Kissmetrics vs Heap
Heap records every click so you can define events later. Kissmetrics captures the basics on install and helps you define the few events that tie to signups and revenue.
Time to a report you can use
Both tools install in minutes. What differs is everything between the install and the first report, which is usually deciding what to track and getting somebody to build it.
With Kissmetrics
Ready-made reports from day one
You do not start from a blank tracking plan. The basics are captured on install, you define the few events that matter with help, and the reports are already built.
- 1
Install the snippet
With AI or by hand. Visits, page views, search engine hits and ad campaign hits are captured from the first visit.
- 2
Define the events that matter
Start from a schema example for SaaS or stores. The AI install adds the signups, purchases and other steps your reports need.
- 3
Check them in Live view
Events show up as they arrive, so you know the tracking works the same day.
- 4
Open the ready-made reports
Funnels, Activity, metrics and dashboards on the free plan. Growth adds Performance, Revenue, Path and the other reports.
With Heap
The usual path
Heap autocaptures every click, pageview and form change, so raw data arrives without instrumentation. Turning that into a report still means finding which captured interactions represent real actions and defining events for them, and that definition work is where the time goes.
- 1
Install the snippet, autocapture starts recording
- 2
Work out which clicks and pages represent real actions
- 3
Define an event for each one from the captured elements
- 4
Build funnels and reports on top of those definitions
Whichever you pick, the list of events is the thing to get right. The difference is whether you write it from a blank page or start from an example.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
A transparent look at how both platforms compare.
KissmetricsPerson-level tracking
Event tracking
Funnel analysis
Revenue tracking
Customer journey mapping
User segmentation
Heatmaps & session recording
Data warehouse integration
API access
Privacy/GDPR compliance
Competitor details as published on their sites in September 2026. Tell us if something changed and we will fix it: help@kissmetrics.io.
Where each wins
Kissmetrics
- Campaign to revenueOn the Growth plan, each sale is credited to the campaign that first brought the buyer in and the one they came through last.
- A schema you can readVisits, page views, search engine hits and ad campaign hits are captured on install. The AI install and schema examples help you define the rest, so every event in a report has a name you agreed on.
- Ready-made reportsFunnels, Activity and dashboards come built, so nobody names raw clicks before the first report.
Best for
- Teams that want a short list of named events tied to revenue
- SaaS businesses tracking subscription metrics
- Marketing teams focused on campaign attribution
Heap
- Autocapture EverythingNever miss an interaction. Heap captures every click, form fill, and page view automatically, no code required.
- Retroactive AnalysisDefine events after the fact and analyze historical data you didn't know you needed.
- Session ReplayWatch actual user sessions to understand the context behind the data.
Best for
- Teams whose site changes too often to keep an event list current
- Product teams that need retroactive analysis capabilities
- Companies wanting session replay alongside analytics
- Organizations that want to capture everything and analyze later
Pricing Comparison
Free: tracking, the Funnels and Activity reports, the chat, dashboards and live view, with 100k events a month, 3 seats and no card. Growth from $99 a month adds attribution and the other reports. For how Heap’s pricing model behaves as you grow, see the Heap pricing teardown. Leaving rather than comparing? Heap alternatives.
Kissmetrics
Free
Starting price
Pricing Model
Free up to 100k events a month; Growth from $99 a month adds attribution and the other reports
Free Plan
Free plan: 100k events a month, 3 seats, no card
Unlimited Seats on Growth
Growth from $99 a month for 500k events, volume pricing above that. Free includes 3 seats.
Heap
Free (limited)
Starting price
Pricing Model
Session-based pricing
Free Trial
Free plan available
Switch from Heap
An afternoon for a basic setup, longer if you rebuild a large event plan. Run both side by side while Kissmetrics builds its own history.
Audit your Heap event definitions and virtual events to plan your Kissmetrics tracking schema
Install the Kissmetrics JavaScript snippet on your site
Define the Kissmetrics events that map to your key Heap interactions
Set up revenue tracking and user identity calls in Kissmetrics
Run both tools in parallel for 2 weeks to validate data consistency
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about Kissmetrics vs Heap.
Install with AI takes about 5 minutes, and ready-made schema examples for SaaS and stores show which events and properties to track.
Free is $0 with no card: 100k events a month, 3 seats, Funnels and Activity reports, chat in plain English, dashboards, metrics, Live view, API access and up to 3 active integrations. Growth starts at $99 a month for 500k events (20% off annually) and adds the Performance report with attribution, Populations, Visitors from AI assistants, Revenue, Path, People search, A/B tests, Product usage and CSV export. The price per event drops as volume grows, and above 5M events a month we price to your volume. Growth has unlimited seats and integrations.
Most analytics tools track sessions: anonymous visits that expire after 30 minutes. Kissmetrics tracks people. When a visitor identifies, their earlier anonymous visits join their record, across devices. So you can see the journey from first anonymous visit through signup, activation, purchase and repeat behavior, all tied to one person.
Yes, on the Growth plan. The Performance report ties revenue back to the campaign that first brought each person in (first click) and the one they came through last before buying (last click), on the same person, whether that was a paid ad, organic search, an email or a referral. An Any touch view shows every campaign a buyer came through. It is first- and last-click attribution, not a multi-touch model.
Install with AI takes about 5 minutes, and Live view shows events as they arrive, so you can check tracking the same day. You do not need a data team or months of configuration to start.
Kissmetrics is built around the individual person. While Heap focuses on product usage patterns, Kissmetrics gives you a view of each customer's lifecycle, from first touch to revenue and beyond. You can answer questions like "Which customers are most valuable?", "What actions come before a purchase?" and "Where exactly are we losing people in the funnel?"
For many teams, yes. Kissmetrics combines person-level tracking, funnels, revenue reporting, A/B test results and Populations in one place (revenue, A/B tests and Populations are on Growth). Teams that used separate tools for product analytics and revenue tracking can bring them together, with one record per person. It does not record sessions or run in-app guides.
You can run Kissmetrics alongside Heap during the transition, so there is no need to rip and replace. Kissmetrics does not import past data, so it builds its own history from the day you install; a paid migration service is available if you want help with the move. A basic setup takes an afternoon; a large event plan takes longer to rebuild.
It depends. Full autocapture means you never miss a click, but you sort through the noise later. Kissmetrics captures four base events on install (visited site, page view, search engine hit and ad campaign hit), and you define the rest, with the AI install and schema examples to help, so the dataset stays tied to business outcomes.
Kissmetrics tracks events you've defined going forward. Unlike Heap, you cannot retroactively analyze interactions that weren't instrumented.
Heap is often preferred by product teams for its autocapture and session replay. Kissmetrics is preferred by marketing and growth teams for revenue attribution.
Yes. Contentsquare acquired Heap in 2023, and Heap is now part of Contentsquare.
Compare Kissmetrics with Other Tools
Try it on your own data for free.
Install with AI in about 5 minutes: a Claude Code skill, or a prompt you paste into any AI assistant, adds the snippet and sets up your events. Funnels, Activity, Live view and the chat are free on your own data.