FullStory vs Google Analytics: What are the differences?

Key Differences between FullStory and Google Analytics

FullStory and Google Analytics are both powerful tools used for gathering data and insights about website visitors, but they differ in several key aspects.

1. Data Collection: FullStory records and captures every user interaction on a website, providing a detailed session replay of each visitor's journey. In contrast, Google Analytics primarily focuses on aggregated data and metrics, such as pageviews, sessions, and bounce rates. FullStory enables a deep dive into individual user interactions, while Google Analytics offers a broader view of overall website performance.

2. Session Replay: FullStory provides session replay functionality, allowing website owners to watch recordings of each visitor's session. This feature offers valuable insights into user behavior, helping to identify pain points, UX issues, and conversion roadblocks. Google Analytics, on the other hand, does not provide session replay functionality, focusing instead on data analysis and reporting.

3. Heatmaps and Clickmaps: FullStory offers heatmaps and clickmaps that visually represent where users click, scroll, or move their mouse on a website. These visual aids provide a comprehensive understanding of user engagement and behavior. Google Analytics does not provide this feature by default, although it can be achieved with some additional customization using Google Analytics Enhanced Ecommerce or third-party plugins.

4. Segmentation Capabilities: FullStory provides powerful segmentation capabilities, allowing users to create custom segments based on various filters, such as geography, device type, or interaction events. This segmentation helps analyze and understand user behavior within specific groups. While Google Analytics also offers segmentation, FullStory's capabilities are more robust and provide a granular view of user interactions.

5. Integration with Other Tools: FullStory integrates well with other tools and platforms, such as customer support software, marketing automation systems, and A/B testing platforms. This integration enables a more holistic view of user data and allows for cross-functional analysis. While Google Analytics supports integrations with various platforms, FullStory offers a more seamless and comprehensive integration experience.

In summary, FullStory and Google Analytics differ in terms of data collection, session replay capabilities, heatmaps and clickmaps, segmentation capabilities, and integration with other tools. FullStory offers a more detailed and individual-centric view of user behavior, enhancing the ability to identify and address user experience issues. On the other hand, Google Analytics provides aggregated data and broader performance metrics for analyzing website performance as a whole.