Top 10 Best Hotjar Alternatives in 2026

Hotjar has been a popular choice for session recordings, heatmaps, and website behavior analysis for years. But in 2026, many businesses are looking for better Hotjar alternatives because they want more features, better pricing, or an all-in-one platform.

As per my research, most small business owners and founders do not want to pay separately for session recording, SEO tracking, lead management, website analytics, live chat, and conversion tracking. Managing multiple tools also means dealing with multiple dashboards, subscriptions, and data sources.

That is why I researched and compared some of the best Hotjar alternatives available in 2026.

I checked these tools based on features such as session recording, heatmaps, visitor analytics, conversion tracking, lead management, integrations, ease of use, and pricing.

For me, Clicktics.com takes the first position because it goes beyond basic session recordings and heatmaps. It combines website behavior tracking with advanced analytics, SEO monitoring, lead management, live chat, funnels, Search Console data, and several other useful features in one platform.

However, Clicktics may not be the right choice for every business. Some users may only need a free heatmap tool, while others may need an enterprise-level product analytics platform.

In this guide, I will compare the 10 best Hotjar alternatives in 2026, explain their key features, pros, cons, pricing, and help you decide which tool is the best fit for your website.

Top 10 Best Hotjar Alternatives in 2026

After researching the current options, I found that Hotjar alternatives now fall into several categories. Some focus mainly on session recordings and heatmaps. Others focus on product analytics, conversion optimization, or enterprise customer experience.

A few platforms now combine several of these functions.

Here are my top 10 Hotjar alternatives to consider in 2026.

1. Clicktics – Best Overall Hotjar Alternative for Small Businesses

Best for: Founders, small businesses, agencies, marketers, and teams that want multiple website growth tools in one platform.

Clicktics takes the first position on my list because it does much more than record visitor sessions.

Hotjar became popular mainly because it allowed website owners to watch recordings and view heatmaps. Clicktics provides these features, but it also connects visitor behavior with other areas of website growth.

As per my research, this is particularly useful for small business owners who do not want to manage several different SaaS subscriptions.

Clicktics currently includes HD session recordings, dynamic heatmaps, detailed visitor journeys, advanced analytics, conversion funnels, live chat, lead management, Search Console integration, UTM traffic attribution, custom event tracking, console error tracking, team access management, and Discovery AI.

Why I Like Clicktics

The biggest advantage for me is context.

Suppose I watch a visitor recording in a normal session replay tool. I may see what the visitor clicked and where they stopped scrolling.

With Clicktics, I can connect that visitor activity with other information about website performance.

I can analyze traffic, look at the visitor journey, track conversions, check campaign attribution, identify console errors, manage leads, communicate using live chat, and monitor Search Console information without moving between several platforms.

That makes Clicktics more than a direct Hotjar replacement.

It works more like an all-in-one website intelligence platform.

Clicktics Key Features

• HD session recordings

• Dynamic heatmaps

• Detailed visitor journeys

• Advanced website analytics

• Conversion funnels

• Live chat with notifications

• Lead management

• Google Search Console integration

• UTM traffic attribution

• Custom event tracking

• Console error tracking

• Team access management

• Data export

• Discovery AI

Another benefit is that Clicktics does not lock its main features behind higher plans. According to its official pricing page, every paid plan includes every feature.

Clicktics Pricing

Clicktics starts at $19 per month for one website, including up to 10,000 sessions per website per month.

Businesses running multiple websites receive lower per-site pricing, and additional session blocks can be purchased when required.

For me, the pricing becomes more interesting when I consider the number of separate products a business may otherwise need.

A company might use one product for session recordings, another for live chat, another for leads, another for analytics, and still use additional tools to monitor SEO and Search Console data.

Clicktics aims to put much of this work inside one dashboard.

Clicktics Pros

• More than just session recording

• Dynamic heatmaps

• Built-in website analytics

• Built-in live chat

• Lead management

• Search Console integration

• Conversion funnels

• UTM attribution

• Error tracking

• Simple starting price

• All features available across paid plans

Clicktics Cons

Clicktics is still a much smaller and newer platform compared with companies such as Microsoft, Contentsquare, and FullStory.

Large enterprises that need a mature enterprise ecosystem, highly specialized product analytics, or complex corporate integrations may prefer one of the larger platforms on this list.

But for the audience I am focusing on—founders, agencies, marketers, and small businesses—I think Clicktics offers one of the most interesting combinations of features and price.

My verdict: If you want to replace Hotjar and also reduce the number of separate tools used for analytics, leads, chat, funnels, Search Console data, and website monitoring, Clicktics is my #1 Hotjar alternative in 2026.

2. Microsoft Clarity – Best Free Hotjar Alternative

Best for: Bloggers, startups, marketers, and website owners looking for free session recordings and heatmaps.

If your main requirement is session recording and heatmaps without paying a monthly subscription, Microsoft Clarity is one of the first tools I would consider.

Microsoft describes Clarity as a free-forever behavioral analytics platform. It includes session recordings and heatmaps along with AI-powered summaries and insights.

Its session recording feature allows you to watch real visitor journeys and identify areas where visitors struggle.

Its heatmaps show where visitors click, how far they scroll, and where they drop off.

Why I Like Microsoft Clarity

Price is obviously its biggest advantage.

You can start collecting behavioral information without worrying about a monthly Hotjar-style subscription.

I also like that Microsoft has continued adding AI features to Clarity. Its current platform includes AI summaries and AI-assisted insights designed to identify patterns in visitor behavior.

For a blogger or small website that mainly wants to answer questions such as "Where are visitors clicking?" and "Why are users abandoning this page?", Clarity may be enough.

Microsoft Clarity Key Features

• Session recordings

• Click heatmaps

• Scroll heatmaps

• AI summaries

• Visitor journey insights

• Behavioral analytics

• Free access

Microsoft Clarity Pricing

Microsoft Clarity is free. Its official website currently describes the service as "free forever."

Microsoft Clarity Pros

• Completely free

• Easy to get started

• Session recordings

• Useful heatmaps

• AI-generated behavioral insights

• Strong option for smaller websites

Microsoft Clarity Cons

Clarity mainly solves the behavior analytics problem.

If I also need built-in lead management, live chat, SEO monitoring, or a broader business dashboard, I need other tools alongside Clarity.

That is why I rank it below Clicktics for businesses looking for an all-in-one solution.

My verdict: Microsoft Clarity is probably the best free Hotjar alternative in 2026 if your main priority is heatmaps and session recordings.

3. Mouseflow – Best Traditional Hotjar Replacement

Best for: CRO specialists, agencies, marketers, and websites focused heavily on user behavior.

Mouseflow is one of the closest alternatives to the traditional Hotjar experience.

As per my research, Mouseflow offers session replay, heatmaps, conversion funnels, form analytics, feedback tools, journey analytics, and friction detection.

This makes it particularly useful for conversion optimization teams.

Why I Like Mouseflow

I particularly like its focus on friction.

Instead of forcing marketers to watch random recordings all day, Mouseflow includes tools designed to identify problems and help users find sessions worth investigating.

It can also track JavaScript errors and highlight friction within customer journeys.

Its funnel features are useful when you want to discover where visitors leave a conversion process and then watch the sessions of users who dropped out.

Mouseflow Key Features

• Session replay

• Heatmaps

• Conversion funnels

• Form analytics

• Journey analytics

• User feedback

• Friction detection

• JavaScript error detection

Mouseflow Pricing

Mouseflow currently offers a free plan.

Its free plan continues with up to 500 sessions per month after the initial trial period.

The paid Essential plan starts at $25 per month, while higher tiers increase session limits and analytics capabilities.

Mouseflow Pros

• Strong session replay tools

• Detailed heatmaps

• Conversion funnel analysis

• Form analytics

• Friction detection

• Free plan available

Mouseflow Cons

Mouseflow focuses strongly on website behavior and CRO.

Businesses looking for built-in sales lead management, live chat, Search Console monitoring, or broader all-in-one business analytics will still need additional tools.

My verdict: If your priority is finding a tool that feels like a dedicated Hotjar replacement, Mouseflow is one of the strongest choices.

4. Lucky Orange – Best Hotjar Alternative for Live Chat + CRO

Best for: eCommerce stores, marketers, service businesses, and conversion-focused websites.

Lucky Orange combines several features that Hotjar users will immediately recognize.

These include dynamic heatmaps, session recordings, conversion funnels, surveys, form analytics, and visitor behavior monitoring.

But one feature makes Lucky Orange particularly interesting: live chat.

Lucky Orange currently includes live chat and live visitor view alongside its behavioral analytics features.

Why I Like Lucky Orange

Session recordings usually tell you why a visitor struggled only after the event happened.

Live chat gives businesses an opportunity to interact while that visitor is still on the website.

That combination can be very useful for eCommerce businesses and websites that generate sales enquiries.

Lucky Orange also provides surveys and announcements, giving marketers additional ways to collect visitor feedback.

Lucky Orange Key Features

• Dynamic heatmaps

• Session recordings

• Live chat

• Live visitor view

• Conversion funnels

• Surveys

• Announcements

• Page analytics

• Form analytics

• Discovery AI

Lucky Orange Pricing

Lucky Orange's Build plan currently starts at $32 per month when paid annually and includes up to 3,500 monthly tracked sessions.

Its monthly price is listed at $39.

Lucky Orange also provides a seven-day trial with access to its features.

Lucky Orange Pros

• Strong session recording

• Dynamic heatmaps

• Built-in live chat

• Live visitor monitoring

• Conversion funnels

• Surveys and announcements

• Form analytics

Lucky Orange Cons

The main issue for me is price as website traffic grows.

Businesses that require significantly more monthly sessions can move into higher-priced plans.

It also does not try to combine SEO and lead management to the same extent as Clicktics.

My verdict: Lucky Orange is one of my favorite Hotjar alternatives if live chat and conversion optimization are your main priorities.

5. FullStory – Best Hotjar Alternative for Product and Enterprise Teams

Best for: SaaS companies, product teams, developers, and larger organizations.

FullStory goes beyond traditional heatmap software.

It focuses heavily on understanding digital experiences across websites and products.

Its current platform includes session replay, heatmaps, click maps, scroll maps, conversion analysis, product analytics, developer tools, and AI-based features such as StoryAI.

Why I Like FullStory

FullStory can be particularly powerful when product teams need to investigate complicated user journeys.

A marketing team may only want to know where somebody clicked.

A product team may need to understand what happened throughout a user's entire experience with an application.

That is where FullStory becomes more interesting.

FullStory Key Features

• Session replay

• Heatmaps

• Click maps

• Scroll maps

• Product analytics

• Conversion maps

• Developer tools

• Session insights

• AI summaries

• Mobile analytics options

FullStory also offers a surprisingly useful free option.

FullStory Pricing

FullStory's current free plan includes up to 30,000 sessions per month, up to 10 users, and 12 months of session replay and analytics retention.

Advanced Business, Advanced, and Enterprise options are available, but FullStory directs businesses to request pricing for these plans.

FullStory Pros

• Powerful behavioral analytics

• Excellent session replay

• Product analytics

• Developer-focused tools

• Strong free allowance

• Suitable for larger teams

FullStory Cons

FullStory may be more platform than a basic website owner actually needs.

If I run a small local business and mainly want recordings, leads, SEO visibility, chat, and simple website analytics, a platform designed heavily around product intelligence may feel excessive.

My verdict: FullStory is one of the strongest Hotjar alternatives for SaaS products and larger digital teams.

6. Crazy Egg – Best for Heatmaps and Website Experiments

Best for: Marketers, landing pages, CRO teams, and businesses that want heatmaps plus A/B testing.

Crazy Egg has been in the website optimization market for many years.

In 2026, the platform does much more than generate basic heatmaps.

Its current feature set includes heatmaps, session recordings, web analytics, surveys, conversion funnels, error tracking, A/B testing, and popup CTAs.

Why I Like Crazy Egg

The main reason I would choose Crazy Egg over some other Hotjar alternatives is experimentation.

Understanding that visitors are not clicking your CTA is useful.

Testing a different version of that CTA is even better.

Crazy Egg combines behavioral information with A/B testing on its higher plans, which can make the optimization process easier.

Its heatmaps also include AI analysis designed to identify patterns in clicks, scrolling, bounces, and engagement.

Crazy Egg Key Features

• Heatmaps

• Session recordings

• Web analytics

• Conversion funnels

• Surveys

• Error tracking

• A/B testing

• Popup CTAs

• AI heatmap analysis

Crazy Egg Pricing

Crazy Egg currently starts at $29 per month when billed annually.

The Starter plan includes 5,000 tracked pageviews per month, five heatmap reports, and 50 recordings per month.

A/B testing becomes available on its higher plans, starting from the $99-per-month tier listed on its current pricing page.

Crazy Egg Pros

• Strong heatmap functionality

• Session recording

• Built-in experimentation

• Conversion tracking

• Surveys

• AI analysis

• 30-day trial

Crazy Egg Cons

The lower plan has fairly limited recording allowances.

Businesses with high traffic or those wanting more recordings may need a higher plan.

My verdict: Crazy Egg makes the most sense if you want to identify website problems and then test changes using A/B experiments.

7. PostHog – Best Hotjar Alternative for Developers and Product Analytics

Best for: Developers, SaaS startups, product engineers, and technical teams.

PostHog takes a very different approach from traditional Hotjar alternatives.

It describes itself as a collection of tools for product engineers rather than simply a website heatmap platform.

Alongside session replay, PostHog provides product analytics, feature flags, experiments, data warehouse capabilities, and other developer-oriented tools.

Why I Like PostHog

I would consider PostHog if I wanted to connect session recordings with detailed product events.

For example, instead of only watching what someone does on a landing page, a SaaS business can study how customers actually use different features inside its application.

Its usage-based pricing can also be attractive for startups.

PostHog Key Features

• Session replay

• Product analytics

• Event tracking

• Feature flags

• Experiments

• Data warehouse tools

• Developer-focused analytics

PostHog Pricing

PostHog currently provides generous free usage levels.

Its published pricing includes 5,000 session recordings per month for free, after which session replay is charged on a usage basis.

Product analytics also includes a free allowance of 1 million events per month.

PostHog Pros

• Excellent for SaaS products

• Developer friendly

• Product analytics

• Session replay

• Large free allowances

• Usage-based pricing

• Feature experimentation

PostHog Cons

The platform can feel more technical than tools designed specifically for marketers or small business owners.

A non-technical founder who wants a simple "install and understand my website" experience may find other tools easier.

It also does not aim to serve as a traditional lead management or live-chat platform.

My verdict: PostHog is one of the best Hotjar alternatives for developers and product-led SaaS companies.

8. Contentsquare – Best Option for Former Hotjar Users

Best for: Existing Hotjar customers, UX teams, growing businesses, and companies that want a direct path from Hotjar.

Contentsquare deserves a special position in this list because it is not just another competitor.

Hotjar is now part of Contentsquare.

Hotjar Ltd. officially merged into the Contentsquare Group on July 1, 2025, and Hotjar's familiar Heatmaps, Recordings, and Surveys are now offered through the Contentsquare ecosystem.

So, if you are searching for Hotjar in 2026, Contentsquare is one of the most obvious platforms to consider.

Why I Like Contentsquare

Contentsquare now provides many of the features people originally used Hotjar for while adding deeper experience analytics.

Its free plan includes session replay, unlimited heatmaps, funnels, surveys, and error and performance monitoring.

The free allowance is also impressive.

Contentsquare currently allows up to 200,000 monthly tracked sessions on its free plan.

Contentsquare Key Features

• Session replay

• Heatmaps

• Funnels

• Surveys

• Error monitoring

• Performance monitoring

• Experience analytics

• Product analytics options

• AI capabilities

• Multiple integrations

Contentsquare Pricing

Contentsquare offers a $0 Free plan with up to 200,000 monthly sessions.

Its Growth plan currently starts at $49, while Pro and Enterprise options provide more advanced capabilities.

Contentsquare Pros

• Natural migration path for Hotjar users

• Excellent free allowance

• Session replay

• Unlimited heatmaps on free plan

• Funnels

• Surveys

• Error monitoring

• Enterprise analytics available

Contentsquare Cons

Contentsquare is becoming a much broader experience intelligence platform.

That is great for many teams, but founders looking for an all-in-one combination of leads, live chat, Search Console, SEO insights, and behavioral analytics may still require additional software.

My verdict: If you liked Hotjar and mainly want its evolution rather than a completely different approach, Contentsquare should be high on your list.

9. Plerdy – Best Hotjar Alternative for SEO + CRO

Best for: SEO professionals, marketers, agencies, and conversion optimization specialists.

Plerdy is another interesting option because it combines behavioral analytics with SEO and conversion optimization tools.

Its platform includes website heatmaps, video session recordings, SEO auditing, conversion tracking, popups, error monitoring, A/B testing, and eCommerce tracking.

This combination makes it different from basic session replay software.

Why I Like Plerdy

As someone looking at both SEO and visitor behavior, I like the idea of using one platform to identify technical or optimization problems and then study how users interact with the website.

Plerdy also offers a separate SERP checker add-on for keyword position monitoring.

This makes it particularly interesting for SEO agencies and marketers.

Plerdy Key Features

• Heatmaps

• Session recordings

• SEO auditing

• Conversion tracking

• A/B testing

• Popups

• eCommerce tracking

• Error monitoring

• SERP tracking add-on

Plerdy Pricing

Plerdy offers a free plan with limited usage.

Its paid Startup plan is currently listed at $32 per month on monthly billing or around $21 per month when billed annually.

Higher plans increase heatmap, recording, SEO audit, conversion, and storage limits.

Plerdy Pros

• Combines SEO and CRO tools

• Session recordings

• Heatmaps

• SEO auditing

• A/B testing

• Free plan

• Conversion tracking

Plerdy Cons

Because Plerdy includes many different tools, new users may need some time to understand the complete platform.

Some features, such as additional SERP tracking capacity, are also sold separately.

My verdict: Plerdy is one of the better Hotjar alternatives for businesses that want to combine SEO analysis with conversion and user behavior tools.

10. Zoho PageSense – Best Hotjar Alternative for Conversion Optimization

Best for: Small businesses, marketers, Zoho users, and CRO teams.

Zoho PageSense completes my list of the best Hotjar alternatives in 2026.

It brings together behavioral analytics and conversion optimization features within the wider Zoho ecosystem.

The platform currently provides web analytics, funnel analysis, heatmaps, session recording, form analytics, goals, polls, popups, notifications, and experimentation features depending on the selected plan.

Why I Like Zoho PageSense

PageSense becomes particularly useful when a business wants to move from observation to optimization.

You can identify how users behave using session recordings and heatmaps and then use testing and personalization tools on higher plans to improve the experience.

Existing Zoho users may also prefer keeping more of their business software within the same ecosystem.

Zoho PageSense Key Features

• Session recording

• Heatmaps

• Web analytics

• Funnel analysis

• Form analytics

• Goals

• Polls

• Popups and banners

• A/B testing on Enterprise

• Split URL testing

• Personalization

Zoho PageSense Pricing

Zoho PageSense currently provides a Forever Free plan supporting up to 5,000 monthly tracked users for one project.

Its Professional plan starts at $20 per month on monthly billing.

The Enterprise plan starts at $49 per month and adds features including A/B testing, split URL testing, full-stack testing, and personalization.

Zoho PageSense Pros

• Free plan available

• Session recordings

• Heatmaps

• Funnel analytics

• Form analytics

• Testing tools

• Personalization

• Suitable for existing Zoho users

Zoho PageSense Cons

Some of its strongest CRO features require the Enterprise plan.

It is also more focused on website optimization than areas such as lead management, live chat, or SEO monitoring.

My verdict: Zoho PageSense is a strong Hotjar alternative if your main objective is conversion optimization and experimentation.

Which Hotjar Alternative Is Best?

After looking at all ten platforms, I don't think there is one answer for every type of user.

If I only wanted free heatmaps and session recordings, I would look closely at Microsoft Clarity.

If I wanted a more traditional Hotjar-style CRO platform, I would consider Mouseflow or Lucky Orange.

If I were building a SaaS product with a technical product team, PostHog or FullStory would make more sense.

For advanced experience analytics, Contentsquare is now an obvious choice, especially because Hotjar itself has moved into the Contentsquare ecosystem.

But my requirements would be different as a founder or small business owner.

I would not only ask:

"Which tool can replace Hotjar?"

I would ask:

"How many of my existing tools can this platform replace?"

That is the main reason Clicktics ranks #1 in my list of the best Hotjar alternatives in 2026.

Instead of paying only to see heatmaps and recordings, Clicktics combines session replay and behavioral analytics with live chat, lead management, conversion funnels, Search Console integration, advanced analytics, UTM attribution, custom event tracking, and console error tracking.

For a founder or small team trying to keep an eye on website visitors, marketing performance, SEO data, leads, and conversions without opening several different dashboards every day, I find that approach much more practical.

Why Look for a Hotjar Alternative in 2026?

Hotjar helped make session recordings and heatmaps popular among website owners. I have used and researched many website analytics tools, and I still think Hotjar introduced a very simple way to understand what visitors actually do after landing on a website.

However, the website analytics market looks very different in 2026.

One of the biggest changes is that Hotjar is now part of Contentsquare. Contentsquare acquired Hotjar in 2021, and the companies have now brought their products together. According to Contentsquare's official documentation, Hotjar Ltd. merged into the Contentsquare Group on July 1, 2025. Features that Hotjar users know, including heatmaps, recordings, and surveys, are now available through Contentsquare.

This change alone gives existing Hotjar users a good reason to look around and see what other options are available.

But that is not the only reason.

1. Businesses Now Need More Than Heatmaps

A few years ago, installing a heatmap and session recording tool was enough for many website owners.

Today, I don't think that is enough.

A business owner may want to know:

• Where did this visitor come from?

• Which keyword brought the visitor to the website?

• Which pages did the visitor view?

• Where did the visitor click?

• How far did the visitor scroll?

• Did the visitor face an error?

• Did the visitor submit a form?

• Did the visitor become a lead?

• Which marketing campaign generated the conversion?

• Can my sales team contact this lead?

• Is my SEO traffic growing or declining?

A session recording can answer some of these questions, but not all of them.

This is why, as per my research, many modern Hotjar alternatives are moving beyond simple heatmaps and recordings.

Some offer product analytics. Some provide conversion funnels. Others include live chat, error tracking, SEO data, lead tracking, or marketing attribution.

For a small business owner, having more information inside one platform can make daily decision-making much easier.

2. Paying for Multiple Tools Can Become Expensive

This is one of the biggest problems I see for small businesses.

A founder may start with one analytics tool. Then they add another tool for session recordings.

After that, they may need:

• A heatmap tool

• An SEO ranking tracker

• A lead management tool

• A live chat tool

• A funnel analytics tool

• A campaign tracking tool

• An error monitoring tool

• Google Search Console

• Google Analytics

Individually, some of these tools may not look expensive.

But once you start paying for several monthly subscriptions, the total cost can increase quickly.

You also have to manage different logins, dashboards, tracking scripts, team permissions, and reports.

As per my experience, this creates another problem: data becomes scattered across different platforms.

Your SEO team may look at one dashboard.

Your sales team may use another.

Your marketing team may check Google Analytics.

And the founder may have to open four or five different tools just to understand what is happening on one website.

This is one of the main reasons I believe all-in-one Hotjar alternatives deserve more attention in 2026.

3. Session Recordings Are Useful, But They Need Context

I like session recordings because they show real visitor behavior.

You can watch someone land on your website, move the mouse, scroll through a page, click a button, return to another section, or leave without converting.

But watching a recording without context can sometimes create more questions than answers.

For example, imagine that I watch a visitor leave a pricing page after 40 seconds.

That information is useful.

But I would also want to know:

Where did that person come from?

Was it Google Search, Facebook, LinkedIn, or an advertisement?

What keyword brought them to the website?

Was this their first visit?

Did they previously visit another page?

Did they trigger a JavaScript error?

Did they later return and become a lead?

This additional context can turn a normal recording into actionable business data.

That is one area where I looked closely while selecting the best Hotjar alternatives for this list.

4. Different Businesses Need Different Types of Analytics

There is no single analytics tool that is perfect for every company.

For example, an enterprise SaaS company may want very advanced product analytics, detailed user journeys, and large-scale behavioral data.

A developer may prefer technical event tracking.

An eCommerce business may focus heavily on checkout behavior and conversion optimization.

A blogger may simply need a free heatmap.

But a small business owner may want something completely different.

They may need website analytics, SEO monitoring, lead tracking, live chat, session recordings, and heatmaps without buying six different tools.

That is why I have not ranked these Hotjar alternatives only by the number of features they offer.

I also considered who each tool is actually built for.

5. Hotjar Itself Is Changing

Another important point is that the meaning of "Hotjar alternative" has changed.

Hotjar and Contentsquare are no longer completely separate platforms competing against each other.

Contentsquare officially says that Hotjar is now part of Contentsquare and that users looking to try Hotjar are directed toward the Contentsquare platform.

Contentsquare has also expanded what users receive beyond traditional Hotjar features. Its current platform includes session replay, heatmaps, surveys, funnels, error monitoring, journey analysis, and other experience analytics features.

Its free offering is also generous. Contentsquare currently states that its free plan supports up to 200,000 sessions per month and includes session replay and unlimited heatmaps, among other features.

So, I don't believe choosing an alternative in 2026 should simply mean finding a "cheaper Hotjar clone."

The better question is:

Which tool gives me the data and features my business actually needs?

What I Looked for When Choosing the Best Hotjar Alternatives

For this list, I researched the tools from the perspective of someone who actually wants to use the data to improve a website.

I mainly looked at:

Session Recordings

A good Hotjar alternative should make it easy to watch how real visitors interact with a website.

I also prefer tools that allow users to filter recordings so they don't have to manually watch hundreds of irrelevant sessions.

Heatmaps

Heatmaps should clearly show clicks, movement, scrolling, and engagement.

They should help identify which areas attract attention and which important buttons or sections visitors ignore.

Website Analytics

I gave extra value to tools that provide useful analytics beyond recordings.

Traffic sources, pages, devices, campaigns, user journeys, funnels, and conversion data can make behavioral insights much more useful.

Ease of Use

Advanced analytics means very little if a small business owner cannot understand the dashboard.

I prefer tools that make important information easy to find without requiring a dedicated data analyst.

Additional Features

I also looked for features such as:

• Lead tracking

• Live chat

• SEO monitoring

• Funnels

• Campaign attribution

• Error tracking

• Search Console integration

• Form tracking

• Conversion analytics

Not every business needs all of these features.

However, having them available inside the same platform can reduce the need for additional software.

Pricing

Finally, I considered value for money.

A cheaper tool is not automatically better.

I looked at what users actually receive for their subscription and whether they would still need to purchase several other services to fill feature gaps.

So, What Is the Best Hotjar Alternative in 2026?

After researching the available options, I found several strong alternatives.

Microsoft Clarity stands out if you mainly want a free solution.

Tools such as Mouseflow and Lucky Orange are strong choices for businesses focused heavily on visitor behavior and conversion optimization.

Platforms such as FullStory and Contentsquare can make more sense for organizations that need deeper experience analytics.

However, for founders and small businesses, my first choice is Clicktics.

The main reason is simple.

Clicktics does not stop at heatmaps and session recordings. It brings behavioral analytics together with website analytics, lead management, live chat, funnels, SEO and Search Console data, campaign tracking, error monitoring, and other tools that businesses would normally manage separately.

That does not automatically make Clicktics the best choice for every company.

But if your goal is to understand your visitors, monitor website growth, track leads, keep an eye on SEO performance, and reduce the number of separate tools your team uses, it becomes a very interesting Hotjar alternative.

Now, let's look at my #1 Hotjar alternative for 2026 — Clicktics.