Grain vs Microsoft Clarity
Clarity is for teams who want free replay and are fine with Microsoft's ad ecosystem. Grain is for teams who want EU-hosted, independent analysis with an AI analyst.
A free tool from Microsoft that delivers replay and heatmaps. Good enough if you have the time to review sessions yourself.
EU-hosted, independent behavior intelligence with Kai proactively surfacing revenue leaks. No Microsoft ad integration.
They overlap on: Session replay, heatmaps, click/scroll maps, basic funnel insights.
Feature matrix
What each tool ships today. No roadmap wishes.
When Microsoft Clarity is the better choice
- Budget is zero and will stay zero.
- You're comfortable with Microsoft as a data processor.
- You have time to review sessions manually.
- You don't need mobile SDKs.
When Grain is the better choice
- You need EU-hosted, independent data processing.
- You want Kai to surface insights automatically, not watch every replay yourself.
- You need mobile SDKs and native WordPress tracking.
- You want support and a roadmap that isn't driven by an ad platform.
Run both, no commitment
Clarity and Grain scripts coexist. Many teams keep Clarity for volume replay and use Grain for AI-led insight. Email eray@grainql.com for a 90-day Growth-tier trial.
FAQ
No, not in the next 12 months. Self-hosting is available on enterprise tier.
No. No cross-site tracking, no fingerprinting, no third-party cookies.
Yes. CSV from every view, plus the Grain Connector (in development).