Suggestions appear as you type. Use the up and down arrows to choose one and Enter to open it.

This page's audience our own tag's counts — open to see them
–Visits
–Page views
–Clicks to vendors
–Time on page
–Reading now
Clicks to vendors, by tool
  • –
Top countries
  • –
Devices
  • –

– · visits, page views and clicks counted by our own tag, which counts more than our checked analytics; every figure rounded down · how we count

Head-to-head · Website Optimization Tools

Google Search Console vs Microsoft Clarity

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 2 checks side by side
Higher score Google Search Console #3 in Website Optimization Tools 9.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 3 features Visit site
Microsoft Clarity #6 in Website Optimization Tools 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 3 features Visit site

Google Search Console leads on 0 checks, Microsoft Clarity on 0, and 2 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 2 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreGoogle Search Console · 9.0/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresGoogle Search Console · 1 of 3

Google Search Console scores higher on our rubric for website optimization tools: 9.0 against 8.7 out of 10; our editors rank them #3 and #6.

Google Search Console is the better fit for free search visibility and site-health monitoring. Microsoft Clarity is the better fit for free heatmaps and visitor-session insights.

  • Google Search Console fits best

    Free search visibility and site-health monitoring

  • Microsoft Clarity fits best

    Free heatmaps and visitor-session insights

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Google Search Console 9.0/10 Visit ↗ Microsoft Clarity 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.0 8.7
Ranking #3 in Website Optimization Tools #6 in Website Optimization Tools
Best for Free search visibility and site-health monitoring Free heatmaps and visitor-session insights
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Free plan Free
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud Cloud, Mobile, Browser extension
Platforms Web Web, iOS, Android, Chrome extension
Support Docs, Community Email, Docs
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Google Search Console 1/3 · Microsoft Clarity 0/3
Site audit ✓ (best) Not checked yet
A/B testing Not checked yet Not checked yet
Page speed monitoring Not checked yet Not checked yet
Specs
Optimization focus Not checked yet Not checked yet
Tracked sites Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Reports clicks, impressions, queries, pages, countries, devices, and position
  • Combines indexing diagnostics, URL inspection, and site-issue email alerts
  • Includes Core Web Vitals reports and an API for Search Console data
  • Combines session recordings with click, scroll, area, and conversion heatmaps
  • Offers rage-click and dead-click insights plus 40+ segmentation filters
  • Supports mobile analytics and Google Analytics integration
Cons
  • Reports Google Search performance, not competitor-research data
  • Not a conventional third-party rank tracker with a tracked-keyword quota
  • Support channels are documentation and community
  • Focuses on behavior analytics rather than technical or search optimization
  • Standard playback retention is 30 days
  • Mobile analytics requires SDKs for Android or iOS
Our verdict

Website owners, SEO specialists, marketers, administrators, and developers can use Google Search Console to monitor a property's performance in Google Search and investigate site health. The browser-based service is free and covers search…

Read the review →

Microsoft Clarity is a free behavior analytics product for websites and mobile apps. It is aimed at people who want to understand how visitors navigate, click, scroll, and interact, rather than teams looking for technical or search…

Read the review →
  1. Google Search ConsoleWebsite Optimization Tools 9.0Free plan
  2. Microsoft ClarityWebsite Optimization Tools 8.7Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Google Search Console — where it wins

    • Reports clicks, impressions, queries, pages, countries, devices, and position
    • Combines indexing diagnostics, URL inspection, and site-issue email alerts
    • Includes Core Web Vitals reports and an API for Search Console data

    Where it doesn't

    • Reports Google Search performance, not competitor-research data
    • Not a conventional third-party rank tracker with a tracked-keyword quota
    • Support channels are documentation and community

  • Microsoft Clarity — where it wins

    • Combines session recordings with click, scroll, area, and conversion heatmaps
    • Offers rage-click and dead-click insights plus 40+ segmentation filters
    • Supports mobile analytics and Google Analytics integration

    Where it doesn't

    • Focuses on behavior analytics rather than technical or search optimization
    • Standard playback retention is 30 days
    • Mobile analytics requires SDKs for Android or iOS
  • Google Search Console9.0/10 · Free plan

    Free search reporting and site-health diagnostics for verified website properties.

    Visit siteFull verdict →
  • Microsoft Clarity8.7/10 · Free plan

    A free way to explore website and app behavior through recordings, heatmaps, and AI insights.

    Visit siteFull verdict →

More comparisons

All website optimization tools comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update