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Software · head to head

Countly vs Hotjar

Countly logo

Countly

Software

Product analytics for mobile and web

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: Countly the private cloud plan starts at $175 a month and is described as usage based without stating the unit; Hotjar website performance impact - Hotjar tracking code can cause noticeable slowdowns affecting site speed and Google rankings
  • They diverge on capability: Countly covers Event tracking, Hotjar covers Heatmaps.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Countly and Hotjar actually diverge.

Attributes where Countly and Hotjar differ
AttributeCountlyHotjar
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Mobile, ApiWeb
Founded20122014

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 Countly

  • Event tracking
  • Crash reporting
  • Analytics dashboard
  • User retention
  • Open-source
  • On-premise deployment
  • Web support
  • Mobile support

Only in Hotjar

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

Both cover

  • Cloud deployment

What people use each for

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

Countly

  • Product analytics for mobile and web applicationsnot Hotjar
  • Self hosting analytics where data cannot leave the organisationnot Hotjar

Hotjar

  • User behavior analysisnot Countly
  • Conversion optimizationnot Countly
  • UX researchnot Countly
  • Customer feedbacknot Countly
  • Usability testingnot Countly

Where each one falls short

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

Countly

  • The private cloud plan starts at $175 a month and is described as usage based without stating the unit
  • No event cap, data point limit or user limit is published for either paid plan
  • The self hosted Enterprise edition is custom priced and billed annually
  • Adaptivity and intelligence features are separately priced add ons on the cheaper plan

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

Countly

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Open-source
    • Self-hosted
    • Full features

Hotjar

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Hotjar review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Countly if

  • You need event tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, Api.
  • You also want crash reporting.
Countly review

Choose Hotjar if

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

Questions people ask

Is Countly or Hotjar better?
Neither clearly leads. Countly 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, Countly or Hotjar?
Countly starts at Free and Hotjar at Free.
Does Countly or Hotjar run on more platforms?
Countly runs on Web, Mobile, Api. Hotjar runs on Web.
Can I use Countly for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Countly best used for?
Countly is most often used for product analytics for mobile and web applications, self hosting analytics where data cannot leave the organisation. Of those, product analytics for mobile and web applications and self hosting analytics where data cannot leave the organisation are not what Hotjar is typically brought in for.
What can Countly do that Hotjar cannot?
Countly covers Event tracking, Crash reporting, Analytics dashboard, User retention. Hotjar covers Heatmaps, Session recordings, Feedback widgets, Surveys. Both handle Cloud deployment.

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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