OpenReplay: Self-Hosted Session Replay for Debugging and Analytics

Ever struggled to reproduce a user-reported bug because "it worked on your machine"? Or wished you could see exactly how users interact with your web app—without relying on third-party analytics? OpenReplay solves these problems by letting you self-host session replay, cobrowsing, and product analytics.

With over 10k stars on GitHub, OpenReplay is gaining traction as a privacy-focused alternative to tools like FullStory or Hotjar. Best part? You control the data.

What It Does

OpenReplay records user sessions in your web app, allowing you to:

• Replay sessions exactly as they happened (clicks, scrolls, inputs)
• Debug issues with DevTools-like inspection during replay
• Cobrowse live sessions with users (great for support)
• Analyze behavior with heatmaps, funnels, and event tracking

Unlike cloud-based alternatives, you host everything—sessions stay on your infrastructure.

Why It’s Cool

1. Privacy-first: No sending sensitive user data to third parties.
2. Open-source: Customize or extend it (MIT licensed).
3. Lightweight: The tracker is ~20KB, with minimal performance impact.
4. Integrations: Works with React, Vue, Next.js, and even supports mobile (iOS/Android).
5. Cobrowsing: Help users in real-time by seeing their live screen (with permission).

How to Try It

1. Quick demo: Check out their live demo.
2. Self-host: Deploy with Docker (they provide docker-compose.yml):

   git clone https://github.com/openreplay/openreplay.git
   cd openreplay
   docker-compose up -d
   

3. Cloud option: If self-hosting isn’t your thing, they offer a managed version too.

Final Thoughts

OpenReplay is a solid choice if you need session replay but want to avoid vendor lock-in or data privacy concerns. It’s especially useful for:

• Debugging hard-to-reproduce frontend issues
• UX research without guessing from metrics
• Building better onboarding/support flows

The project is actively maintained, and the community seems engaged (just check those GitHub stars). Worth a spin if you’re tired of "it worked for me" debates.

Got thoughts on self-hosted analytics? Hit us up @githubprojects.