{"site":{"name":"Koji","description":"AI-native customer research platform that helps teams conduct, analyze, and synthesize customer interviews at scale.","url":"https://www.koji.so","contentTypes":["blog","documentation"],"lastUpdated":"2026-09-25T17:47:02.213Z"},"content":[{"type":"blog","id":"8db9fc03-2417-4008-a353-cd9f63cbd428","slug":"smartlook-alternatives-2026","title":"8 Best Smartlook Alternatives in 2026 (The Renewal Window Already Closed)","url":"https://www.koji.so/blog/smartlook-alternatives-2026","summary":"Cisco has issued an end-of-sale and end-of-life notice for Smartlook: end-of-sale 31 May 2026, last renewal date 31 August 2026, last date of support 31 August 2027, platform decommissioned 30 September 2027 with data deleted. The official successor, Splunk Observability Cloud RUM+DXA, does not roll over subscriptions or migrate historical data, counts sessions against two allowances, and returns HTTP 429 at the monthly cap. Because no path preserves history, switching costs are equal across all options. Eight alternatives compared: Koji, Microsoft Clarity, Mouseflow, Hotjar, FullStory, LogRocket, Splunk DXA and Glassbox.","content":"## The short answer\n\nIf you are researching Smartlook alternatives in 2026, the decision has largely been made for you. Cisco has published an end-of-sale and end-of-life notice for the product, and two of the four milestones are already behind us.\n\nThe dates, quoted from Cisco's own end-of-life bulletin for \"Cisco Smartlook.com\":\n\n| Milestone | Cisco's definition | Date |\n|---|---|---|\n| End-of-Life Announcement | \"The date the document that announces the end-of-sale and end-of-life of a product is distributed to the general public.\" | March 31, 2026 |\n| End-of-Sale | \"The last date to order the product through Cisco point-of-sale mechanisms.\" | May 31, 2026 |\n| End of Change/Renewal (Subscription) | \"The last date to Renew or Add to an existing subscription.\" | August 31, 2026 |\n| Last Date of Support (Subscription) | \"The last date to receive applicable subscription entitlements, service and support for the product as entitled by active subscriptions and service contracts\" | August 31, 2027 |\n\nSmartlook's own site adds a fourth date beyond support: \"30 September 2027 - Platform Decommissioned: The Smartlook platform will be deactivated; all remaining customer data will be securely deleted.\"\n\nSo as of today you cannot buy Smartlook, and if you are already a customer you can no longer renew or expand your subscription either. The remaining questions are where you go next and, more urgently, whether you get your data out in time.\n\nThe recommended migration is \"Splunk Observability Cloud - RUM+DXA\". Before you take it by default, there are two sentences from the vendors' own documentation you should read, because together they remove most of the reason to prefer the official path.\n\n## The continuity that is not there\n\nThe usual argument for following a vendor's migration path is continuity. You keep your history, your dashboards carry over, and the switching cost is lower than starting fresh somewhere else.\n\nNeither half of that holds here.\n\nOn the subscription, Smartlook states plainly: \"Your current Smartlook subscription will not be automatically transitioned.\" There is no rollover. Moving to Splunk Digital Experience Analytics is a new purchase, negotiated from scratch, in a different product family with a different pricing model.\n\nOn the data, Smartlook is equally direct: \"Splunk will not be migrating any historical data from the Smartlook platform to Digital Experience Analytics.\" You can export it yourself through the Smartlook APIs before the deadline, but nothing carries across automatically, and what you export lands as files rather than as a populated successor account.\n\nThis matters more than it first appears. The single biggest cost of switching analytics tools is normally the loss of your historical baseline, the thing that lets you say this quarter is worse than last. Here you lose that baseline no matter which direction you go. The official path does not preserve it. That makes your switching cost to Splunk roughly the same as your switching cost to any other tool on this list, which means you should evaluate the whole market rather than accepting the upgrade because it is labelled the upgrade.\n\nPut practically: you are a free agent, whether or not you wanted to be.\n\n## What the official successor actually meters\n\nIf you are still considering Splunk DXA, two details from Splunk's own documentation are worth knowing before the first call with a sales team.\n\nThe first concerns how sessions are counted. Splunk's RUM system limits documentation states: \"For organizations with DXA, RUM sessions count toward both monthly allowances.\" A single user session is therefore measured against two separate entitlements at once. The documentation does add a mitigating clarification, which is only fair to quote as well: \"The DXA allowance does not independently block RUM ingestion.\" So exhausting your DXA allowance will not stop your RUM data flowing. But the counting itself is genuinely double, and anyone modelling cost from a single session figure will get the wrong answer.\n\nThe second concerns what happens at the ceiling: \"Existing sessions continue, but new sessions receive HTTP 429 after the organization's monthly limit is reached.\" That is a hard stop, not an overage bill. Sessions already running finish; new ones are simply refused. It is the same failure mode found in [Mouseflow](/blog/mouseflow-alternatives-2026), and it has the same consequence, which is that the data you lose is always the data from your busiest period rather than a random sample.\n\nOn retention, the base SKUs are labelled \"RUM 8-day\" and \"RUM 30-day\" for sessions and spans, with the DXA add-on extending session and DXA span retention to \"13 months\". Sessions themselves are bounded at a \"Max session duration\" of \"4 hours\" with a \"Max inactive time in session\" of \"15 minutes\".\n\nPublished per-session pricing is harder to pin down. Third-party sources put RUM at roughly 14 per 10,000 sessions, which works out near 0.0014 a session, but that figure is not first-party and DXA is sold as an add-on on top of it rather than as a standalone line. Treat any single number you see quoted for DXA as an estimate until Splunk quotes you directly.\n\n## The 8 best Smartlook alternatives in 2026\n\n**1. Koji, the best choice if you want answers rather than more recordings.** Since your historical baseline is being deleted anyway, this is an unusually good moment to ask whether more session replay is what you actually needed. Smartlook told you where users clicked and where they stalled. It never told you why any of it happened, because intent does not appear in a screen recording. Koji is an AI-native customer research platform that runs AI-moderated voice and text interviews at the scale analytics operates at. The AI follows up on vague answers in real time the way a skilled researcher would, with no scheduling, no moderator bias and no transcript coding. Thematic analysis is automatic, so a few hundred conversations produce ranked themes with supporting quotes rather than a queue of videos. Alongside open conversation it supports six structured question types (open_ended, scale, single_choice, multiple_choice, ranking and yes_no), so a single study can quantify which problem is biggest and capture the explanation in the customer's own words. Pricing is published and credit-based: Insights at EUR 29 a month, Interviews at EUR 79 a month, with text interviews at 1 credit, voice at 3 and a report refresh at 5. Best for teams who are tired of watching recordings and guessing.\n\n**2. Microsoft Clarity, the best free landing spot.** If Smartlook's free or entry tier was doing the job, Clarity replaces it at no cost, with unlimited traffic, heatmaps, recordings and rage-click detection. It is the fastest way to stop the gap while you decide on something more permanent. The tradeoffs are shallower analysis and giving behavioural data to an advertising company. See [Koji vs Microsoft Clarity](/blog/koji-vs-microsoft-clarity-2026).\n\n**3. Mouseflow, the closest like-for-like replacement.** Of the paid tools here, Mouseflow is the nearest match to what Smartlook was: a mid-market replay and heatmap tool with a published self-serve ladder, starting at 25 a month for 5,000 sessions and including unlimited users on every paid tier. Be aware it also stops recording at the session cap rather than billing overages. Full detail in [our Mouseflow alternatives guide](/blog/mouseflow-alternatives-2026).\n\n**4. Hotjar, the best-known heatmap and survey combination.** Now part of Contentsquare, with the former single bundle split into separately billed products. Read [Hotjar pricing in 2026](/blog/hotjar-pricing-2026) before budgeting, and [the alternatives list](/blog/hotjar-alternatives-2026) if the new shape does not suit you.\n\n**5. FullStory, for retroactive session search.** A generous free tier at 30,000 sessions a month with 12 months of retention, and strong search across past sessions. No paid price is published anywhere on its site. See [our FullStory alternatives guide](/blog/fullstory-alternatives-2026).\n\n**6. LogRocket, if engineering owns the tool.** Replay joined to console logs, network requests and error stacks. More a debugging product than a research one, and the tier names circulating on comparison sites are out of date; [our LogRocket guide](/blog/logrocket-alternatives-2026) prices it from the live calculator.\n\n**7. Splunk Digital Experience Analytics, the official path.** The natural choice if you are already inside Splunk Observability Cloud, where DXA slots alongside RUM and your telemetry sits in one place. Outside that context the case is weaker: no subscription rollover, no historical data migration, double-counted sessions against two allowances, and an HTTP 429 hard stop at the monthly limit.\n\n**8. Glassbox, for regulated industries.** Full-session capture with strong compliance credentials, priced at the enterprise end. Its own site publishes no rates, though a marketplace listing puts the entry contract at 50,000 a year. See [the Glassbox alternatives guide](/blog/glassbox-alternatives-2026).\n\n## Smartlook vs the alternatives at a glance\n\n| Tool | Entry price | Still purchasable | Keeps your Smartlook history | Tells you why |\n|---|---|---|---|---|\n| Koji | EUR 29/mo | Yes | No tool can | Yes |\n| Smartlook | Not available | No, end of sale | Deleted 30 Sept 2027 | No |\n| Microsoft Clarity | Free | Yes | No | No |\n| Mouseflow | 25/mo | Yes | No | No |\n| Hotjar | Billed as separate products | Yes | No | Partly |\n| FullStory | Not published | Yes | No | No |\n| LogRocket | From the calculator | Yes | No | No |\n| Splunk DXA | Quoted by Splunk | Yes | No, explicitly not migrated | No |\n| Glassbox | 50,000/yr listed | Yes | No | No |\n\n## How to choose, and what to do first\n\nBefore you evaluate anything, export your data. That is the only genuinely time-critical item on this list. Your history is scheduled for deletion on 30 September 2027, nothing migrates automatically, and the export runs through the Smartlook APIs, which means it needs developer time you will have to schedule rather than a button you click on your last day. Do it early, not in the final month.\n\nThen choose on the question you are actually trying to answer.\n\nIf you need to keep watching sessions, this is a straightforward like-for-like swap. Clarity if the budget is zero, Mouseflow if you want the closest equivalent with a published price, LogRocket if engineers are the primary users, Splunk DXA if you are already standardised on Splunk, Glassbox if you are in a regulated industry.\n\nIf what you actually needed was an explanation, the forced migration is a good moment to notice that no replay tool was ever going to supply one. Smartlook could show you that users abandoned a flow at step three. Whether they were confused, distracted, or comparing you against a competitor in another tab is not recoverable from the recording, and buying a more expensive recorder does not make it recoverable. That gap is what interview research closes. Our guides to [AI-moderated interviews](/docs/ai-moderated-interviews) and [AI interviews versus surveys](/docs/ai-interviews-vs-surveys) cover the method, and [avoiding bias in interviews](/docs/avoiding-bias-in-interviews) covers the pitfalls.\n\nThe pragmatic answer for most teams is Clarity for the behavioural layer, since it is free and adequate, plus a research tool for the part that was always missing. That combination frequently costs less than the Smartlook subscription it replaces and answers a question Smartlook never could.\n\n## Frequently asked questions\n\n### Is Smartlook shutting down?\n\nYes. Cisco has published an end-of-sale and end-of-life notice for Cisco Smartlook.com. End-of-sale was 31 May 2026, the last date to renew or add to a subscription was 31 August 2026, the last date of support for subscriptions is 31 August 2027, and Smartlook states the platform will be decommissioned on 30 September 2027, at which point remaining customer data will be deleted.\n\n### Can I still buy or renew Smartlook in 2026?\n\nNo, on both counts. The end-of-sale date of 31 May 2026 closed new purchases, and the end of change and renewal date of 31 August 2026 closed renewals and expansions for existing subscriptions. Existing customers can use the service until their paid plan ends, and Smartlook says the free plan remains available until 30 September 2027.\n\n### What happens to my Smartlook data?\n\nIt is deleted when the platform is decommissioned on 30 September 2027, and it does not move to the successor product. Smartlook states that \"Splunk will not be migrating any historical data from the Smartlook platform to Digital Experience Analytics.\" You need to export it yourself through the Smartlook APIs before the deadline, which requires developer time, so schedule it well in advance.\n\n### Is Splunk Digital Experience Analytics a drop-in replacement for Smartlook?\n\nNot a drop-in one. Smartlook states that \"Your current Smartlook subscription will not be automatically transitioned,\" so it is a fresh purchase, and no historical data carries over. Splunk's documentation also notes that \"For organizations with DXA, RUM sessions count toward both monthly allowances,\" and that new sessions receive an HTTP 429 once the monthly limit is reached. It is a strong option if you already run Splunk Observability Cloud, and a weaker one if you do not.\n\n### What is the best Smartlook alternative for a small team?\n\nMicrosoft Clarity if you want free, since it covers heatmaps, recordings and rage-click detection with no traffic limit. Mouseflow if you want the closest paid equivalent with a published ladder, starting at 25 a month for 5,000 sessions with unlimited users. Many small teams pair one of those with a dedicated research tool rather than paying for a single more expensive platform.\n\n### How does Koji differ from Smartlook?\n\nThey answer different questions. Smartlook recorded what people did on your site. Koji asks people why they did it, through AI-moderated voice and text interviews that follow up in real time, then produces thematic analysis automatically. Because your Smartlook history is being deleted regardless, the usual continuity argument for staying inside the replay category does not apply, which makes this a natural moment to add the explanatory layer that replay never provided.\n\n## Your history is going away regardless. Choose deliberately.\n\nForced migrations are painful, but they do come with one advantage: they suspend the inertia that normally decides these things. Because no path preserves your Smartlook data, every option now starts from the same place, which means you can pick the tool that answers your real question instead of the one that is easiest to roll into.\n\nFor most teams that question was never \"what did the user click.\" It was \"why did they leave.\" Koji answers it directly: AI-moderated interviews launched in minutes, real follow-up questions, automatic thematic analysis, and ranked findings with supporting quotes. No research background required, no moderator bias, no session ceiling that stops collecting mid-month.\n\nFrom question to insight in hours, not weeks. [Start with Koji free](https://www.koji.so) while you plan your export.","category":"Customer Research","lastModified":"2026-09-25T03:31:13.174864+00:00","metaTitle":"8 Best Smartlook Alternatives in 2026, Compared","metaDescription":"Smartlook is end of sale and the renewal window has closed. Here are 8 alternatives in 2026, plus what happens to your data.","keywords":["smartlook alternatives","smartlook competitors","smartlook end of life","smartlook shutting down","session replay alternatives","splunk digital experience analytics"],"aiSummary":"Cisco has issued an end-of-sale and end-of-life notice for Smartlook: end-of-sale 31 May 2026, last renewal date 31 August 2026, last date of support 31 August 2027, platform decommissioned 30 September 2027 with data deleted. The official successor, Splunk Observability Cloud RUM+DXA, does not roll over subscriptions or migrate historical data, counts sessions against two allowances, and returns HTTP 429 at the monthly cap. Because no path preserves history, switching costs are equal across all options. Eight alternatives compared: Koji, Microsoft Clarity, Mouseflow, Hotjar, FullStory, LogRocket, Splunk DXA and Glassbox.","aiKeywords":["smartlook","end of life","session replay","splunk dxa","cisco","customer research","AI interviews","Koji"],"aiContentType":"comparison","faqItems":[{"answer":"Yes. Cisco has published an end-of-sale and end-of-life notice for Cisco Smartlook.com. End-of-sale was 31 May 2026, the last date to renew or add to a subscription was 31 August 2026, the last date of support for subscriptions is 31 August 2027, and Smartlook states the platform will be decommissioned on 30 September 2027, at which point remaining customer data will be deleted.","question":"Is Smartlook shutting down?"},{"answer":"No, on both counts. The end-of-sale date of 31 May 2026 closed new purchases, and the end of change and renewal date of 31 August 2026 closed renewals and expansions for existing subscriptions. Existing customers can use the service until their paid plan ends, and Smartlook says the free plan remains available until 30 September 2027.","question":"Can I still buy or renew Smartlook in 2026?"},{"answer":"It is deleted when the platform is decommissioned on 30 September 2027, and it does not move to the successor product. Smartlook states that \"Splunk will not be migrating any historical data from the Smartlook platform to Digital Experience Analytics.\" You need to export it yourself through the Smartlook APIs before the deadline, which requires developer time, so schedule it well in advance.","question":"What happens to my Smartlook data?"},{"answer":"Not a drop-in one. Smartlook states that \"Your current Smartlook subscription will not be automatically transitioned,\" so it is a fresh purchase, and no historical data carries over. Splunk's documentation also notes that \"For organizations with DXA, RUM sessions count toward both monthly allowances,\" and that new sessions receive an HTTP 429 once the monthly limit is reached. It is a strong option if you already run Splunk Observability Cloud, and a weaker one if you do not.","question":"Is Splunk Digital Experience Analytics a drop-in replacement for Smartlook?"},{"answer":"Microsoft Clarity if you want free, since it covers heatmaps, recordings and rage-click detection with no traffic limit. Mouseflow if you want the closest paid equivalent with a published ladder, starting at 25 a month for 5,000 sessions with unlimited users. Many small teams pair one of those with a dedicated research tool rather than paying for a single more expensive platform.","question":"What is the best Smartlook alternative for a small team?"},{"answer":"They answer different questions. Smartlook recorded what people did on your site. Koji asks people why they did it, through AI-moderated voice and text interviews that follow up in real time, then produces thematic analysis automatically. Because your Smartlook history is being deleted regardless, the usual continuity argument for staying inside the replay category does not apply, which makes this a natural moment to add the explanatory layer that replay never provided.","question":"How does Koji differ from Smartlook?"}],"relatedTopics":["session replay","end of life migration","digital experience analytics","customer research"]}],"pagination":{"total":1,"returned":1,"offset":0}}