Heap
The Trade Desk
| Feature | Heap | The Trade Desk |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free only | Contact sales |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Rating | 4.3 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Best For | product-teams, growth-teams, ux-researchers, data-analysts | media-buyers, agencies, enterprise-advertisers, programmatic-teams |
| Founded | 2013 | 2009 |
| Auto Capture | ✓ | ✗ |
| Retroactive Analytics | ✓ | ✗ |
| Session Replay | ✓ | ✗ |
| Journey Mapping | ✓ | ✗ |
| Funnels | ✓ | ✗ |
| Retention | ✓ | ✗ |
| Programmatic Buying | ✗ | ✓ |
| Connected Tv | ✗ | ✓ |
| Audio Ads | ✗ | ✓ |
| Data Marketplace | ✗ | ✓ |
| Attribution | ✗ | ✓ |
| Identity Graph | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Heap Pros
- Auto-capture all events
- No code required for tracking
- Retroactive analysis possible
- Session replay included
✗ Heap Cons
- Expensive at scale
- Can be data-overwhelming
- Slower than event-based tools
✓ The Trade Desk Pros
- Best-in-class DSP technology
- Excellent CTV capabilities
- Strong data marketplace
- Transparent pricing
✗ The Trade Desk Cons
- Enterprise minimum spend
- Requires programmatic expertise
- Complex for beginners
The Verdict
Heap is built for product teams and growth teams, with a focus on auto-capture and retroactive-analytics. The Trade Desk targets media buyers and agencies and leads with programmatic-buying and connected-tv.
Both tools use custom enterprise pricing — you'll need to contact sales for a quote, which makes direct cost comparison difficult.
Heap has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. The Trade Desk requires a paid subscription from day one.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.