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E-Commerce · head to head

Hotjar vs Trustpilot

Hotjar logo

Hotjar

E-Commerce

Understand how users behave on your site

From
Free
Rated
-
Trustpilot logo

Trustpilot

E-Commerce

Review management platform for ecommerce

From
Free
Rated
-

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; Trustpilot review invitations are rationed monthly, at 50 on free, 100 on Starter and 300 on Plus, so collecting reviews is the metered resource
  • They diverge on capability: Hotjar covers Heatmaps, Trustpilot covers Review collection.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hotjar and Trustpilot actually diverge.

Attributes where Hotjar and Trustpilot differ
AttributeHotjarTrustpilot
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
Founded20142011

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

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 Trustpilot

  • Review collection
  • Email surveys
  • Review moderation
  • Analytics dashboard
  • Response management
  • Star rating display
  • Widgets
  • API access

What people use each for

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

Hotjar

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

Trustpilot

  • Review collection and managementnot Hotjar
  • Customer reputation monitoringnot Hotjar
  • Review widget integrationnot Hotjar
  • Multi-location business review trackingnot 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

Trustpilot

  • Review invitations are rationed monthly, at 50 on free, 100 on Starter and 300 on Plus, so collecting reviews is the metered resource
  • The Plus and Premium plans are priced per domain, so a second brand doubles the cost
  • Starter at $99 a month billed annually allows one user, two widgets and one domain
  • Customising the public profile to match a brand requires the Plus plan at $319 a month
  • Sentiment analysis and custom dashboards are Premium only at $799 a month
  • Every published price requires annual billing

Pricing, plan by plan

Hotjar

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Hotjar review.

Trustpilot

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 50 review invitations monthly
    • Unlimited Support Center access
    • Basic review collection and management
  • Starter$99/month
    • 100 review invitations monthly
    • 2 widgets, 1 user, 1 domain
    • 15 integrations
  • Plus$319/month
    • 300 invitations monthly
    • 10 widgets, 3 users
    • Up to 3 domains
  • Premium$799/month
    • 1,000 invitations monthly
    • 21 widgets, 10 users
    • Unlimited domains

Which should you pick?

Choose Hotjar if

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

Choose Trustpilot if

  • You need review collection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want email surveys.

Questions people ask

Is Hotjar or Trustpilot better?
Neither clearly leads. Hotjar starts at Free and Trustpilot at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hotjar or Trustpilot?
Hotjar starts at Free and Trustpilot at Free.
Does Hotjar or Trustpilot 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 Trustpilot is typically brought in for.
What can Hotjar do that Trustpilot cannot?
Hotjar covers Heatmaps, Session recordings, Feedback widgets, Surveys. Trustpilot covers Review collection, Email surveys, Review moderation, Analytics dashboard.

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
Trustpilot: Does Trustpilot offer a free plan?

Yes. Trustpilot's Free plan includes 50 review invitations monthly, unlimited Support Center access, and basic review management at no cost.

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
Trustpilot: What is the minimum contract length for Trustpilot paid plans?

All Trustpilot contracts require a 12-month commitment, prepaid annually. This applies to Starter, Plus, Premium, and Enterprise plans.

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
Trustpilot: Does Trustpilot charge per domain or per organization?

Pricing for Plus and Premium plans is per domain. The Starter plan includes 1 domain; Plus covers up to 3 domains; Premium supports unlimited domains. Enterprise pricing is custom.

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
Trustpilot: Can data be accessed after canceling Trustpilot?

Yes. Trustpilot states that 'Reviews remain accessible if service is discontinued,' ensuring customers retain access to collected review data even after canceling.

Source
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