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Software · head to head

Hotjar vs PostHog

H

Hotjar

Software

Understand how users behave on your site

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
PostHog logo

PostHog

Software

The single platform to analyze, test, observe, and deploy new features

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; PostHog the free tier covers 1M events, 5K web session recordings and 2.5K mobile recordings per month before usage-based billing starts
  • They diverge on capability: Hotjar covers Session recordings, PostHog covers Product analytics.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hotjar and PostHog actually diverge.

Attributes where Hotjar and PostHog differ
AttributeHotjarPostHog
Pricing modelUnknownusage-based
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android, Api
Founded20142020

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 Hotjar

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

Only in PostHog

  • Product analytics
  • Session recording
  • Feature flags
  • A/B testing
  • SQL access
  • Data warehouse
  • Apps platform
  • Sentry

Both cover

  • Heatmaps
  • Segment
  • Zapier
  • Slack
  • Microsoft Teams
  • GDPR
  • SOC2
  • Cloud deployment

What people use each for

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

Hotjar

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

PostHog

  • Product analyticsnot Hotjar
  • Feature experimentationnot Hotjar
  • User behavior trackingnot Hotjar
  • A/B testingnot Hotjar
  • Debug production issuesnot 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

PostHog

  • The free tier covers 1M events, 5K web session recordings and 2.5K mobile recordings per month before usage-based billing starts
  • Accounts without a card on file are limited to 1 project; adding one raises it to 6
  • Data retention is 1 year until a card is added, which extends it to 7 years
  • Support is community-only until the account is on a paid plan
  • Error tracking is capped at 100K exceptions and surveys at 1500 responses per month on the free tier

Pricing, plan by plan

Hotjar

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Hotjar review.

PostHog

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1M events/month
    • 5K sessions/month
    • Unlimited users
  • Paid$undefined/month
    • $0.00031/event
    • $0.005/session
    • Advanced permissions
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • SAML SSO
    • Advanced security
    • Dedicated support

Which should you pick?

Choose Hotjar if

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

Choose PostHog if

  • You need product analytics.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want session recording.
PostHog review

Questions people ask

Is Hotjar or PostHog better?
Neither clearly leads. Hotjar starts at Free and PostHog at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hotjar or PostHog?
Hotjar starts at Free and PostHog at Free.
Does Hotjar or PostHog run on more platforms?
Hotjar runs on Web. PostHog runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
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 PostHog is typically brought in for.
What can Hotjar do that PostHog cannot?
Hotjar covers Session recordings, Feedback widgets, Surveys, User interviews. PostHog covers Product analytics, Session recording, Feature flags, A/B testing. Both handle Heatmaps, Segment, Zapier, Slack.

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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