DeepSync vs Heap — Two Takes on Capturing Everything
Heap popularised autocapture for product analytics. DeepSync records full sessions with replay, heatmaps, and errors. Compare how each captures behavior, what you get out, and which suits your team and budget.
Short answer: both tools capture behavior without requiring you to instrument every event. Heap turns that captured data into retroactive product analytics for larger teams. DeepSync turns it into session replay, heatmaps, funnels, and error context with self-serve pricing. Heap suits organisations with analysts and budget; DeepSync suits teams that want to see and fix problems quickly.
Written by the DeepSync team. Competitor details are general; Heap is now part of Contentsquare, so check current packaging with them.
Table of Contents
- The Shared Idea
- At a Glance
- What You Get From the Captured Data
- Effort and Skills
- Pricing Approach
- Who Should Choose Which
- Key Takeaways
The Shared Idea
Traditional analytics asks you to decide in advance what to track. Both Heap and DeepSync reject that. They record interactions by default so you can ask questions later.
They then go in different directions with the data.
At a Glance
| DeepSync | Heap | |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic capture | Yes | Yes |
| Retroactive event definitions | Via recorded sessions and filters | Yes, a core feature |
| Session replay | Yes, core | Available |
| Heatmaps | Yes | Available |
| Funnels and journeys | Yes | Yes, advanced |
| Retention and cohorts | No dedicated report | Yes |
| JavaScript error tracking | Yes | Limited |
| Real-user Core Web Vitals | Yes, Pro and above | No |
| Typical buyer | Startups, SMBs, agencies | Mid-market and enterprise |
| Buying process | Self-serve | Largely sales-led |
What You Get From the Captured Data
Heap lets you define an event after the fact, for example "clicked the upgrade button", and immediately see its history. That is powerful for product analytics: funnels, retention, and paths without waiting for new instrumentation.
DeepSync keeps the session itself. You can replay it, see where clicks landed on a heatmap, read its console and network timeline, and jump from a funnel step into the sessions that dropped there. You define custom events only for outcomes the script cannot infer, such as a confirmed purchase.
Put simply: Heap gives you retroactive numbers. DeepSync gives you retroactive evidence.
Effort and Skills
Autocapture reduces instrumentation. It does not remove the need for someone to organise the result.
- In Heap, value comes from defining and governing events and building reports. That suits teams with a product analyst.
- In DeepSync, value comes from filtering sessions and watching what happened. That suits teams where a founder, marketer, designer, or engineer does the investigating.
Pricing Approach
- DeepSync: free plan with 1,000 sessions a month; self-serve Pro at ₹1,999 a month; no sampling; no overage charges, recording pauses at the cap.
- Heap: plans are typically arranged with sales and scale with usage. Check current options.
Who Should Choose Which
| Situation | Better fit |
|---|---|
| Product analytics team needing retroactive event analysis | Heap |
| Small team that needs to see why users drop off | DeepSync |
| Engineering needs errors linked to replays | DeepSync |
| Enterprise with procurement and governance needs | Heap |
| Marketing site, store, or early product | DeepSync |
| Limited budget | DeepSync |
For the wider picture, see autocapture vs manual tracking.
Key Takeaways
- Both avoid up-front instrumentation.
- Heap produces retroactive analytics; DeepSync keeps the session as evidence.
- Heap fits analyst-led teams; DeepSync fits hands-on teams.
- DeepSync is self-serve with a free plan.
Conclusion
Capturing everything is only the first step. Decide whether you want charts built from that data or the sessions themselves, and choose accordingly.
Frequently Asked Questions
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