Smartlook vs FullStory
Smartlook is a European alternative to FullStory: same web analytics use case, headquartered in Czech Republic and operating under GDPR by default, while FullStory is based in the United States.
By the EU Alternatives team Last updated
Product analytics platform combining session recordings, heatmaps, funnels, and event tracking for websites and mobile apps. Trusted by 2800+ organizations.
- Jurisdiction
- EU / EEA
- GDPR by default
- Yes
- US CLOUD Act exposure
- No
- Open source
- No
- Free tier
- No
FullStory by FullStory.
- Jurisdiction
- US
- GDPR by default
- Requires DPA + TIA
- US CLOUD Act exposure
- Yes
Smartlook vs FullStory at a glance
| Smartlook | FullStory | |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | Czech Republic | US |
| Data jurisdiction | EU / EEA | US law applies |
| GDPR by default | Yes | Requires DPA + transfer assessment |
| US CLOUD Act exposure | No | Yes |
| Open source | No | — |
| Free tier | No | — |
| Best for | Teams that need web analytics with EU data residency | Teams already invested in the FullStory ecosystem |
Choose Smartlook if…
- You want your data to stay under EU law without extra legal paperwork
- GDPR compliance or public-sector requirements apply to you
- You'd rather back the European tech ecosystem
Stick with FullStory if…
- You depend on integrations only available in the FullStory ecosystem
- Your organisation has no EU data-residency constraints
- Migration costs outweigh the jurisdiction benefits for now
Why choose Smartlook over FullStory?
The decisive argument is data jurisdiction. FullStory is headquartered in US, which means personal data processed through it can be subject to non-EU legal regimes: the US CLOUD Act, FISA 702, or similar laws depending on the provider. After the 2020 Schrems II ruling, EU organisations must carry out a transfer impact assessment for every such data flow.
Smartlook removes that overhead. As a Czech Republic-based provider, it operates natively under GDPR, and data stays inside the EU/EEA by default. For regulated sectors such as health, public administration, and finance, that's not a nice-to-have but a requirement. For everyone else, it's concentration-risk insurance: you avoid depending on a single non-EU jurisdiction that can change the rules without warning.