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Smartlook VS Google Tag Manager

Compare Smartlook VS Google Tag Manager and see what are their differences

LiveSession
LiveSession helps you analyze users’ behavior, improve UX, find JS bugs, and increase conversion rates using session replays, and event-based product analytics. featured
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Smartlook logo Smartlook

Qualitative analytics for websites and mobile apps Start understanding the 'whys' of your users' behaviors with clear, visual insights. With session recordings and event tracking, you get the complete picture.

Google Tag Manager logo Google Tag Manager

Google Tag Manager helps make tag management simple, easy and reliable by allowing marketers and webmasters to deploy website tags all in one place.
  • Smartlook Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-22

Smartlook is a qualitative analytics solution for web and mobile helping over 250,000 businesses of all sizes and industries answer the “whys” behind users’ actions — why do users churn, or why aren’t they using a feature, or why are they skipping onboarding? Now you can eliminate the guesswork.

With a unique feature set, Smartlook gives you a way to finally understand user behavior at the micro level. Always-on visitor recordings show you what every last visitor does on your website or app, and heatmaps give you mass data about where most people click and scroll. Automatic event tracking lets you know how (and how often) your visitors do specific things, while conversion funnels take those events and show you how much success you're having with conversions.

Started in 2016, Smartlook has grown into a complete solution for qualitative analytics, making guesswork a thing of the past. Stop wondering why, and start getting answers today.

  • Google Tag Manager Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-07-29

Smartlook features and specs

  • Comprehensive Analytics
    Smartlook provides detailed insights through session recordings, heatmaps, and event tracking, which helps businesses understand user behavior deeply.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The platform is easy to navigate, making it accessible for users who may not be experienced with analytics tools.
  • Real-Time Data
    Smartlook offers real-time data monitoring, which allows businesses to promptly identify and address issues as they occur.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    The tool supports web, iOS, and Android platforms, enabling businesses to track user behavior across different devices seamlessly.
  • Advanced Filtering
    Users can apply advanced filters to their data, which helps in segmenting users and understanding specific behaviors more accurately.
  • Integrations
    Smartlook integrates with various third-party tools like Google Analytics, Slack, and others, providing a more versatile analytical environment.

Possible disadvantages of Smartlook

  • Data Privacy Concerns
    Recording user sessions could potentially raise privacy issues if not managed correctly, requiring strict adherence to data protection regulations.
  • Learning Curve
    Even with a user-friendly interface, new users might still encounter a learning curve when trying to utilize all features effectively.
  • Cost
    While offering a free tier, the costs can add up for premium features or advanced usage, which might be a constraint for smaller businesses.
  • Performance Impact
    The presence of session recording scripts can sometimes slow down website performance, affecting the user experience negatively.
  • Limited Free Plan
    The free plan comes with limitations in terms of data retention and the number of sessions that can be recorded, which might not be sufficient for larger businesses or detailed analysis.

Google Tag Manager features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    Google Tag Manager allows users to add and update website tags without needing to modify the site code, streamlining the process for marketing teams and reducing dependency on developers.
  • Centralized Management
    Offers a centralized platform to manage all the tags on your website, making it easier to maintain and organize marketing and analytics integrations.
  • Version Control
    Version control features allow users to track changes, roll back to previous versions if issues arise, and maintain a history of tag modifications.
  • Debugging Tools
    Built-in debugging and preview mode helps users test tags before they go live, ensuring accurate implementation and functionality.
  • Templates and Customization
    Provides a variety of pre-built tag templates for popular analytics and marketing services, and supports custom HTML tags for more complex needs.
  • Event Tracking
    Facilitates event tracking without the need for manual coding, allowing for more detailed data collection on user interactions.
  • Integration with Google Products
    Seamlessly integrates with other Google products like Google Analytics, enhancing the utility and efficiency of analytics workflows.
  • User Permissions
    Allows for granular user permissions and roles, providing better control and security over who can manage and update tags.

Possible disadvantages of Google Tag Manager

  • Learning Curve
    Despite its user-friendly interface, there is still a learning curve for those unfamiliar with how tags and triggers work, which can be challenging for beginners.
  • Complexity in Advanced Scenarios
    While it's suitable for many common uses, advanced scenarios or custom tagging requirements can become complex and might require technical expertise.
  • Limited to Web and App
    Google Tag Manager primarily supports web and mobile app environments, which may not meet the needs of businesses working with other platforms or requiring more specialized environments.
  • Dependency on JavaScript
    The tool heavily relies on JavaScript, which means that users need to have a basic understanding of JavaScript to fully leverage custom tags and functionalities.
  • Page Load Impact
    Incorrect implementation of multiple or large tags can negatively impact page load times, affecting user experience and potentially SEO.
  • Potential for Misconfiguration
    As with any powerful tool, there is a risk of misconfiguration, which can lead to inaccurate data collection or even site errors if not handled properly.
  • Privacy Concerns
    Managing user data and ensuring compliance with privacy regulations like GDPR requires extra steps, which can complicate tag implementation and data handling.

Analysis of Smartlook

Overall verdict

  • Smartlook is generally well-regarded for its comprehensive analytics capabilities, ease of integration, and intuitive user interface. It offers valuable data and insights that can help businesses enhance their digital platforms. While some users have noted occasional issues with data accuracy or performance, the overall feedback is positive, making it a suitable tool for many organizations.

Why this product is good

  • Smartlook is a digital analytics tool designed for websites and mobile apps to help businesses understand user behavior through features like session recordings, heatmaps, event tracking, and conversion funnels. These functionalities provide insights into user interactions and can help identify areas for optimization, improve user experience, and increase conversion rates.

Recommended for

  • E-commerce businesses looking to understand customer behavior
  • Product managers aiming to optimize user experience
  • Marketers who need to analyze conversion rates and funnels
  • UX/UI designers focused on improving website or app interfaces
  • Businesses seeking to identify and troubleshoot technical issues quickly

Analysis of Google Tag Manager

Overall verdict

  • Google Tag Manager is considered a valuable tool for anyone who is looking to efficiently manage marketing tags and improve website operations. Its versatility and ease of use make it a popular choice among digital marketers, web developers, and analysts.

Why this product is good

  • Google Tag Manager (GTM) is a robust tool that allows marketers and website owners to manage and deploy marketing tags and tracking codes on their websites without having to modify the underlying code. It offers a user-friendly interface that simplifies the process of tag management, improves website load times, and enhances data accuracy by reducing errors associated with manual tagging. It also integrates seamlessly with other Google products such as Google Analytics and Google Ads, providing a cohesive ecosystem for digital marketing efforts.

Recommended for

  • Digital marketers looking to streamline their tracking and analytics setup.
  • Website owners who want to reduce dependence on developers for tag management.
  • Businesses using multiple marketing platforms that require coordination and integration.
  • Data analysts seeking accurate and comprehensive data collection for insight generation.

Smartlook videos

+ Add

Smartlook - Get an insider look

More videos:

  • Review - Join the TurboTax SmartLook Team
  • Review - With TurboTax SmartLook, You're Never Alone

Google Tag Manager videos

+ Add

What Is Google Tag Manager? Top 3 Reasons You Need It (Google Tag Manager Review)

More videos:

  • Review - Introduction To Google Tag Manager 2020 | Lesson 1 (GTM for Beginners)
  • Review - Why You Shouldn't Use Google Tag Manager: Google Tag Manager Introduction

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Smartlook and Google Tag Manager)

Smartlook

Google Tag Manager

Web Analytics
76 76%
Web Analytics
24% 24
Analytics
66 66%
Analytics
34% 34
Heatmaps
100 100%
Heatmaps
0% 0
Mobile Analytics
0 0%
Mobile Analytics
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Smartlook and Google Tag Manager

Smartlook Reviews

10 Best Mixpanel Alternatives for Product Analytics in 2024
Smartlook is an advanced analytics tool that provides real-time insights into user behaviors and experiences. Understand how users engage with your products, and identify areas for improvement in your customer experience.
Source: clickup.com
11 Hotjar alternatives and competitors in 2024
Another key consideration is that Smartlook provides most of its features on the Pro plan, whereas Hotjar limits features by plan. For example, trend analysis is only available in the Scale plan—which starts at $171 per month. When using Smartlook, this functionality is available in all plans.
Source: maze.co
12 Hotjar alternatives for website and mobile app analytics
is the product manager at Smartlook. Martin is enthusiastic about delivering the best possible customer experience. Prior to joining Smartlook as a product manager, he used to work as a consultant for Oracle NetSuite. Martin has a deep professional interest in biometric signing and work digitalization. He is also an NFL enthusiast and likes to enjoy good food (ideally while...
Source: www.smartlook.com
10 Best Hotjar Alternatives & Competitors in 2023
The second Hotjar alternative on our list is Smartlook. As a marketing analytics tool, Smartlook seems to provide its users with session recordings of visitors and allows them to create heatmaps and add events to funnels.
Source: www.socialpros.co
Top 10 CRO Tools to Boost Conversions for Free in 2023
Smartlook is one of the conversion optimization tools that claim to increase traffic rate, and, eventually, your web conversions. It offers key features like event tracking, session replays, heatmaps, and funnels.
Source: aigrow.me

Google Tag Manager Reviews

We have no reviews of Google Tag Manager yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Google Tag Manager should be more popular than Smartlook. It has been mentiond 3 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Smartlook mentions (2)

Google Tag Manager mentions (3)

  • 5 WEBSITES TIPS TO SUPERCHARGE YOUR BUSINESS GROWTH- Creative Wave Tech
    Design a change global positioning framework, for example, Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics objectives and occasions, to log transformations and client ways (you can gain proficiency with about how to do that in our post, The Top 12 Website KPIs for Small Business). Source: over 3 years ago
  • 4 Reasons Why Data Engineers Hate Google Tag Manager
    For years, Google Tag Manager (GTM) has made it easy for marketers and analysts to install and manage third-party analytics and marketing tools on their websites and apps. It provides a centralized platform allowing non-technical team members to add, edit, and disable tags without having to touch the source code. This means they don't have to bug you to add new tags or edit existing ones in the event of an update. - Source: dev.to / over 3 years ago
  • Graph database question?
    For C360 implementations the there’s a tool called Segment (https://segment.com/) that unifies all the customer identities used across websites/phone apps. Within Segment there is a defined matching logic for identity resolution based on different keys used across apps such as User ID, email, phone number, address, social media account. The end result is each persona will have one Segment ID where all your traits... Source: about 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Smartlook and Google Tag Manager, you can also consider the following products

Hotjar - The #1 Leader in Heatmaps, Recordings, Surveys & More. Sign up for a 15-day free trial and start learning from real user behavior today!

Google Analytics - Improve your website to increase conversions, improve the user experience, and make more money using Google Analytics. Measure, understand and quantify engagement on your site with customized and in-depth reports.

Adobe Analytics - Adobe Analytics is an industry-leading solution that empowers you to understand your customers as people and steer your business with customer intelligence.

FullStory - Meet FullStory, the app that captures all your customer experience data in one powerful platform.

Mixpanel - Mixpanel is the most advanced analytics platform in the world for mobile & web.

Heap - Analytics for web and iOS. Heap automatically captures every user action in your app and lets you measure it all. Clicks, taps, swipes, form submissions, page views, and more.

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