Hotjar vs Lucky Orange: Feature Comparison [2026]

Quick Answer: If you need live chat and real-time visitor monitoring alongside your heatmaps, Lucky Orange offers better value with all features included on every plan. If you prioritize advanced surveys, user interviews, and a polished interface with more integrations, Hotjar is the stronger choice. Both tools excel at heatmaps and session recordings—the decision comes down to your workflow priorities. Read our detailed Lucky Orange review and Hotjar pricing guide for more details.

Hotjar and Lucky Orange are two of the most popular behavior analytics platforms, but they take fundamentally different approaches. Hotjar has evolved into a comprehensive user research platform focused on understanding the "why" behind user behavior. Lucky Orange positions itself as an all-in-one conversion optimization suite with unique real-time capabilities. For a broader view, check out our guide to the best Hotjar alternatives.

In this detailed comparison, we'll break down features, pricing, strengths, and weaknesses to help you make the right choice for your website.

Quick Comparison Table

| Feature | Hotjar | Lucky Orange | |---------|--------|--------------| | Starting Price | Free (then $32/mo) | Free (then $39/mo) | | Pricing Model | Separate product tiers | All features included | | Heatmaps | Click, Scroll, Move, Zones | Click, Scroll, Move, Dynamic | | Session Recordings | Yes (all plans) | Yes (all plans) | | Live Chat | No | Yes (all plans) | | Live View | No | Yes (real-time monitoring) | | Form Analytics | Basic | Advanced | | Surveys | Comprehensive | Basic (one question type) | | Conversion Funnels | Yes (paid) | Yes (all plans) | | Announcements | No | Yes | | User Interviews | Yes (Engage product) | No | | AI Features | AI survey builder | Limited | | HubSpot Integration | Good | Excellent | | Best For | User research, feedback | E-commerce, real-time support |

What is Hotjar?

Hotjar is a behavior analytics and user feedback platform founded in 2014 and now part of Contentsquare. The platform combines visual analytics (heatmaps and session recordings) with qualitative research tools (surveys, feedback widgets, and user interviews).

Hotjar's philosophy emphasizes understanding user intent through direct feedback, not just observing behavior. This makes it particularly popular among product managers, UX researchers, and marketing teams who need both quantitative and qualitative insights.

Key Hotjar Features

Heatmaps: Hotjar offers click maps, scroll maps, move maps, and their newer Engagement Zones feature that visualizes all interaction types in a grid view. You can segment heatmaps by device type and compare different URL variations.

Session Recordings: Watch reconstructed videos of user sessions with automatic frustration detection. Hotjar flags rage clicks, dead clicks, and u-turns to help you find problems faster without watching hours of footage.

Surveys & Feedback: This is Hotjar's strongest differentiator. Create multi-question surveys, NPS polls, feedback widgets, and exit-intent popups. The AI-powered survey builder can draft questions based on your goals. Trigger surveys based on scroll depth, time on page, or custom events.

User Interviews (Engage): Hotjar's Engage product lets you recruit participants and conduct user interviews directly through the platform. Prices start at around $350/month for this feature.

Funnels: Visualize user drop-off through multi-step processes. Identify exactly where users abandon checkout flows, signup sequences, or onboarding steps.

Integrations: Hotjar connects with 115+ tools including Slack, HubSpot, Google Analytics, Jira, Segment, Mixpanel, and thousands more via Zapier.

Hotjar Pricing (2026)

Hotjar uses a modular pricing structure across three products: Observe (heatmaps/recordings), Ask (surveys/feedback), and Engage (user interviews).

Observe (Heatmaps & Recordings):

| Plan | Monthly Price | Daily Sessions | Data Retention | |------|---------------|----------------|----------------| | Basic (Free) | $0 | 35 | 30 days | | Plus | $32/mo | 100 | 365 days | | Business | $80/mo | 500 | 365 days | | Scale | $171/mo | Unlimited | 365 days |

Ask (Surveys & Feedback):

| Plan | Monthly Price | Responses/mo | |------|---------------|--------------| | Basic (Free) | $0 | 20 | | Plus | $48/mo | 250 | | Business | $64/mo | 500 | | Scale | $128/mo | Unlimited |

Note: Prices shown are for annual billing. Monthly billing is approximately 20% higher. Bundling multiple products provides additional discounts (up to 20% off).

The full Hotjar experience: If you want heatmaps, recordings, surveys, and funnels on Business-tier plans, expect to pay $150-200/month or more. Add teammates or need more data, and costs climb quickly.

What is Lucky Orange?

Lucky Orange was founded in 2010 as an all-in-one conversion optimization platform. Unlike Hotjar's modular approach, Lucky Orange includes every feature on every plan—even the free tier. You only pay more for additional session volume or extra websites.

Lucky Orange is particularly popular among e-commerce businesses and small marketing teams who want comprehensive analytics without juggling multiple subscriptions. Their real-time monitoring capabilities set them apart from most competitors.

Key Lucky Orange Features

Dynamic Heatmaps: Lucky Orange's heatmaps capture interactions with dynamic content, pop-ups, sliders, and AJAX-loaded elements that many tools miss. View click, scroll, and movement maps segmented by traffic source, device, or custom attributes.

Session Recordings: Watch visitor sessions with full playback controls. Unlike some competitors that sample data, Lucky Orange captures complete sessions within your plan limits.

Live Chat: This is Lucky Orange's standout feature. Provide real-time customer support directly within the platform. Features include:

Canned responses for common questions
Operator transfers between team members
Co-browsing to see what visitors see
Typing preview to see messages before they're sent
Custom data API for visitor context

Live View: Monitor visitors on your website in real-time. See exactly what they're doing right now—not a recording from hours ago. This enables proactive engagement, like reaching out to someone who appears stuck.

Form Analytics: Lucky Orange excels at form analysis. Track where users drop off, which fields take longest to complete, and which fields cause abandonment. This granular form data helps optimize lead generation and checkout processes.

Conversion Funnels: Visualize multi-step processes and identify where users exit. Create funnels for any sequence of pages or events.

Surveys & Announcements: Create basic on-site surveys (currently limited to one question type) and marketing announcements. Less sophisticated than Hotjar's survey tools, but included free.

Visitor Profiles: Build profiles of individual visitors with their complete history, including all sessions, chat conversations, and form submissions.

Lucky Orange Pricing (2026)

Lucky Orange uses simple, all-inclusive pricing. Every feature is available on every plan—you only pay for session volume.

| Plan | Monthly Price | Sessions/mo | Data Retention | Websites | |------|---------------|-------------|----------------|----------| | Free | $0 | 100 | 30 days | 1 | | Build | $39/mo | 5,000 | 60 days | 1 | | Grow | $79/mo | 15,000 | 90 days | 3 | | Expand | $179/mo | 45,000 | 6 months | 10 | | Scale | $749/mo | 300,000 | 12 months | 25 | | Enterprise | Custom | 500,000+ | 15 months | Custom |

Additional websites: $5/month per site on most plans.

Key pricing advantage: Every plan includes heatmaps, recordings, live chat, live view, form analytics, funnels, surveys, and announcements. No feature gating, no surprise paywalls.

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

Heatmaps

Both platforms offer robust heatmap functionality, but with different strengths.

Hotjar provides clean, modern heatmap visualization with click, scroll, and move maps. The Engagement Zones feature combines all interaction types into a single view. You can filter by device and compare variations, but advanced filtering is limited to higher-tier plans.

Lucky Orange offers dynamic heatmaps that capture interactions with animated content, modals, and dynamic elements. Segmentation by traffic source is available on all plans—see how Google visitors behave differently than social media traffic without paying extra.

G2 Ratings:

Hotjar Heat Maps: 9.3/10
Lucky Orange Heat Maps: 9.1/10

Winner: Hotjar for polish and Engagement Zones. Lucky Orange for dynamic content tracking and ungated segmentation.

Session Recordings

Both tools excel here, but implementation differs.

Hotjar automatically identifies frustration signals: rage clicks (rapid clicking), dead clicks (clicking non-interactive elements), and u-turns (immediate page exits). These filters dramatically reduce time spent reviewing recordings. However, session limits on lower plans can be restrictive.

Lucky Orange provides solid recording capabilities with the added ability to initiate live chat while watching recordings or monitoring live visitors. You can see a visitor struggling and immediately offer help. Recording limits scale with pricing, but every session within limits is complete (no sampling).

G2 Ratings:

Hotjar Session Replay: 9.3/10
Lucky Orange Session Replay: 8.8/10

Winner: Hotjar for frustration detection and filtering. Lucky Orange for real-time intervention capabilities.

Surveys and Feedback

This category strongly favors Hotjar.

Hotjar treats surveys as a core product. Create multi-question surveys with various question types (multiple choice, rating scales, open text, NPS). Trigger surveys based on behavior, exit intent, scroll depth, or time on page. The AI survey builder helps draft questions. You can also deploy feedback widgets on specific pages for ongoing collection.

Lucky Orange offers basic survey functionality—currently limited to one question type. Surveys exist, but they're clearly secondary to the visual analytics and real-time features. Announcements help with marketing messages, but don't replace proper survey tools.

Winner: Hotjar, decisively. If user feedback is critical to your workflow, Hotjar is the only choice between these two.

Real-Time Capabilities

This is Lucky Orange's standout category.

Hotjar does not offer real-time visitor monitoring. Session recordings are processed after the fact—you can't see what's happening on your site right now or intervene with live visitors.

Lucky Orange provides two real-time features no competitor matches:

Live View: See visitors navigating your site in real-time. Watch their cursors move, see which pages they're on, and identify visitors who appear stuck.
Live Chat: Initiate conversations with visitors based on their behavior. See someone about to abandon cart? Start a chat and offer help. This direct intervention capability can immediately impact conversions.

G2 Ratings (Real-Time Reporting):

Lucky Orange: 9.0/10
Hotjar: 8.6/10

Winner: Lucky Orange, significantly. Real-time monitoring and live chat are unique differentiators.

Form Analytics

Lucky Orange excels at form analysis. Track abandonment rates by field, see which inputs take longest to complete, identify fields that cause frustration, and understand exactly where users give up on your forms. This granular data is essential for lead generation optimization.

Hotjar offers basic form analytics but with less depth. You can see general conversion rates and some field-level data, but Lucky Orange's form tools are more comprehensive.

Winner: Lucky Orange for detailed form optimization needs.

Integrations

Hotjar connects with more tools overall:

Native integrations: Slack, HubSpot, Google Analytics, Jira, Linear, Microsoft Teams, Mixpanel, Segment, Intercom
Installation platforms: WordPress, Shopify, Wix, Squarespace, Google Tag Manager
8,000+ apps via Zapier
API access for custom integrations

Lucky Orange has fewer native integrations but includes a standout:

HubSpot Integration: Lucky Orange's HubSpot integration is exceptional. Upload recordings directly into HubSpot, view recordings from within HubSpot, and sync visitor data seamlessly. For HubSpot-centric teams, this is a major advantage.
Standard integrations: Shopify, WordPress, Google Tag Manager, Zapier

Winner: Hotjar for integration breadth. Lucky Orange for HubSpot specifically.

Custom Reports and Dashboards

Hotjar's dashboards earned a 9.4/10 rating on G2 for enabling tailored insights and custom reporting.

Lucky Orange scored 8.2/10 in this category—functional but less customizable than Hotjar.

Winner: Hotjar for customization and dashboard capabilities.

Pricing Comparison: Real-World Scenarios

Scenario 1: Small E-commerce Site (5,000 sessions/month)

Hotjar: Plus Observe ($32/mo) + Plus Ask ($48/mo) = $80/month for 100 daily sessions (~3,000/mo) plus surveys

Lucky Orange: Build plan at $39/month covers 5,000 sessions with ALL features including live chat

Winner: Lucky Orange—half the price with more features and adequate session limits

Scenario 2: Growing SaaS (15,000 sessions/month)

Hotjar: Business Observe ($80/mo) + Business Ask ($64/mo) = $144/month for 500 daily sessions (~15,000/mo) plus surveys

Lucky Orange: Grow plan at $79/month covers 15,000 sessions with ALL features

Winner: Lucky Orange—nearly half the cost with equivalent analytics plus live chat

Scenario 3: High-Traffic Site (50,000 sessions/month)

Hotjar: Scale Observe ($171/mo) + Scale Ask ($128/mo) = $299/month for unlimited sessions and surveys

Lucky Orange: Expand plan at $179/month covers 45,000 sessions. Scale at $749/mo for higher volume.

Winner: Close call. Hotjar wins on pure analytics at this volume; Lucky Orange wins if you value live chat included.

The Value Equation

Lucky Orange's advantage: All features included on every plan. No surprise paywalls when you need form analytics or funnels.

Hotjar's advantage: Deeper survey capabilities that Lucky Orange can't match. If user feedback is essential, Hotjar's premium is justified.

Ease of Use

Setup and Installation

Both tools install via a JavaScript snippet or Google Tag Manager—straightforward 5-minute setup.

Hotjar provides excellent onboarding with a setup wizard that guides you through creating your first heatmap and recordings. The interface is clean and modern.

Lucky Orange setup is similarly quick. The onboarding covers all features since everything is included. The interface is functional but slightly less polished than Hotjar.

Learning Curve

Hotjar (G2 Ease of Use: 9.1/10) - Modern, intuitive interface. Features are logically organized. New users can start gathering insights immediately.

Lucky Orange (G2 Ease of Use: 9.0/10) - Slightly steeper curve because there are more features to learn (live chat, live view, announcements). However, having everything in one place means no switching between tools.

Winner: Tie—both are accessible for non-technical users.

Pros and Cons Summary

Hotjar Pros

Industry-leading survey and feedback tools
Modern, polished interface
Automatic frustration detection in recordings
More integration options
Stronger analytics customization
Part of Contentsquare (ongoing investment)

Hotjar Cons

No live chat or real-time monitoring
Features spread across multiple paid products
Higher total cost for full functionality
Basic form analytics compared to Lucky Orange
Session limits can feel restrictive

Lucky Orange Pros

All features included on every plan
Live chat and real-time visitor monitoring
Superior form analytics
Excellent HubSpot integration
More affordable for comprehensive feature set
No overage fees (tracking pauses at limit)

Lucky Orange Cons

Basic survey capabilities (one question type)
Fewer integrations overall
Less polished interface
No user interview features
Limited AI capabilities compared to Hotjar

Who Should Choose What?

Choose Hotjar If You:

Prioritize user feedback: Surveys, NPS, feedback widgets, and user interviews are central to your workflow
Need extensive integrations: Your tech stack requires connections to many tools
Want polished UX: Interface quality and modern design matter to your team
Focus on qualitative research: Understanding "why" through direct user input is your priority
Already have live chat: You use Intercom, Zendesk, or another chat tool

Choose Lucky Orange If You:

Run an e-commerce site: Real-time monitoring and live chat directly impact sales
Want all-in-one simplicity: One tool, one price, every feature
Need form optimization: Detailed form analytics are critical for lead generation
Use HubSpot: The deep HubSpot integration saves significant time
Have a tight budget: Need comprehensive features without paying $150+/month
Value real-time capabilities: Proactive customer engagement matters to your business

Consider Both If You:

Need Hotjar's surveys AND Lucky Orange's live chat
Have budget for specialized tools and want best-in-class in each category
Run multiple sites with different needs

Alternatives to Consider

Microsoft Clarity (Free)

Completely free heatmaps and session recordings with AI-powered insights. No live chat or surveys, but unlimited usage at no cost. Best for budget-conscious teams needing basic behavior analytics.

FullStory

Enterprise-grade session replay with powerful search and analytics. Higher price point but deeper capabilities for large organizations.

UXHeat (Coming Soon)

We're building UXHeat as an AI-powered alternative that automatically surfaces insights from your user behavior data. Instead of watching hours of recordings, get actionable recommendations delivered to your dashboard.

What makes UXHeat different:

AI identifies patterns and problems automatically
Natural language summaries of user behavior
Prioritized recommendations based on conversion impact
Transparent pricing without enterprise gatekeeping

Join the UXHeat waitlist to get early access when we launch.

Final Verdict

Choose Hotjar if: User feedback, surveys, and qualitative research are essential to your optimization process. Hotjar's survey tools are genuinely superior, and if understanding user intent through direct feedback is your priority, the premium is worth paying.

Choose Lucky Orange if: You want comprehensive features at a lower price point, especially if live chat and real-time monitoring add value to your workflow. For e-commerce sites where immediate customer engagement impacts revenue, Lucky Orange offers better overall value.

The budget-conscious choice: Start with Microsoft Clarity (free) for basic heatmaps, then add Lucky Orange's Build plan ($39/mo) when you need live chat and form analytics.

Both tools are mature, reliable platforms used by hundreds of thousands of websites. The right choice depends entirely on whether surveys or real-time engagement matter more to your business model.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Lucky Orange better than Hotjar?

Neither is objectively better—they excel at different things. Lucky Orange is better for real-time monitoring, live chat, and form analytics at a lower price. Hotjar is better for surveys, user feedback, and qualitative research. Your choice depends on which capabilities matter most.

Does Lucky Orange have surveys?

Yes, but they're basic compared to Hotjar. Lucky Orange surveys are currently limited to one question type, while Hotjar offers comprehensive multi-question surveys with advanced targeting and AI-assisted question building.

Can I use Hotjar and Lucky Orange together?

Yes. Some teams use both—Hotjar for surveys and feedback, Lucky Orange for live chat and real-time monitoring. The tracking scripts don't conflict, though you should consider cumulative script load times.

Does Lucky Orange slow down my website?

Lucky Orange uses asynchronous JavaScript that loads after your page content. Performance impact is typically minimal (under 100ms). As with any analytics tool, test Core Web Vitals before and after installation to confirm.

Which tool has better customer support?

Both provide support, but Hotjar has a larger dedicated team with priority support on higher plans. Lucky Orange support is responsive and knowledgeable but has fewer resources. Neither offers phone support.

Last updated: February 2026. Pricing and features may change. Visit Hotjar's pricing page and Lucky Orange's pricing page for current information.

Want smarter insights without watching hours of recordings? UXHeat uses AI to automatically identify UX problems and conversion opportunities in your user data. Less manual analysis, more actionable recommendations.

Join the UXHeat Waitlist and be first to try our AI-powered approach to behavior analytics.