Heap
Semrush
| Feature | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free only | Free / from $139.95/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.3 / 5 | 4.6 / 5 |
| Best For | product-teams, growth-marketers, ux-researchers, saas-companies | digital-marketers, agencies, enterprise, ppc-managers |
| Founded | 2013 | 2008 |
| Auto Capture | ✓ | ✗ |
| Session Replay | ✓ | ✗ |
| Funnel Analysis | ✓ | ✗ |
| Retention Analysis | ✓ | ✗ |
| User Segments | ✓ | ✗ |
| Data Science | ✓ | ✗ |
| Integrations | ✓ | ✗ |
| Keyword Research | ✗ | ✓ |
| Site Audit | ✗ | ✓ |
| Rank Tracking | ✗ | ✓ |
| Competitor Analysis | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ppc Tools | ✗ | ✓ |
| Content Marketing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Social Media | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Heap Pros
- Auto-captures all user interactions without code
- Retroactive analysis (define events after the fact)
- Session replay integrated with analytics
- No engineering resources needed for tracking
✗ Heap Cons
- Pricing not transparent (sales-required for growth+)
- Can generate excessive data requiring cleanup
- UI can feel slower than event-based alternatives
✓ Semrush Pros
- Most comprehensive marketing toolkit
- Excellent PPC and advertising tools
- Content marketing platform included
- Social media management built-in
✗ Semrush Cons
- Very expensive for small businesses
- Interface can feel overwhelming
- Some data less accurate for non-US markets
The Verdict
Heap is built for product teams and growth marketers, with a focus on auto-capture and session-replay. Semrush targets digital marketers and agencies and leads with keyword-research and site-audit.
Heap uses custom enterprise pricing, while Semrush starts at $139.95/mo — a tangible advantage for teams with a fixed budget.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Bottom line: Semrush has a slight overall edge — but if auto-captures all user interactions without code matters most to you, Heap may still be the right call.