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Hotjar alternatives: 8 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Hotjar: no longer a standalone product, and plans and interface now follow Contentsquare's roadmap. We ranked 8 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Hotjar, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Microsoft Clarity currently ranks first.

Hotjar has been acquired. Merged into Contentsquare; hotjar.com now leads to Contentsquare's platform and plans.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Microsoft Clarity logoMicrosoft ClarityFreeNoWeb4 of 466.5
2Contentsquare logoContentsquareFree plan + paidNoWeb4 of 462.6
3Mouseflow logoMouseflowFree plan + paidNoWeb4 of 459.6
4Lucky Orange logoLucky OrangePaidNoWeb3 of 357.2
5Crazy Egg logoCrazy EggPaidNoWeb3 of 355.3
6PostHog logoPostHogFree plan + paidYesWeb, Self-hosted4 of 453.6
7OpenReplay logoOpenReplayOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted4 of 452.3
8Matomo logoMatomoOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted, iOS +15 of 538.6
  1. Microsoft Clarity logo

    1. Microsoft ClarityTop pick

    Best for: Small sites and agencies that want free heatmaps and recordings without limits

    FreeWeb

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Hotjar

    Completely free heatmaps and recordings with no traffic limits.

    Pros

    • Free with no traffic caps or upsell
    • Recordings, heatmaps and frustration metrics out of the box
    • AI summaries of sessions and trends

    Cons

    • Fewer segmentation and funnel options than paid tools
    • Limited recording retention
    • Data handled under Microsoft's terms, which some teams avoid
    Visit Microsoft Clarity Compare with HotjarDetails and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Microsoft Clarity a good Hotjar alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Pricing
    Free forever
    Checked Oct 25, 2026learn.microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Traffic limits
    None
    Checked Oct 25, 2026learn.microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Sampling
    No sampling
    Checked Oct 25, 2026learn.microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Compliance
    GDPR and CCPA ready
    Checked Oct 25, 2026clarity.microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Contentsquare logo

    2. Contentsquare

    Best for: Ecommerce and enterprise teams wanting heatmaps, replay and journeys in one suite

    Free plan + paidWeb

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Hotjar

    Where Hotjar's features now live, with the same free tier.

    Pros

    • Very broad feature set from heatmaps to journey analysis
    • Free plan inherited from Hotjar for small sites
    • Strong ecommerce and revenue-focused reporting

    Cons

    • Enterprise features are expensive and quote-based
    • Merged Hotjar and Heap products are still being integrated
    • Can be more than a small site needs
    Visit Contentsquare Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Contentsquare a good Hotjar alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free plan
    200k monthly sessions
    Checked Oct 25, 2026contentsquare.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Included in all plans
    Replay, heatmaps, funnels, surveys
    Checked Oct 25, 2026contentsquare.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free plan data access
    1 month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026contentsquare.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Growth plan
    From $39/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026contentsquare.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Mouseflow logo

    3. Mouseflow

    Best for: Marketers and CRO agencies optimising website conversions

    Free plan + paidWeb

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Hotjar

    Independent heatmaps, recordings and funnels with a free plan.

    Pros

    • Form analytics and friction scoring alongside heatmaps
    • Independent vendor with straightforward plans
    • Free plan plus trials and a money-back guarantee

    Cons

    • Website-only, with no native mobile app support
    • No product event analytics or experimentation
    • Free plan suits only very small sites
    Visit Mouseflow Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Mouseflow a good Hotjar alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free plan
    Yes, limited traffic
    Checked Oct 25, 2026mouseflow.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Money-back guarantee
    14 days
    Checked Oct 25, 2026mouseflow.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free trial
    14 days on paid plans
    Checked Oct 25, 2026mouseflow.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Starting paid price
    25/month (Essential)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026mouseflow.com(opens source in a new tab)
  4. Lucky Orange logo

    4. Lucky Orange

    Best for: Small ecommerce stores that want replay, heatmaps and chat in one bundle

    PaidWeb

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Hotjar

    Small-business heatmaps and replays with live chat included.

    Pros

    • Every feature on every plan
    • Live chat and surveys alongside heatmaps and recordings
    • Simple setup on Shopify, WordPress and Wix

    Cons

    • Each feature is simpler than a specialist tool
    • Session caps are low on entry plans
    • Website-only
    Visit Lucky Orange Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Lucky Orange a good Hotjar alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Free trial
    7 days
    Checked Oct 25, 2026luckyorange.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Features by plan
    Every feature on every plan
    Checked Oct 25, 2026luckyorange.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Starting price
    $32/month billed annually (Build)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026luckyorange.com(opens source in a new tab)
  5. Crazy Egg logo

    5. Crazy Egg

    Best for: Marketers who want readable heatmaps and quick A/B tests without a developer

    PaidWeb

    55.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from Hotjar

    Simple heatmaps plus built-in A/B testing for marketers.

    Pros

    • Very easy to set up and read
    • Heatmaps segmented by traffic source
    • Basic A/B testing included

    Cons

    • No free plan, only a trial
    • A/B testing is basic compared with dedicated tools
    • Website-only
    Visit Crazy Egg Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Crazy Egg a good Hotjar alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Free trial
    30 days
    Checked Oct 25, 2026crazyegg.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Starting price
    $29/month (Starter)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026crazyegg.com(opens source in a new tab)
    A/B testing
    Included
    Checked Oct 25, 2026crazyegg.com(opens source in a new tab)
  6. PostHog logo

    6. PostHog

    Best for: Startups and engineering-led teams wanting analytics, replay and flags in one tool

    Free plan + paidOpen sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    53.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Hotjar

    Replay and heatmaps alongside product analytics, with a free allowance.

    Pros

    • Generous monthly free allowance across every product
    • Analytics, replay, flags and experiments share one dataset
    • Transparent usage pricing with no seat fees
    • Source code is public and a hobby self-host option exists

    Cons

    • Busy interface that suits technical users more than marketers
    • Self-hosting is limited to a small hobby deployment
    • Usage bills can grow fast on high-traffic products
    Visit PostHog Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.357
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is PostHog a good Hotjar alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free analytics allowance
    1M events/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026posthog.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free session replay
    5K recordings/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026posthog.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free feature flags
    1M requests/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026posthog.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Self-hosting
    Hobby deployment available
    Checked Oct 25, 2026posthog.com(opens source in a new tab)
  7. OpenReplay logo

    7. OpenReplay

    Best for: Engineering teams that must keep session data on their own servers

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    52.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from Hotjar

    Self-hosted replay if you want recordings to stay on your servers.

    Pros

    • Self-hosting keeps recordings on your infrastructure
    • Network, console and performance data in replays
    • Live co-browsing for support teams

    Cons

    • Running it yourself takes DevOps effort
    • Analytics less mature than dedicated event tools
    • Some features sit under a commercial licence
    Visit OpenReplay Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.353
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is OpenReplay a good Hotjar alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Self-hosting
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026openreplay.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Deployment options
    Self-host, dedicated or serverless
    Checked Oct 25, 2026openreplay.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Dedicated cloud
    From $199/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026openreplay.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Co-browsing
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026openreplay.com(opens source in a new tab)
  8. Matomo logo

    8. Matomo

    Best for: Organisations that want GA-level depth with full data ownership

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted, iOS, Android

    38.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Hotjar

    Open-source analytics with heatmap and recording plugins, self-hostable.

    Pros

    • Free to self-host with full data ownership
    • No data sampling and unlimited retention
    • Very wide feature set, including ecommerce and funnels

    Cons

    • Interface feels dated and crowded
    • Self-hosting large sites needs tuning
    • Heatmaps, recordings and other extras are paid plugins
    Visit Matomo Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.37
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Matomo a good Hotjar alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    Data sampling
    None
    Checked Oct 25, 2026matomo.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Cloud free trial
    Yes, no credit card
    Checked Oct 25, 2026matomo.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Report data retention
    Forever (Cloud)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026matomo.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Users
    1 million organisations
    Checked Oct 25, 2026matomo.org(opens source in a new tab)
    License
    GPL-3.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best Hotjar alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Microsoft Clarity logo

Best Hotjar alternative for most people

Microsoft Clarity

Completely free heatmaps and recordings with no traffic limits.

OpenReplay logo

Best Hotjar alternative for a free option

OpenReplay

Self-hosted replay if you want recordings to stay on your servers.

Contentsquare logo

Best Hotjar alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Contentsquare

Where Hotjar's features now live, with the same free tier.

PostHog logo

Best Hotjar alternative for open source

PostHog

Replay and heatmaps alongside product analytics, with a free allowance.

Matomo logo

Best Hotjar alternative for self-hosting

Matomo

Open-source analytics with heatmap and recording plugins, self-hostable.

Matomo logo

Best Hotjar alternative for iPhone and Android

Matomo

Open-source analytics with heatmap and recording plugins, self-hostable.

Mouseflow logo

Best Hotjar alternative for working in the browser

Mouseflow

Independent heatmaps, recordings and funnels with a free plan.

Hotjar alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Hotjar?

Microsoft Clarity ranks first right now. Completely free heatmaps and recordings with no traffic limits. Contentsquare and Mouseflow follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Hotjar?

Yes. Microsoft Clarity (free), Contentsquare (free plan + paid), Mouseflow (free plan + paid) and PostHog (free plan + paid) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Hotjar?

Yes: PostHog, OpenReplay and Matomo. PostHog, OpenReplay and Matomo can also be self-hosted.

Why do people switch from Hotjar?

The complaints we hear most: no longer a standalone product; plans and interface now follow Contentsquare's roadmap.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Hotjar, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.