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E-Commerce · head to head

Hotjar vs SurveyMonkey

Hotjar logo

Hotjar

E-Commerce

Understand how users behave on your site

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SurveyMonkey logo

SurveyMonkey

Research

Turn feedback into action

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; SurveyMonkey team plans require minimum 3 users as baseline
  • They diverge on capability: Hotjar covers Heatmaps, SurveyMonkey covers Survey builder.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hotjar and SurveyMonkey actually diverge.

Attributes where Hotjar and SurveyMonkey differ
AttributeHotjarSurveyMonkey
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
CategoryE-CommerceResearch
Founded20141999

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 SurveyMonkey

  • Survey builder
  • Question bank
  • Survey logic
  • Multi-language surveys
  • Mobile surveys
  • Real-time results
  • Data analysis tools
  • Custom branding

Both cover

  • Google Analytics
  • Slack
  • Microsoft Teams
  • HubSpot
  • GDPR
  • SOC2

What people use each for

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

Hotjar

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

SurveyMonkey

  • Market research and customer surveysnot Hotjar
  • Employee feedback and engagement trackingnot Hotjar
  • Data collection and analysisnot Hotjar
  • Customer satisfaction and NPS measurementsnot 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

SurveyMonkey

  • Team plans require minimum 3 users as baseline
  • Annual response limits enforced: 50,000 responses/year on Team Advantage, 100,000 on Team Premier
  • Additional responses beyond annual limits charged at AED 0.50 per response
  • Enterprise plan requires custom pricing and minimum 5 users
  • Advanced features like multilingual surveys and phone support require Team Premier tier

Pricing, plan by plan

Hotjar

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Hotjar review.

SurveyMonkey

Free
  • Team Advantage$99/month
    • 50,000 responses per year
    • Unlimited surveys and questions
    • 3 user minimum
  • Team Premier$240/month
    • 100,000 responses per year
    • All Team Advantage features
    • White label branding

Which should you pick?

Choose Hotjar if

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

Choose SurveyMonkey if

  • You need survey builder.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want question bank.
SurveyMonkey review

Questions people ask

Is Hotjar or SurveyMonkey better?
Neither clearly leads. Hotjar starts at Free and SurveyMonkey at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hotjar or SurveyMonkey?
Hotjar starts at Free and SurveyMonkey at Free.
Does Hotjar or SurveyMonkey 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 SurveyMonkey is typically brought in for.
What can Hotjar do that SurveyMonkey cannot?
Hotjar covers Heatmaps, Session recordings, Feedback widgets, Surveys. SurveyMonkey covers Survey builder, Question bank, Survey logic, Multi-language surveys. Both handle Google Analytics, Slack, Microsoft Teams, 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
SurveyMonkey: How much does SurveyMonkey cost?

SurveyMonkey offers team plans starting at AED 99 per user per month for Team Advantage and AED 240 per user per month for Team Premier. Both plans require a minimum of 3 users. Billing can be monthly or annual.

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
SurveyMonkey: What are SurveyMonkey's overage fees?

SurveyMonkey charges AED 0.50 per additional response on paid plans beyond the annual limit included in each tier.

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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