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Microsoft Azure API Management vs Hotjar

Microsoft Azure API Management logo

Microsoft Azure API Management

Software

Hybrid, multi-cloud API management service on Azure

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: Microsoft Azure API Management prices are not shown on the pricing page itself; every tier renders as a placeholder and routes to the calculator or sales; Hotjar website performance impact - Hotjar tracking code can cause noticeable slowdowns affecting site speed and Google rankings
  • They diverge on capability: Microsoft Azure API Management covers API Gateway, Hotjar covers Heatmaps.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Microsoft Azure API Management and Hotjar actually diverge.

Attributes where Microsoft Azure API Management and Hotjar differ
AttributeMicrosoft Azure API ManagementHotjar
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsCloud, Hybrid, Multi-cloudWeb
Founded19752014

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 Microsoft Azure API Management

  • API Gateway
  • Developer Portal
  • API Policies
  • Azure services
  • AWS
  • Google Cloud
  • On-premises
  • Cloud support

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.

Microsoft Azure API Management

  • API gateway and lifecycle management on Azurenot Hotjar
  • Throttling, keys and policies in front of backend servicesnot Hotjar
  • Developer portal for internal and partner APIsnot Hotjar
  • Hybrid deployments using self-hosted gatewaysnot Hotjar

Hotjar

  • User behavior analysisnot Microsoft Azure API Management
  • Conversion optimizationnot Microsoft Azure API Management
  • UX researchnot Microsoft Azure API Management
  • Customer feedbacknot Microsoft Azure API Management
  • Usability testingnot Microsoft Azure API Management

Where each one falls short

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

Microsoft Azure API Management

  • Prices are not shown on the pricing page itself; every tier renders as a placeholder and routes to the calculator or sales
  • Two parallel generations of tiers, classic and v2, so the choice is which lineage before which size
  • The Developer tier is explicitly not for production
  • Self-hosted gateways and workspace gateways are charged separately from the service

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

Microsoft Azure API Management

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1M calls/month
    • Community support
  • Developer$50/monthly
    • 10M calls/month
    • Email support
  • Premium$500/monthly
    • Unlimited calls
    • Priority support
    • SLA

Hotjar

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Hotjar review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Microsoft Azure API Management if

  • You need api gateway.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, Hybrid, Multi-cloud.
  • You also want developer portal.
Microsoft Azure API Management review

Choose Hotjar if

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

Questions people ask

Is Microsoft Azure API Management or Hotjar better?
Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Azure API Management 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, Microsoft Azure API Management or Hotjar?
Microsoft Azure API Management starts at Free and Hotjar at Free.
Does Microsoft Azure API Management or Hotjar run on more platforms?
Microsoft Azure API Management runs on Cloud, Hybrid, Multi-cloud. Hotjar runs on Web.
Can I use Microsoft Azure API Management for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Microsoft Azure API Management best used for?
Microsoft Azure API Management is most often used for api gateway and lifecycle management on azure, throttling, keys and policies in front of backend services, developer portal for internal and partner apis, hybrid deployments using self-hosted gateways. Of those, api gateway and lifecycle management on azure and throttling, keys and policies in front of backend services are not what Hotjar is typically brought in for.
What can Microsoft Azure API Management do that Hotjar cannot?
Microsoft Azure API Management covers API Gateway, Developer Portal, API Policies, Azure services. 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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Related pages

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