Head-to-head · Website Optimization Tools
Screaming Frog SEO Spider vs Microsoft Clarity
Screaming Frog SEO Spider 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 scoreScreaming Frog SEO Spider · 8.9/10
- Free planboth
- Most featuresScreaming Frog SEO Spider · 1 of 3
Screaming Frog SEO Spider scores higher on our rubric for website optimization tools: 8.9 against 8.7 out of 10; our editors rank them #4 and #6.
Screaming Frog SEO Spider is the better fit for technical SEO crawling and detailed site audits. Microsoft Clarity is the better fit for free heatmaps and visitor-session insights.
- Screaming Frog SEO Spider fits best
Technical SEO crawling and detailed site audits
- Microsoft Clarity fits best
Free heatmaps and visitor-session insights
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Side by side
| Feature | Screaming Frog SEO Spider 8.9/10 Visit ↗ | Microsoft Clarity 8.7/10 Visit ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Editor score | 8.9 | 8.7 |
| Ranking | #4 in Website Optimization Tools | #6 in Website Optimization Tools |
| Best for | Technical SEO crawling and detailed site audits | Free heatmaps and visitor-session insights |
| Pricing model | Free plan + paid | Free |
| Starting price | — | Free |
| Free plan | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Deployment | Desktop | Cloud, Mobile, Browser extension |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Web, iOS, Android, Chrome extension |
| Support | Email, Tickets, Phone, Docs | Email, Docs |
| Integrations | 10 integrations | 1 integrations |
| Built for | Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise | Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise |
| Features Screaming Frog SEO Spider 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 |
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| Cons |
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| Our verdict | Screaming Frog SEO Spider is a desktop crawler for technical SEO audits, suited to SEO professionals, agencies, and website owners who need to inspect site structure and page-level issues. It identifies broken links, errors, redirects,… 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 → |
Strengths and trade-offs
Screaming Frog SEO Spider — where it wins
- Finds broken links, redirects, errors, and metadata issues
- Audits JavaScript-rendered pages, hreflang, and structured data
- Compares crawls and connects with analytics and backlink tools
Where it doesn't
- Free crawls are limited to 500 URLs
- JavaScript rendering and saved crawls require a paid licence
- Does not provide keyword or rank tracking
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
- Screaming Frog SEO Spider8.9/10 · Free plan
A desktop crawler for detailed technical SEO audits, with a free 500-URL tier.
Visit Screaming FrogFull 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 →
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update