Software · head to head
Hotjar vs Checkout.com
Checkout.com
Software
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- On request
- Rated
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The short version
- Only Hotjar has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Hotjar website performance impact - Hotjar tracking code can cause noticeable slowdowns affecting site speed and Google rankings; Checkout.com checkout.com/pricing publishes no per-transaction percentage or fixed fee; pricing is set per business profile and risk category through direct sales contact, per the vendor's own pricing page (Aug 2026)
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Hotjar and Checkout.com actually diverge.
| Attribute | Hotjar | Checkout.com |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | On request |
| Pricing model | Unknown | quote |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Founded | 2014 | Unknown |
Identical on both: platforms (Web), 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 Hotjar
- Heatmaps
- Session recordings
- Feedback widgets
- Surveys
- User interviews
- Conversion funnels
- Form analytics
- Rage click detection
Only in Checkout.com
Nothing recorded that Hotjar does not also cover.
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Hotjar
- User behavior analysisnot Checkout.com
- Conversion optimizationnot Checkout.com
- UX researchnot Checkout.com
- Customer feedbacknot Checkout.com
- Usability testingnot Checkout.com
Checkout.com
No use cases recorded yet. See the Checkout.com review.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
Checkout.com
- checkout.com/pricing publishes no per-transaction percentage or fixed fee; pricing is set per business profile and risk category through direct sales contact, per the vendor's own pricing page (Aug 2026)
- Choosing between the flat-rate and Interchange++ pricing models requires contacting the sales team, since neither model's rate is quoted publicly on the page
Pricing, plan by plan
Hotjar
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Hotjar review.
Checkout.com
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Checkout.com review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Hotjar if
- You need heatmaps.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want session recordings.
Choose Checkout.com if
Nothing in the data separates Checkout.com from Hotjar on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Questions people ask
- Is Hotjar or Checkout.com better?
- Neither clearly leads. Hotjar starts at Free and Checkout.com at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Hotjar or Checkout.com?
- Hotjar has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Hotjar and On request for Checkout.com.
- Does Hotjar or Checkout.com run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Hotjar for free?
- Yes. Hotjar has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Checkout.com starts at On request.
- What is Hotjar best used for?
- Hotjar is most often used for user behavior analysis, conversion optimization, ux research, customer feedback. Of those, user behavior analysis and conversion optimization are not what Checkout.com is typically brought in for.
- What can Hotjar do that Checkout.com cannot?
- 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.
SourceHotjar: 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.
SourceHotjar: 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.
SourceHotjar: 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