If you’re on a product or growth team that actually cares about what users do—not just what they say—there’s a good chance you’ve run into a wall of “data-driven” GTM tools. Everyone says they’ll give you the magic insights to build better products. Most of them, frankly, don’t. This article is for folks who want real answers, not sales pitches.
Let’s break down how Heap stacks up against other B2B go-to-market (GTM) analytics and product tools. I’ll be blunt: we’ll talk about where Heap actually helps, where it’s overhyped, and what else you should consider.
Why Product Teams End Up Comparing These Tools
There are too many tools promising to make you “data-driven.” If you’re in B2B SaaS, you’re probably juggling:
- Product analytics (Heap, Amplitude, Mixpanel)
- Customer journey platforms (Pendo, Gainsight PX, WalkMe)
- Traditional analytics (Google Analytics, Adobe)
- CRM/marketing automation (HubSpot, Salesforce, Marketo)
The overlap is real, and the confusion is worse. So, what’s actually different about these, and where does Heap fit?
What Heap Actually Does (and Doesn’t)
Heap is best known for automatic event tracking—it captures just about every click, pageview, and form fill without a bunch of manual tagging. This sounds trivial, but it’s actually the main reason folks switch from other tools. Here’s what that means in practice:
Where Heap Shines
- No Tagging FOMO: You don’t have to predict every event you’ll care about in the future. Heap tracks everything up front and lets you define events retroactively. This is a godsend if you’ve ever missed key data because someone forgot to tag a button.
- Quick Answers for Real Questions: Want to know how many users drop off after a specific step? Heap makes it easy to answer without bugging a developer or re-deploying code.
- Decent Out-of-the-Box Reports: Funnels, retention, paths—Heap can show you how people move through your app with minimal setup.
Where Heap Falls Short
- Event Volume Can Be Overwhelming: Automatic tracking is a double-edged sword. You’ll end up with a firehose of data, and if your taxonomy’s a mess, good luck finding anything useful.
- Not Great for Super-Specific Product Metrics: If you need to track really custom events (like something only triggered by complex backend logic), Heap will still need manual work.
- Limited Qualitative Insights: Heap tells you what happened, but not why. There’s no built-in session replays or user surveys—so you’ll need to pair it with something else if you care about context.
Comparing Heap to Other Analytics Tools
Let’s get specific. Here’s how Heap stacks up against the usual suspects:
Heap vs Amplitude
- Amplitude is more customizable and is built for power users. If your team is full of analysts or data engineers, you might prefer its flexibility.
- Heap is easier for non-technical folks, since you don’t have to set up every event manually.
- Pro tip: If you’re fighting about taxonomy or naming conventions, both tools can get messy fast. Heap just lets you make mistakes a little more safely.
Heap vs Mixpanel
- Mixpanel has a similar focus on product analytics, but requires manual event tracking. If you’re starting from scratch, Heap is usually faster to get insights.
- Mixpanel’s UI is a bit more polished, and it has some nicer visualization options.
- Heap is better for teams that want to “just see what’s happening” without a lot of setup.
Heap vs Pendo/Gainsight PX/WalkMe
- Pendo, Gainsight PX, and WalkMe blend analytics with in-app guides and user feedback. If you want to nudge users or collect feedback inside your app, Heap can’t do that.
- Heap is a pure analytics tool. It’s less “all-in-one,” but that also means less bloat if you just want clean data.
- Pro tip: Many teams end up with Heap plus one of these tools—not either/or.
Heap vs Google Analytics and Adobe Analytics
- Google Analytics/Adobe are built for marketing sites. You can use them for product analytics, but you’ll spend more time wrestling with setup than actually learning anything. They don’t capture product events out of the box.
- Heap is made for SaaS/web apps. It’ll show you what users do after they log in, which GA/Adobe can’t do without lots of hacks.
Heap vs CRM/Marketing Automation (HubSpot, Salesforce, Marketo)
- CRMs and marketing automation tools are about leads, pipeline, and marketing campaigns—not in-app product usage.
- Heap won’t replace your CRM, and your CRM won’t tell you who’s actually using your product (or how).
- Integration is key: The best teams combine Heap data with CRM, so Sales knows which accounts are actually engaging.
What Really Matters When Choosing a Tool
Ignore the vendor hype. Here’s what you should actually care about when picking a GTM analytics tool:
1. How Much Setup and Ongoing Maintenance?
- Automatic tracking (like Heap) is great… until you have too much junk data.
- Manual tracking (Amplitude, Mixpanel) forces you to plan—but that’s not always bad if you need precision.
Gut check: If your team never cleans up data, Heap’s “track everything” can become a mess. If you have a strong taxonomy process, manual tools may be fine.
2. Who’s Using the Tool Day-to-Day?
- Non-technical teams get more immediate value from Heap.
- If you’ve got a data team with SQL chops, Amplitude/Mixpanel might unlock more advanced stuff.
3. What Questions Do You Need to Answer?
- For basic funnels, retention, and path analysis, Heap is fast and reliable.
- For deep segmentation, cohort analysis, or custom metrics, other tools might be better.
4. How Does It Play With Your Stack?
- Check integrations. Heap has decent options, but not everything under the sun.
- If you want to send product data to your CRM or marketing tools, make sure it’s easy to do.
What to Ignore
A few things not to lose sleep over:
- Vendor claims about “AI insights” or “autonomous analytics.” These rarely do anything you couldn’t find yourself with a decent funnel or path report.
- Fancy dashboards. You’ll end up exporting the data anyway.
- Huge feature lists. Most teams use 10% of what these tools offer.
Pro Tips for Getting Real Value (Whichever Tool You Pick)
- Start small. Track a few key events, then expand once you trust the data.
- Review your taxonomy quarterly. Otherwise, you’ll drown in duplicate or confusing event names.
- Pair quantitative with qualitative. Heap tells you what happened. Use tools like FullStory or Hotjar for the why.
- Integrate with your CRM. So sales and customer success can act on actual product usage.
The Bottom Line
Most B2B product teams don’t need a perfect analytics tool—they need one that’s easy enough to use, keeps the data clean, and answers the questions that matter. Heap is solid for teams who want quick answers and less setup, but it’s not magic. Don’t get lost in the weeds. Start simple, see what you learn, and add complexity only when you actually need it.
You’ll spend less time fighting tools and more time making your product better. And that’s the real point.