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AWS API Gateway vs Hotjar

AWS API Gateway logo

AWS API Gateway

Software

Fully managed API gateway service for creating and managing APIs at scale

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
H

Hotjar

Software

Understand how users behave on your site

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: AWS API Gateway rEST APIs cost $3.50 per million calls against $1.00 for HTTP APIs, so the older and more featureful type is three and a half times dearer; Hotjar website performance impact - Hotjar tracking code can cause noticeable slowdowns affecting site speed and Google rankings
  • They diverge on capability: AWS API Gateway covers REST APIs, Hotjar covers Heatmaps.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which AWS API Gateway and Hotjar actually diverge.

Attributes where AWS API Gateway and Hotjar differ
AttributeAWS API GatewayHotjar
Pricing modelusage-basedUnknown
PlatformsAWS CloudWeb
Founded20062014

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in AWS API Gateway

  • REST APIs
  • WebSocket APIs
  • HTTP APIs
  • Lambda
  • EC2
  • DynamoDB
  • CloudWatch
  • IAM

Only in Hotjar

  • Heatmaps
  • Session recordings
  • Feedback widgets
  • Surveys
  • User interviews
  • Conversion funnels
  • Form analytics
  • Rage click detection

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

AWS API Gateway

  • Fronting Lambda functions with an HTTP endpointnot Hotjar
  • REST and HTTP API management with throttling and keysnot Hotjar
  • WebSocket APIs for real-time clientsnot Hotjar
  • Private APIs reachable only inside a VPCnot Hotjar
  • Publishing a developer portal for API consumersnot Hotjar

Hotjar

  • User behavior analysisnot AWS API Gateway
  • Conversion optimizationnot AWS API Gateway
  • UX researchnot AWS API Gateway
  • Customer feedbacknot AWS API Gateway
  • Usability testingnot AWS API Gateway

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

AWS API Gateway

  • REST APIs cost $3.50 per million calls against $1.00 for HTTP APIs, so the older and more featureful type is three and a half times dearer
  • Data transfer out is charged at $0.09 per GB on top of request pricing
  • WebSocket APIs bill connection minutes as well as messages, at $0.25 per million minutes
  • Private APIs avoid data transfer charges but incur AWS PrivateLink costs instead
  • The developer portal is $125 a month, with additional portal products at $12.50 each
  • The free tier lasts 12 months rather than being ongoing

Hotjar

  • Website performance impact - Hotjar tracking code can cause noticeable slowdowns affecting site speed and Google rankings
  • Session recording limits - free and lower-tier plans have monthly session recording caps that must be sampled above the limit
  • Inaccurate heatmaps on dynamic pages - heatmaps fail to display correctly on pages with modals, sticky navigation bars, and pop-up overlays
  • No mobile app - only web-based access available
  • Not real-time analytics - includes slight data processing delay

Pricing, plan by plan

AWS API Gateway

Free
  • Free TierFree
    • 1M requests per month
    • Basic API management
  • Pay-as-you-go$3.5/per 1M requests
    • Unlimited requests
    • HTTP APIs
    • REST APIs

Hotjar

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Hotjar review.

Which should you pick?

Choose AWS API Gateway if

  • You need rest apis.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on AWS Cloud.
  • You also want websocket apis.
AWS API Gateway review

Choose Hotjar if

  • You need heatmaps.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want session recordings.
Hotjar review

Questions people ask

Is AWS API Gateway or Hotjar better?
Neither clearly leads. AWS API Gateway starts at Free and Hotjar at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, AWS API Gateway or Hotjar?
AWS API Gateway starts at Free and Hotjar at Free.
Does AWS API Gateway or Hotjar run on more platforms?
AWS API Gateway runs on AWS Cloud. Hotjar runs on Web.
Can I use AWS API Gateway for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is AWS API Gateway best used for?
AWS API Gateway is most often used for fronting lambda functions with an http endpoint, rest and http api management with throttling and keys, websocket apis for real-time clients, private apis reachable only inside a vpc. Of those, fronting lambda functions with an http endpoint and rest and http api management with throttling and keys are not what Hotjar is typically brought in for.
What can AWS API Gateway do that Hotjar cannot?
AWS API Gateway covers REST APIs, WebSocket APIs, HTTP APIs, Lambda. Hotjar covers Heatmaps, Session recordings, Feedback widgets, Surveys.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Hotjar: Does Hotjar have a free tier?

Yes. Hotjar's free plan (now under Contentsquare) includes 200,000 monthly sessions, 10,000 session replays, and unlimited heatmaps, with no time limit on the free tier.

Source
Hotjar: Can I export my data from Hotjar?

Yes. Hotjar allows exporting heatmaps as JPG images, survey responses as CSV files, and session recording metadata. Advanced export options are available through the Hotjar API.

Source
Hotjar: Does Hotjar provide real-time analytics?

No. Hotjar has a slight delay in data processing and does not offer true real-time analytics compared to some competitors.

Source
Hotjar: What integrations does Hotjar support?

Hotjar integrates with Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Slack, HubSpot, Jira, Linear, Microsoft Teams, Zapier, and hundreds of other tools through its API and partner integrations.

Source
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