Alternatives · analytics

Hotjar Alternatives (2026)

8 top competitors to Hotjar in 2026, ranked by rating and real-world adoption. Hotjar is a strong product, but it is not the only option, and pricing or workflow constraints often push users to look elsewhere. The list below covers the alternatives most teams actually consider.

Original tool

Hotjar

Heatmaps, session recordings, and feedback tools for website optimisation

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1
ObsidianFreemium
Local-first knowledge graph for notes and research with powerful linking
★ 4.82,640 reviewsFree tier0
Obsidian is a strong analytics alternative: rated 4.8/5 across 2,640 users, ahead of Hotjar at 4.4.
Try Obsidian →Compare Hotjar vs Obsidian →Obsidian alternatives
2
Plausible AnalyticsPaid
Privacy-first web analytics that requires no cookie banner
★ 4.71,100 reviewsFrom $9/mo
Plausible Analytics is a strong analytics alternative: paid only (Hotjar has a free tier); rated 4.7/5 across 1,100 users, ahead of Hotjar at 4.4.
Try Plausible Analytics →Compare Hotjar vs Plausible Analytics →Plausible Analytics alternatives
3
NotebookLMFreemium
AI research assistant grounded entirely in your own documents
★ 4.71,890 reviewsFree tierFrom $20/mo
NotebookLM is a strong analytics alternative: rated 4.7/5 across 1,890 users, ahead of Hotjar at 4.4.
Try NotebookLM →Compare Hotjar vs NotebookLM →NotebookLM alternatives
4
DecagonPaid
AI customer support agents trained on your knowledge base and product data
★ 4.7420 reviews0
Decagon is a strong analytics alternative: paid only (Hotjar has a free tier); rated 4.7/5 across 420 users, ahead of Hotjar at 4.4.
Try Decagon →Compare Hotjar vs Decagon →Decagon alternatives
5
DeepnoteFreemium
Collaborative data science notebooks with AI built in
★ 4.6740 reviewsFree tier0
A direct competitor to Hotjar in the analytics space, rated 4.6/5 by 740 users.
Try Deepnote →Compare Hotjar vs Deepnote →Deepnote alternatives
6
Hugging FaceFreemium
The open-source AI platform for sharing, discovering, and running ML models
★ 4.62,100 reviewsFree tierFrom $9/mo
A direct competitor to Hotjar in the analytics space, rated 4.6/5 by 2,100 users.
Try Hugging Face →Compare Hotjar vs Hugging Face →Hugging Face alternatives
7
ChartMogulFreemium
Subscription analytics and revenue intelligence for SaaS businesses
★ 4.6780 reviewsFree tier0
A direct competitor to Hotjar in the analytics space, rated 4.6/5 by 780 users.
Try ChartMogul →Compare Hotjar vs ChartMogul →ChartMogul alternatives
8
DovetailFreemium
AI-powered research repository that synthesises customer insights from interviews, surveys, and support data
★ 4.61,840 reviewsFree tier0
A direct competitor to Hotjar in the analytics space, rated 4.6/5 by 1,840 users.
Try Dovetail →Compare Hotjar vs Dovetail →Dovetail alternatives

Quick decision matrix

Most users land on this page with one decision criterion top of mind. Here is the alternative we recommend for each common scenario.

You want the highest-rated alternative: Obsidian
Rated 4.8/5 by 2,640 users.
Budget is the main constraint: Decagon
Starts at $0/mo on the entry tier.
You want a free option to test first: NotebookLM
Includes a usable free tier with no credit card required.

Why people look for Hotjar alternatives

Most users who search for an alternative are not unhappy with Hotjar - they are checking whether a different tool fits their specific workflow better. Common reasons include pricing that does not match the budget, a missing integration with the rest of the stack, a different team size or use case, or a free tier that opens up experimentation without commitment.

All 8 tools above operate in the same analytics space and have been independently scored on our seven-criteria framework. See methodology.

Curated by

John Ethan

Founder & Editor-in-Chief

Founder of MytheAi. Tracking and reviewing AI and SaaS tools since January 2026. Built MytheAi out of frustration with pay-to-rank listicles and SEO-driven AI directories that prioritize ad revenue over honest guidance. Hands-on testing across 500+ tools to date.