCam integrates seamlessly with third-party tools and prioritizes security with SOC 2 Type 2 compliance, ensuring user data is handled safely. Trusted by over 3,000 apps worldwide, it provides data-driven insights to enhance app usability, boost retention, and drive business growth.

Smartlook : 

‍Smartlook is like a digital detective for your app or website, giving you deep insights into how users behave. It's a tool that lets you replay real user sessions, so you can see exactly what they're doing – every tap, scroll, and click – which makes spotting and solving problems a whole lot easier. You can also track specific events, like when users sign up or click buttons, without having to write extra code each time. 

Its heatmaps are like X-rays, revealing where users are tapping the most, so you can see what's catching their eye and what's being overlooked. It even helps you analyze conversion funnels, so you can figure out where people are dropping off during crucial steps like checking out or signing up. And developers will love its crash reports and detailed logs. Smartlook works seamlessly with popular platforms like Android, iOS, React Native, Flutter, and Unity, and integrates with tools like Mixpanel, Intercom, and Slack. Plus, it takes privacy seriously, complying with regulations like GDPR and CCPA.

Zipy : 

Zipy is a modern digital experience monitoring tool built to help teams quickly understand and fix issues in web and mobile applications. It captures everything happening in real user sessions - including clicks, page views, errors, API calls, and console logs - so product managers, developers, and QA teams can spot exactly where users face problems. 

With Zipy, teams don’t just watch session replays - they get deep insights tied to real-time performance, errors, and user actions. It shows network failures, JavaScript issues, slow APIs, and even rage clicks, helping you resolve bugs faster and reduce user frustration. Zipy is pretty cool because it lets you keep tabs on custom events and funnels. This means you can see how users are navigating through your sign-up process, payments, or any other key steps. 

It plays nicely with popular tools like Slack, Jira, and Segment, so sharing feedback between teams is a breeze. Plus, Zipy takes data privacy seriously (it's GDPR-ready) and boasts enterprise-level features. Setting it up is a piece of cake, and it's designed to be simple and user-friendly for those fast-paced product and tech teams. 

Whether you're working on a SaaS product or an eCommerce site, Zipy helps you catch issues before they become a problem for users - essentially turning those confusing moments into clear insights and those pesky bugs into chances to grow.

Features Offered By These Tools

Even though UXCam, Smartlook and Zipy are built differently, they do offer a few common features. These features may look the same on paper, but how they actually work can be quite different. Let’s look at the main features both tools share - and how they compare in real life. 

Session Replay :

UXCam : 

UXCam shows you the full glimpse of how users interact with your app for both mobile and web. Whether someone is tapping a button on an iPhone or they are navigating through a screen on their desktop, UXCam records the entire session. You can see every gesture including taps, swipes, scrolls, and even how users move from one screen to another. One great thing about UXCam is that it automatically picks up the UI elements, so you don’t need to tag anything manually. Everything is synced with heatmaps, event analytics, and user flows, making it easy to spot where users are dropping off or getting confused. This is super helpful for mobile-first teams or product managers who want to improve the user experience without guessing.

Smartlook : 

Smartlook shows you what users are doing on your app or website by recording every session in real time. It tracks clicks, scrolls, taps, and mouse movements so you can replay the session exactly as it happened. Whether someone is using your web app or a mobile app, Smartlook helps you follow their journey and understand their behavior. You can also filter sessions by user actions, like button clicks or funnel steps, which makes it easy to find sessions that need your attention. It's especially useful when you're trying to figure out why users aren't converting or why they're abandoning a page. Smartlook helps teams take the guesswork out of UX decisions by showing the actual user experience.

Zipy : 

Unlike other tools that only show you what the user did, Zipy actually shows you what went wrong. While it records user sessions just like UXCam and Smartlook, Zipy goes a step further by revealing everything happening behind the scenes - console errors, API failures, slow network calls, and even JavaScript issues - right inside the replay. You don’t have to switch tools or chase logs anymore. If something breaks, you can see it instantly. Zipy also works smoothly across both web and mobile apps, and helps you quickly filter sessions with problems like rage clicks, crashes, slow loads, or blank screens. It’s the kind of tool that doesn’t just show you the problem - it helps you fix it faster. That’s what makes Zipy stand out for devs, testers, and support teams.

Heatmaps : 

UXCam : 

UXCam offers heatmaps specifically designed for mobile apps, and its approach is all about helping teams understand how users interact with each screen. When users tap around your app, UXCam tracks those interactions and visualizes them directly on the app’s interface. 

You can quickly spot areas that get the most engagement and areas users don’t interact with at all. What makes UXCam’s heatmaps especially helpful is that they automatically capture tap data without any need for manual tagging or setup. 

You can view heatmaps for every screen and compare them across different app versions to see how changes in layout or design affect user behavior. If a new version of a screen suddenly shows fewer taps on a CTA or more rage taps, UXCam helps you catch that right away. 

The heatmaps also tie into other UXCam features like session replays and screen flow, so you can look at interaction data in the broader context of the user journey. If you’re building a mobile-first product, UXCam gives you a reliable way to measure screen-level performance and usability.

Smartlook : 

Smartlook provides heatmaps for both websites and mobile apps, giving teams a broad view of how users behave across platforms. With Smartlook, you can generate click, move, and scroll heatmaps for individual pages or screens. These heatmaps help you see which parts of your website or app are grabbing user attention, and which ones are being ignored.

One of the key things Smartlook emphasizes is ease of use - heatmaps can be generated in just a few minutes and are automatically organized into a gallery that makes it easy to review and compare different screens. For mobile apps, Smartlook offers heatmaps for selected app fragments, which means you can break down the experience into smaller parts and study user interaction more closely. 

While Smartlook gives you a good visual overview of engagement patterns, it focuses more on where users interact, rather than why those interactions happen or fail. Still, for teams managing both web and app experiences, Smartlook offers a convenient way to collect and review user interaction data visually across multiple devices.

Zipy : 

Zipy’s heatmap tool is designed to help teams go deeper than just “where users clicked.” It shows how users behave on your website, but more importantly, where they experience frustration. On the heatmap, you don’t just see clicks - you also see rage clicks (when users repeatedly click out of frustration) and dead clicks (when users click and nothing responds). 

These patterns help teams spot confusing UI, broken elements, or misleading designs. What sets Zipy apart is its ability to link these heatmap insights with actual session recordings. So if you notice rage clicks on a CTA, you can immediately watch what the user was trying to do. This connection between visuals and real behavior helps product teams fix problems faster, without guesswork. As of now, Zipy's heatmaps are available for web applications.

Error Tracking : 

UXCam : 

UXCam offers an “Issue Analytics” feature that helps teams monitor, identify, and fix problems in mobile apps more efficiently. Instead of just tracking crashes, UXCam provides full context by combining session replays, logs, and alerting into one place. For example, if users are experiencing a crash or bug, product and QA teams can go back and replay that exact session to understand what the user was doing before the issue happened. 

You can also set up alerts for critical issues, so your team doesn’t miss anything important. What makes UXCam particularly helpful is that it connects behavioral data with technical issues - so instead of just knowing an error occurred, you get to see how it impacted the user experience. It's designed for mobile-first teams who want to reduce guesswork and quickly resolve real-world issues.

Smartlook : 

Smartlook helps web teams monitor errors in real-time by capturing JavaScript errors automatically. These errors are saved as predefined events, so developers can search for them directly inside session replays or filter by error type. 

What makes Smartlook’s approach effective is the built-in DevTools panel that works like your browser’s developer tools - showing you things like console logs, network requests, and even performance stats right in the session player. If you’re trying to debug a customer issue, you can watch the session, open the DevTools view, and see exactly what failed - whether it was a broken script or a slow network call. 

On top of that, Smartlook offers a Custom Error Logging API, so developers can track app-specific errors in more detail. It’s a solid fit for web teams who want quick visibility into client-side issues, without having to jump between tools.

Zipy :

Zipy takes error tracking to the next level by not just logging issues, but helping teams understand and fix them fast. It automatically captures frontend JavaScript errors and API failures in real time, complete with stack traces, console logs, and network activity. 

What sets Zipy apart is how deeply it connects this error data to real user sessions. You can instantly watch what the user did before the error occurred, see which API call failed, and trace it all the way to the root cause - without switching tools or writing custom logic. Zipy supports various frontend frameworks and provides many integrations. 

Whether you're a developer tracking down bugs or a QA tester trying to reproduce a tricky issue, Zipy gives you a complete view: what happened, why it happened, and how to fix it.

Crash Reporting : 

UXCam : 

Source

UXCam provides a comprehensive Crash and UI Freeze Analytics feature tailored for mobile applications. This tool enables development teams to effectively monitor, analyze, and resolve crashes and user interface freezes, enhancing the overall user experience. 

By accessing the "Crash types" section, teams can view a detailed list of crashes, including information such as the reason for the crash, number of occurrences, affected users, and the platform on which the crash occurred. Similarly, the "UI Freezes" section offers insights into various types of UI freezes, providing metrics like average and maximum freeze durations, which help identify performance bottlenecks. 

To get deeper into any issue, UXCam allows users to click on specific crashes or UI freezes to access logs, detailed statistics, and a list of sessions where the issue occurred. This facilitates a better understanding of how and why an issue happened, offering insights into replication steps for efficient debugging and resolution. 

Additionally, UXCam offers Slack Notifications (currently in beta), enabling teams to receive immediate alerts about technical issues, ensuring prompt responses to critical problems.

Smartlook : 

Smartlook enhances traditional crash analytics by integrating Crash Reports with session recordings for iOS and Android applications. This feature allows developers to see exactly what happened in the moments leading up to a crash, providing invaluable context that simplifies the debugging process. Each crash report is linked to a session recording, enabling developers to observe the exact sequence of user interactions preceding the crash, thereby eliminating the need for extensive QA documentation. 

The crash analytics component provides detailed stack traces, helping identify which app versions are prone to specific crashes and determining the users affected. Furthermore, Smartlook offers a crash resolution tracking feature, allowing teams to mark resolved crashes as addressed, enabling focus on current issues affecting users and avoiding revisiting previously fixed problems. 

By combining crash reporting with qualitative analytics features like session recordings, Smartlook provides a comprehensive toolset for diagnosing and fixing app crashes efficiently.

Zipy :

Zipy provides full crash reporting for mobile apps, built specifically for Flutter and React Native frameworks on both Android and iOS. What makes Zipy different is that it doesn’t just track crashes - it shows you what led to them. Every crash is tied to a mobile session replay, so instead of sifting through raw logs, you can literally watch what the user did before the crash occurred. On top of that, Zipy’s AI-powered engine called Oopsie identifies usability issues like UI glitches and freezes, and prioritizes them for your team. 

Zipy even integrates with Firebase/Crashlytics, so if you're already using Firebase for crash detection, you can plug in Zipy session links to replay and investigate those exact issues. With a one-click option to summarize errors and generate repro steps, Zipy takes a huge load off dev and QA teams. It's not just crash tracking - it’s real debugging, made faster and smarter.

Pricing : The Deciding Point!

UXCam : 

Smartlook :

Zipy :

Security : How These Tools Ensure Privacy And Security ?

Ensuring privacy and security of user’s data is paramount for analytics platforms like UXCam, Smartlook, and Zipy. Here's how each platform addresses these critical aspects:​

UXCam : 

• UXCam adheres to industry standards, holding certifications such as GDPR and SOC 1 & 2, demonstrating a strong commitment to data protection. 
• All data is encrypted at rest using the AES-256 encryption algorithm. Data transmission between user devices and UXCam's servers employs SSL encryption, ensuring end-to-end data security.
• UXCam provides functionalities to help clients comply with privacy regulations, including options to delete user data, discard IP addresses, provide users with copies of their data, block sensitive information, and implement opt-in and opt-out mechanisms. 
• The platform ensures that personally identifiable information (PII) is not collected, focusing on user interactions without compromising individual privacy.

Smartlook : 

• By default, Smartlook does not record sensitive data such as form inputs, IP addresses, on-page emails, and long numbers. Clients have the option to enable recording of such data explicitly via the Record API. Additionally, Smartlook offers a Privacy API for advanced control over data recording, allowing for customization of data masking and collection. 
• All data is encrypted at rest using the AES-256 algorithm. Data transmitted between user devices and Smartlook's servers is protected using SSL/TLS encryption, adhering to the latest security standards.
• Smartlook is SOC 2 Type II compliant, indicating adherence to stringent data security and privacy standards. The platform also complies with GDPR requirements, ensuring user data is handled responsibly.
• Smartlook provides mechanisms for user consent and offers opt-out options for individuals who do not wish to be recorded, supporting compliance with various privacy regulations.

Zipy : 

• Zipy ensures that sensitive data is masked during session recordings, preventing the capture of personally identifiable information (PII).​
• All data, both in transit and at rest, is encrypted using industry-standard protocols, safeguarding it from unauthorized access.
• Zipy aligns with global data protection regulations, including GDPR, ensuring that user data is collected and processed lawfully.
• The platform offers features that allow end-users to provide consent for data collection and offers options to opt out, giving users control over their data.

My Personal Opinion : 

After comparing all three tools - UXCam, Smartlook, and Zipy - I personally feel Zipy offers the best overall value, especially for product teams, developers, and QA folks who care about speed, clarity, and support. What stood out to me most was Zipy’s transparent and affordable pricing, which doesn’t hide key features behind complicated plans. 

Unlike others that lean more heavily toward either mobile or web, Zipy supports both platforms equally well, making it super flexible no matter what kind of app you’re building. The AI-powered features are another big plus - being able to get instant summaries of issues, auto-generated repro steps, and even AI-based suggestions to resolve problems really saves time. 

Add to that responsive customer support and smart integrations (like Firebase Crashlytics), and it’s clear that Zipy isn’t just another analytics tool - it’s built to actually help teams fix things faster and build better products. If you're tired of jumping between tools to figure out what's going wrong, Zipy really brings it all together.

Final Thoughts : 

I’ve walked you through every important detail - from session replays and heatmaps to error tracking, crash reporting, privacy, and even unique features. Each tool - UXCam, Smartlook, and Zipy - brings something different to the table. 

Now, as promised in the beginning, the choice is yours. Think about what your business really needs: Is it strong mobile analytics? Advanced debugging features? Or a mix of both with reliable support and fair pricing? Go with the one that fits your goals best. The right tool isn’t just the one with the most features - it’s the one that helps you solve problems faster and serve your users better.

Frequently Asked Questions: ‍

Which tool helps developers fix bugs faster, not just watch sessions?

Most tools show what the user did—but the real value comes when you can also see console errors, API failures, and JS issues inside the session replay. Tools like this help developers fix issues instantly without digging through logs.

Can I find rage clicks or dead clicks in heatmaps?

Standard heatmaps stop at showing clicks. But Zipy goes further by detecting rage clicks and dead clicks, helping teams identify frustrating UI elements that silently cause drop-offs.

Is there a tool that combines session replay with error tracking and logs?

Yes! Instead of using multiple tools, some platforms now offer replay + console + network logs + error stack traces all in one place. It’s a total time-saver for devs and QA.

How can I debug mobile crashes faster with full context?

With Zipy, every mobile crash is tied to a session replay, complete with logs and even AI-generated summaries and repro steps. It works with tools like Firebase too, making debugging smoother than ever.

Are there tools that work equally well for both web and mobile apps?

Some tools focus only on mobile or just the web. But a few, like Zipy, are built to support both platforms seamlessly, whether you're using React Native, Flutter, or traditional web stacks.