Microsoft Clarity vs Hotjar: which should you choose?
Quick answer: Microsoft Clarity is built for budget-conscious, while Hotjar suits ux-research. For most users Microsoft Clarity is the stronger default, but Hotjar can be the better fit depending on your budget and use case.
Microsoft Clarity versus Hotjar comes down to which trade-offs you can live with. Below we compare them on pricing, strengths and the use cases each one fits, then give a clear verdict.
Side-by-side
| Microsoft Clarity | Hotjar | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Behavior Analytics | Behavior Analytics |
| What it's known for | Completely free heatmap and session-recording tool from Microsoft with no traffic, session or seat limits, plus native GA4 integration. | Popular product-experience tool combining heatmaps, session recordings, surveys and feedback widgets to show how and why users behave on a site. |
| Pricing | 100% free, no traffic or session limits | Free Basic tier; Observe/Ask paid plans from ~$32/mo (annual) scaling by sessions; enterprise custom |
| Best audience | Budget-conscious teams and any site wanting free, unlimited behaviour analytics. | UX researchers and CRO teams wanting qualitative insight into user behaviour. |
| Best for | budget-conscious, ux-research | ux-research, conversion-optimization |
| Entry price | Free | Free |
| Biggest strength | Completely free with no traffic, session or seat limits. | Easy, fast way to see how users behave on a site. |
| Main caveat | Session/heatmap data retained only ~30 days. | Pricing now split into separate Contentsquare product lines (Experience Analytics + Voice of Customer). |
Features compared
The feature sets only partly overlap. Here is what each one actually gives you:
Microsoft Clarity key features
- Heatmaps (click, scroll, area)
- Session recordings
- AI insights via Copilot chat
- Native GA4 integration
Hotjar key features
- Heatmaps (click, move, scroll)
- Session recordings
- Surveys and feedback widgets
- Funnels and conversion insights
Pricing tiers side by side
Microsoft Clarity plans
| Plan | Price | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | no traffic, session or seat limits |
Hotjar plans
| Plan | Price | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| Basic (free) | $0 | up to ~35 daily sessions, unlimited surveys/feedback |
| Plus / Experience Analytics | ~$32-49/mo | 100 daily sessions, scales by volume |
| Business | ~$80/mo+ | 500+ daily sessions, advanced features |
Tiers compiled from the vendors' published plans and independent reviews; prices are approximate and change often, so confirm current figures (and your region's taxes) on each vendor's site.
Strengths compared
Where Microsoft Clarity wins
Genuinely free, unlimited heatmaps and session recordings from Microsoft.
- Completely free with no traffic, session or seat limits.
- AI Copilot for querying data in natural language.
That makes it the stronger pick for budget-conscious teams and any site wanting free, unlimited behaviour analytics.
Where Hotjar wins
The popular heatmap-and-recording tool, now folded into the Contentsquare platform.
- Easy, fast way to see how users behave on a site.
- Combines heatmaps, recordings and surveys in one tool.
That makes it the stronger pick for uX researchers and CRO teams wanting qualitative insight into user behaviour.
Verdict: choose by fit
Pick by fit rather than by an overall score.
- Choose Microsoft Clarity if you fit its core audience — budget-conscious teams and any site wanting free, unlimited behaviour analytics.
- Choose Hotjar if you fit its core audience — uX researchers and CRO teams wanting qualitative insight into user behaviour.
FAQ
Is Microsoft Clarity better than Hotjar?
Microsoft Clarity is the stronger default for most users, but Hotjar can be the better fit depending on your budget and use case.
What is the main difference between Microsoft Clarity and Hotjar?
Microsoft Clarity is genuinely free, unlimited heatmaps and session recordings from Microsoft. Hotjar is the popular heatmap-and-recording tool, now folded into the Contentsquare platform.
Which is cheaper, Microsoft Clarity or Hotjar?
Both Microsoft Clarity and Hotjar offer a free tier, so the real comparison is the paid plans above — pick based on the storage, features and limits you actually need.
Sources
Facts above are drawn from these independent reviews and the vendors' own pages for Microsoft Clarity and Hotjar: