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Software · head to head

Hotjar vs Squarespace Commerce

H

Hotjar

Software

Understand how users behave on your site

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Squarespace Commerce logo

Squarespace Commerce

Software

All-in-one website builder and ecommerce platform

From
$14/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; Squarespace Commerce the entry plan charges a 2% transaction fee on online store sales on top of payment processing
  • They diverge on capability: Hotjar covers Heatmaps, Squarespace Commerce covers Website builder.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hotjar and Squarespace Commerce actually diverge.

Attributes where Hotjar and Squarespace Commerce differ
AttributeHotjarSquarespace Commerce
Starting priceFree$14/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
Founded20142003

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 Squarespace Commerce

  • Website builder
  • Ecommerce platform
  • Mobile optimization
  • Email marketing
  • Analytics
  • Domain registration
  • SSL certificate
  • Customer accounts

What people use each for

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

Hotjar

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

Squarespace Commerce

  • Running a store on a hosted website builder with managed hostingnot Hotjar
  • Selling products, services and memberships from one sitenot 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

Squarespace Commerce

  • The entry plan charges a 2% transaction fee on online store sales on top of payment processing
  • Digital content and membership sales carry their own fee, up to 7% on the lowest tier
  • The entry plan is limited to 2 contributors
  • Reaching a 0% transaction fee requires moving up from the entry plan

Pricing, plan by plan

Hotjar

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Hotjar review.

Squarespace Commerce

$14/month
  • Personal$14/month
    • Website builder
    • Free domain
    • Analytics
  • Business$23/month
    • All Personal features
    • Ecommerce functionality
    • Inventory management

Which should you pick?

Choose Hotjar if

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

Choose Squarespace Commerce if

  • You need website builder.
  • You also want ecommerce platform.
Squarespace Commerce review

Questions people ask

Is Hotjar or Squarespace Commerce better?
Neither clearly leads. Hotjar starts at Free and Squarespace Commerce at $14/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hotjar or Squarespace Commerce?
Hotjar has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Hotjar and $14/month for Squarespace Commerce.
Does Hotjar or Squarespace Commerce 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. Squarespace Commerce starts at $14/month.
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 Squarespace Commerce is typically brought in for.
What can Hotjar do that Squarespace Commerce cannot?
Hotjar covers Heatmaps, Session recordings, Feedback widgets, Surveys. Squarespace Commerce covers Website builder, Ecommerce platform, Mobile optimization, Email marketing.

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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