The Best Hotjar Alternatives in 2026 (Heatmaps & Session Recording)
Tolodora Editorial Team
Tolodora's editorial team — we research, compile and regularly update these software guides from public sources and product documentation.
Hotjar popularised heatmaps and session recordings for understanding how people actually use your site. But its pricing scales with traffic, and rivals now match or beat it — one of them completely free with no traffic limits.
These all show you how users behave (heatmaps, recordings, funnels); they differ on price, depth, and data limits.
We rated every pick on four things — pricing and value, functionality, ease of use, and support. Here's the rundown.
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| # | Tool | Best for | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Microsoft Clarity | Anyone who wants Hotjar-style heatmaps and recordings for free. | 4.5/5 |
| 2 | FullStory | Product and UX teams that need powerful, searchable behavior analytics. | 4.2/5 |
| 3 | Mouseflow | Marketers and CRO teams who want Hotjar-style features for less. | 4.3/5 |
| 4 | Smartlook | Teams that need behavior analytics across web and native mobile apps. | 4.3/5 |
| 5 | PostHog | Product teams who want session recordings alongside product analytics in one tool. | 4.3/5 |
| 6 | Contentsquare | Large organisations that need deep, enterprise-scale experience analytics. | 4.1/5 |
Microsoft Clarity
- Pricing
- 10.0/10
- Functionality
- 8.4/10
- Ease of use
- 9.2/10
- Support
- 8.0/10
What I like
Completely free with no traffic limits — unlimited heatmaps, session recordings, and clever insights like rage clicks and dead clicks.
Best for
Anyone who wants Hotjar-style heatmaps and recordings for free.
If you run this kind of your busines operation, it belongs on your list. Microsoft Clarity is the easiest recommendation here: it's 100% free, with unlimited heatmaps and recordings, privacy-friendly by design, and useful behavioral insights. There's no paid tier because there's no catch. For most sites, it fully replaces Hotjar at zero cost.
FullStory
- Pricing
- 6.6/10
- Functionality
- 9.6/10
- Ease of use
- 8.4/10
- Support
- 8.8/10
What I like
Captures everything and lets you search it — retroactive session search, frustration signals, funnels and deep digital-experience analytics.
Best for
Product and UX teams that need powerful, searchable behavior analytics.
FullStory is a premium digital-experience platform: it records comprehensively and lets you query user behavior after the fact, surfacing friction and conversion issues. It's an enterprise-grade step up from Hotjar for teams that live in this data. For a your business setup, it's well worth a closer look.
Mouseflow
- Pricing
- 8.4/10
- Functionality
- 8.8/10
- Ease of use
- 8.8/10
- Support
- 8.6/10
What I like
A close Hotjar match — heatmaps, recordings, funnels, form analytics and friction scoring — often at a friendlier price.
Best for
Marketers and CRO teams who want Hotjar-style features for less.
Mouseflow covers the same core jobs as Hotjar — heatmaps, session replay, funnels and form analytics — with strong friction detection and competitive pricing. A very direct, cost-effective alternative for conversion optimization. It's a common pick among your business comparing their choices.
Smartlook
- Pricing
- 8.6/10
- Functionality
- 8.6/10
- Ease of use
- 8.8/10
- Support
- 8.4/10
What I like
Session recordings and heatmaps for both web and mobile apps, with event tracking and a free tier to start.
Best for
Teams that need behavior analytics across web and native mobile apps.
Smartlook stands out for covering mobile apps as well as websites, with recordings, heatmaps and event-based analytics. If you need to understand behavior inside a mobile app — not just a site — it's a strong, affordable Hotjar alternative. For your business, it's one of the stronger options on this shortlist.
PostHog
- Pricing
- 8.8/10
- Functionality
- 9.4/10
- Ease of use
- 8.0/10
- Support
- 8.4/10
What I like
Session replay plus a full product-analytics suite — funnels, feature flags, A/B tests — with a big free tier, open-source and self-hostable.
Best for
Product teams who want session recordings alongside product analytics in one tool.
That focus makes it a natural fit for many your business. PostHog bundles session replay with product analytics, experimentation and feature flags, so you get Hotjar-style recordings plus much more. Its generous free tier and open-source, self-hostable nature make it a powerful, cost-effective alternative for product-led teams.
Contentsquare
- Pricing
- 6.2/10
- Functionality
- 9.6/10
- Ease of use
- 8.2/10
- Support
- 8.8/10
What I like
Enterprise experience analytics with zone-based heatmaps, journey analysis, and AI-driven insights across the whole customer journey.
Best for
Large organisations that need deep, enterprise-scale experience analytics.
Contentsquare (which acquired Hotjar's parent space heavily) is an enterprise digital-experience platform: advanced heatmaps, journey and impact analysis, and AI insights. It's aimed at bigger teams and budgets, offering far more depth than Hotjar for serious CRO and UX programs. For your business, it's one of the stronger options on this shortlist.
The verdict
Want a genuinely free, unlimited option? Microsoft Clarity. Need enterprise-grade digital experience analytics? FullStory or Contentsquare. Want behavior analytics bundled with product analytics? PostHog.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free Hotjar alternative?
Yes — Microsoft Clarity is completely free with unlimited heatmaps and session recordings, no traffic caps. PostHog also has a generous free tier that includes session replay.
What's the best free Hotjar alternative for heatmaps?
Microsoft Clarity is the standout: free, unlimited, privacy-friendly, and it includes heatmaps, recordings and insights with no cost at all.
Which alternative is best for deep, enterprise analysis?
FullStory and Contentsquare offer the deepest digital-experience analytics, with advanced search, frustration signals and analytics that go well beyond basic heatmaps.
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