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Software · head to head

Hotjar vs Mouseflow

H

Hotjar

Software

Understand how users behave on your site

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Mouseflow logo

Mouseflow

Software

Session replay and heatmaps

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Hotjar website performance impact - Hotjar tracking code can cause noticeable slowdowns affecting site speed and Google rankings; Mouseflow the free plan is 500 sessions a month, one website and one month of data retention
  • They diverge on capability: Hotjar covers Heatmaps, Mouseflow covers Session Replay.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hotjar and Mouseflow actually diverge.

Attributes where Hotjar and Mouseflow differ
AttributeHotjarMouseflow
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
Founded20142009

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Mouseflow

  • Session Replay
  • 6 Types of Heatmaps
  • Funnels
  • Form Analytics
  • User Feedback
  • Salesforce
  • Zendesk
  • Intercom

Both cover

  • Google Analytics
  • Segment
  • HubSpot

What people use each for

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

Hotjar

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

Mouseflow

  • Session replay to watch how visitors use a pagenot Hotjar
  • Click, scroll and geographic heatmapsnot Hotjar
  • Conversion funnel and form analyticsnot Hotjar
  • Friction detection on problem pagesnot Hotjar
  • On-site feedback surveysnot Hotjar

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

Mouseflow

  • The free plan is 500 sessions a month, one website and one month of data retention
  • Data retention is tiered, from 1 month on free to 12 months on Premium at $319 a month
  • Essential at $25 a month covers a single website project
  • SSO, custom privacy settings and priority support are on the higher tiers only
  • The 14 day money-back guarantee applies to annual subscriptions and excludes Enterprise

Pricing, plan by plan

Hotjar

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Hotjar review.

Mouseflow

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Mouseflow review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Hotjar if

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

Choose Mouseflow if

  • You need session replay.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want 6 types of heatmaps.
Mouseflow review

Questions people ask

Is Hotjar or Mouseflow better?
Neither clearly leads. Hotjar starts at Free and Mouseflow at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hotjar or Mouseflow?
Hotjar starts at Free and Mouseflow at Free.
Does Hotjar or Mouseflow run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Hotjar for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Mouseflow is typically brought in for.
What can Hotjar do that Mouseflow cannot?
Hotjar covers Heatmaps, Session recordings, Feedback widgets, Surveys. Mouseflow covers Session Replay, 6 Types of Heatmaps, Funnels, Form Analytics. Both handle Google Analytics, Segment, HubSpot.

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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