Best Hotjar alternatives in 2026
These are the 5 closest tools to Hotjar that we track, ordered by what they cost to start. Each entry says how its pricing differs from Hotjar's — based on the numbers we hold, not on who pays us. We do not publish a quality score, because we do not have one we can stand behind.
Of the 5 alternatives on this page, 1 publish a price we could verify. The cheapest paid step among them is Crazy Egg at $29/mo, against $99/mo for Hotjar — $70 less per month. Amplitude publishes a free plan.
Why people leave Hotjar
- Site Slowdown: Can slightly impact page load speed if not configured correctly.
- Privacy Compliance: Requires careful masking settings to comply with GDPR and local laws.
- Free Tier Limits: The number of sessions recorded per day is quite low on the free plan.
These are the drawbacks listed in our own Hotjar review — not complaints we invented for this page.
- Microsoft Clarity
Free behavior analytics.
vs Hotjar: priced differently (Free vs Free tier).
Why switch to Microsoft Clarity
- 100% Free: No hidden fees or traffic limits, ever.
- Instant Setup: Start recording and generating heatmaps within minutes of installation.
What you give up
- Basic Surveys: Lacks the deep user feedback and survey tools found in Hotjar.
Best for: Website Owners and UX Designers.
- Amplitude
Elite product data.
vs Hotjar: priced differently (Free tier vs Free tier).
Why switch to Amplitude
- Industry Leader: The most trusted name for enterprise-level product analysis.
- Behavioral Cohorts: Group users by what they DO, not just who they are.
What you give up
- Complexity: One of the most difficult analytics tools to master fully.
Best for: Product Leaders and Enterprise Data Teams.
- Crazy Egg
Heatmaps and click tracking.
vs Hotjar: cheaper to start ($29/mo vs $99/mo).
First paid step: Starter at $29/mo
Why switch to Crazy Egg
- Heatmaps are easy to read and share
- Session recordings show real behaviour
What you give up
- Sampling limits on lower plans
Best for: Teams that want to see how a page is used, not just how many visited.
- Fathom Analytics
Simple privacy-first analytics.
vs Hotjar: priced differently (Not verified vs Free tier).
Why switch to Fathom Analytics
- No cookies, simplifying consent
- Fast, lightweight script
What you give up
- Fewer features than full analytics platforms
Best for: Site owners who want honest numbers without a consent banner.
- Matomo
Privacy-focused, self-hostable web analytics.
vs Hotjar: priced differently (Free tier vs Free tier).
Why switch to Matomo
- You keep the raw data on your own servers
- Cookie-free tracking option eases consent requirements
What you give up
- Self-hosting requires database maintenance
Best for: Organisations with privacy or regulatory reasons not to use hosted analytics.
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