Softwr

E-Commerce · head to head

Hotjar vs Vendure

Hotjar logo

Hotjar

E-Commerce

Understand how users behave on your site

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Vendure logo

Vendure

E-Commerce

Modern headless GraphQL commerce framework

From
On request
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; Vendure pricing is custom-quoted per project with no published tiers or starting price
  • They diverge on capability: Hotjar covers Heatmaps, Vendure covers GraphQL API.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hotjar and Vendure actually diverge.

Attributes where Hotjar and Vendure differ
AttributeHotjarVendure
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelUnknownquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebSelf-hosted, Vendure Cloud
Founded20142019

Identical on both: 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 Vendure

  • GraphQL API
  • TypeScript native
  • Plugin architecture
  • Admin UI
  • Multi-channel
  • Asset management
  • Order workflow
  • Faceted search

What people use each for

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

Hotjar

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

Vendure

  • B2B complex commerce workflowsnot Hotjar
  • Multi-brand and multi-currency operationsnot Hotjar
  • Custom pricing and contract managementnot 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

Vendure

  • Pricing is custom-quoted per project with no published tiers or starting price
  • Requires implementation partner or in-house development; no low-code or no-code option
  • GPLv3 free tier (Vendure Core) has different licensing than commercial product

Pricing, plan by plan

Hotjar

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Hotjar review.

Vendure

On request
  • Platform (Self-hosted)$null/annual
    • Flat annual subscription
    • No GMV, order, user, or capability-based charges
    • Complete Platform feature set
  • Vendure Cloud$null/annual
    • Managed platform option
    • Same Platform feature set as self-hosted
    • Pricing not specified on website

Which should you pick?

Choose Hotjar if

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

Choose Vendure if

  • You need graphql api.
  • You work on Self-hosted, Vendure Cloud.
  • You also want typescript native.
Vendure review

Questions people ask

Is Hotjar or Vendure better?
Neither clearly leads. Hotjar starts at Free and Vendure at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hotjar or Vendure?
Hotjar has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Hotjar and On request for Vendure.
Does Hotjar or Vendure run on more platforms?
Hotjar runs on Web. Vendure runs on Self-hosted, Vendure Cloud.
Can I use Hotjar for free?
Yes. Hotjar has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Vendure starts at On request.
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 Vendure is typically brought in for.
What can Hotjar do that Vendure cannot?
Hotjar covers Heatmaps, Session recordings, Feedback widgets, Surveys. Vendure covers GraphQL API, TypeScript native, Plugin architecture, Admin UI.

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
Vendure: How is Vendure priced?

Vendure uses flat annual pricing with no charges based on GMV, order volume, user count, or specific capabilities. Pricing is quoted individually per project based on business requirements.

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
Vendure: Does Vendure charge for the runtime?

No additional fee is required for the Vendure runtime. Organizations can deploy it on their own infrastructure at no extra cost beyond the platform subscription.

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
Vendure: What is included in Vendure's subscription?

The annual platform subscription includes B2B storefront capabilities, pricing engines, catalogs, search, integrations, operations, brands/markets management, platform support, security updates, quarterly roadmap calls, and commercial licensing with IP indemnification.

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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