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Alternatives

Best Hotjar alternatives in 2026

Data compiled by Toolradar Updated How we rate

Cite this list: Toolradar, best Hotjar alternatives 2026, toolradar.com/alternatives/hotjar

7 direct alternatives to Hotjar, compared on pricing, features, and best-for use cases. Pick the right replacement without the marketing fluff.

Quick answer

  • LogRocket is the top alternative to Hotjar on our list, followed by FullStory and Smartlook.
  • 4 of the 7 alternatives have a free plan, starting with LogRocket.
  • Highest rated: LogRocket, 4.7 out of 5 from 2,463 ratings, Sep 2026.
Publications that cover the tools tracked here
  • TechCrunch
  • Bloomberg
  • The Information
  • Fortune
  • The Verge
  • 7 alternatives
  • 4 with a free plan

Top 3 alternatives to Hotjar

  1. LogRocket logo

    LogRocket

    #1 Top pick

    Session replay & error tracking

    Starting price

    From $83 /mo

    Cheapest paid plan, monthly, as of November 2026

    4.7 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 2,463 ratings, Sep 2026

    Our take

    Best overall

  2. FullStory logo

    Digital experience intelligence

    Pricing

    Contact sales

    4.5 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 1,119 ratings, Sep 2026

  3. Smartlook logo

    Session replay, no longer sold: shuts down September 30, 2027

    Pricing

    Free plan

    4.6 /5 on G2 · 874 ratings, Sep 2026

Hotjar vs 7 alternatives

Hotjar and its alternatives compared on starting price (cheapest paid plan, monthly, as of November 2026), free plan and average user rating.
Hotjar logo
Hotjar Compared tool
Price: $49/mo Free plan: Yes 3.8 out of 5, from 948 ratings across G2, Trustpilot, Capterra and more (948)
LogRocket logo
LogRocket
Price: $83/mo Free plan: Yes 4.7 out of 5, from 2,463 ratings across G2 and Capterra (2,463)
FullStory logo
FullStory
Price: Contact sales Free plan: No 4.5 out of 5, from 1,119 ratings across G2 and Capterra (1,119)
Smartlook logo
Smartlook
Price: Free + paid Free plan: Yes 4.6 out of 5, from 874 ratings on G2 (874)
Mouseflow logo
Mouseflow
Price: $25/mo Free plan: Yes 4.6 out of 5, from 813 ratings across G2 and Capterra (813)
VWO logo
VWO
Price: $299/mo Free plan: No 4.4 out of 5, from 1,020 ratings across G2 and Capterra (1,020)
Microsoft Clarity logo
Microsoft Clarity
Price: Free Free plan: Yes 4.6 out of 5, from 113 ratings across SourceForge, G2 and Capterra (113)
Crazy Egg logo
Crazy Egg
Price: $29/mo Free plan: No 4.3 out of 5, from 214 ratings across G2 and Capterra (214)

Why people consider alternatives to Hotjar

Hotjar shows how visitors actually use your website. Heatmaps visualize where users click, move, and scroll. Session recordings replay individual visits. Surveys and feedback widgets collect user opinions.

Here are the real cost and limitation gotchas that push teams to look elsewhere:

  • Three separate products (Observe, Ask, Engage) each billed independently
  • Growth plan sessions start at just 7,000/mo despite paying $49/mo, confusing jump from 200K free sessions
  • Pro and Enterprise pricing is completely opaque, contact sales only
  • Data retained for only 365 days with no paid extension option

The 7 alternatives below cover the same core job (web analytics) with different trade-offs.

Hotjar by the numbers

Toolradar data: Hotjar's entry paid plan ($49/mo, billed yearly) ranks #9 of 10 for price among the Heatmaps tools with a verified entry price and no stated unit, where the median is $29/mo. It is listed as an alternative to 36 other tools on Toolradar, ranking #1 of 16 in Heatmaps. As of Nov 2026.

Hotjar compared with 16 Heatmaps tools on Toolradar, as of Nov 2026
Metric Hotjar Peer median Position (1 is best)
Entry paid plan $49/mo, billed yearly $29/mo #9 of 10 tools with no stated price unit, verified price
Free plan Yes 12 of 16 have one n/a
Listed as an alternative to 36 tools 1 #1 of 16
User rating 3.8/5 (across the web, 948 ratings) 4.6/5 #11 of 11 tools with 20+ reviews

Listed as an alternative to: #1 on 2026-10-16 to #1 on 2026-11-02 (rank among 16 tools, 1 is best).

Each position is counted among the tools that have data for that row, as noted under it. A lower entry price ranks higher; prices are read on vendor pages and compared only with tools priced on the same basis. All Heatmaps data · How we compute this. Advertising and placement fees are not inputs to any position.

Cite this: Toolradar, “Hotjar by the numbers”, Nov 2026.

Web Analytics leaderboards from Toolradar data

Toolradar ranks Web Analytics tools on one measure at a time, only where at least 8 tools have data. As of Nov 2026.

CSV download of these Web Analytics leaderboards, licensed CC BY 4.0

Lowest entry price, plans with no stated unit

Cheapest standard paid plan per month (annual prices divided by 12), read on vendor pages and compared only with tools priced on the same basis.

Counted among 51 tools with no stated price unit, verified price.

Lowest entry price, plans with no stated unit, Web Analytics tools on Toolradar, as of Nov 2026
# Tool Entry plan
1 OpenPanel $2.50/mo, billed monthly
2 GTmetrix $4.99/mo, billed yearly
3 GoatCounter $5/mo, billed monthly
3 Plerdy $5/mo
3 Sleek Analytics for iOS $5/mo, billed monthly

A position exists only when at least 8 tools have data for that metric. 51 of 81 Web Analytics tools have a verified price; the others publish none we could read (often "contact sales"). Advertising and placement fees are not inputs to any position. Visit counts include visits from every source. How we compute this. Cite this: Toolradar, “Web Analytics leaderboards”, Nov 2026. Data licensed CC BY 4.0. All Web Analytics statistics.

7 alternatives to Hotjar

Ranked by G2 and Capterra ratings, media mentions, and editor review, plus how directly they replace Hotjar.

  1. 1
    LogRocket logo

    LogRocket

    Free plan Higher rated by users

    Session replay & error tracking

    4.7 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 2,463 ratings, Sep 2026

    From $83/mo, billed yearly; free plan available

  2. 2
    FullStory logo

    FullStory

    Paid Higher rated by users

    Digital experience intelligence

    4.5 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 1,119 ratings, Sep 2026

    Price not published

  3. 3
    Smartlook logo

    Smartlook

    Free plan Shut down Higher rated by users

    Session replay, no longer sold: shuts down September 30, 2027

    4.6 /5 on G2 · 874 ratings, Sep 2026

    Free plan available; paid prices not published

  4. 4
    Mouseflow logo

    Mouseflow

    Free plan Higher rated by users

    Session replay and behavior analytics

    4.6 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 813 ratings, Sep 2026

    From $25/mo, billed monthly; free plan available

  5. 5
    VWO logo

    VWO

    Paid Higher rated by users

    Experimentation and conversion optimization

    4.4 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 1,020 ratings, Sep 2026

    From $299/mo, billed monthly

  6. 6
    Microsoft Clarity logo

    Microsoft Clarity

    100% free Higher rated by users

    Free heatmaps and session recordings

    4.6 /5 across SourceForge, G2 and Capterra · 113 ratings, Sep 2026

    Free

  7. 7
    Crazy Egg logo

    Crazy Egg

    Free plan Higher rated by users

    Optimize your website with heatmaps, recordings, surveys, and A/B testing to understand user behavior.

    4.3 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 214 ratings, Sep 2026

    From $29/mo, billed monthly; free plan available

Frequently asked questions

What is the best alternative to Hotjar?

Based on real-signal scoring (G2 and Capterra ratings, media mentions, and editorial review), the top alternatives to Hotjar are LogRocket, FullStory, Smartlook. Each solves the same core job with different trade-offs on pricing, features, and integrations.

Is there a free alternative to Hotjar?

Yes. Microsoft Clarity is 100% free (no paid upgrade path) (Free heatmaps and session recordings). Freemium tools on this list offer a free tier with paid upgrades; they are not the same as fully free.

Why do people look for Hotjar alternatives?

Common reasons teams switch away from Hotjar: pricing that scales aggressively, missing integrations with the rest of their stack, performance or scale limits, or a specific feature gap in web analytics. The alternatives on this page solve the same core problem with different trade-offs.

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