Hotjar vs Mouseflow: Detailed Analysis [2026]

Quick Answer: If you need advanced session recording with friction detection, comprehensive form analytics, and detailed behavioral data without feature gating, Mouseflow delivers more analytical depth at comparable pricing. If you prioritize user feedback tools, surveys, and a more polished user experience, Hotjar remains the industry standard. Both are excellent—the choice depends on whether you lean toward quantitative behavior analysis or qualitative user research. See our full Mouseflow review, Hotjar pricing analysis, and our roundup of all Hotjar alternatives.

Hotjar and Mouseflow are both established leaders in behavior analytics, with millions of users worldwide. But they approach the problem from different angles. Hotjar emphasizes understanding user intent through feedback tools, while Mouseflow focuses on capturing every behavioral detail for deep quantitative analysis.

This comprehensive comparison will help you understand where each tool excels and which fits your workflow better.

Quick Comparison Table

| Feature | Hotjar | Mouseflow | |---------|--------|-----------| | Starting Price | Free (then $32/mo) | Free (then $39/mo) | | Heatmap Types | Click, Scroll, Move, Zones | Click, Scroll, Attention, Movement, Geo, Live | | Session Recording | Yes (sampled on most plans) | Yes (credit-based, complete capture) | | Friction Detection | Rage clicks, dead clicks, u-turns | Proprietary Friction Score (7+ event types) | | Form Analytics | Basic | Advanced (field-level) | | Surveys | Comprehensive (AI-assisted) | Basic | | Funnels | Yes (paid plans) | Yes (all plans) | | JavaScript Error Tracking | No | Yes (all plans) | | Data Retention | 365 days | 3-12 months (plan dependent) | | Data Sampling | Yes (on most plans) | No (credit-based) | | G2 Rating | 4.3/5 | 4.6/5 | | Best For | User research, feedback | UX analysis, form optimization |

What is Hotjar?

Hotjar is a behavior analytics and user feedback platform founded in 2014, now part of Contentsquare. It's one of the most recognized names in the space, used by over 1.3 million websites worldwide.

Hotjar's approach combines visual analytics (heatmaps, session recordings) with qualitative research tools (surveys, feedback widgets, user interviews). The platform emphasizes understanding not just what users do, but why they do it.

Key Hotjar Features

Heatmaps: Click maps, scroll maps, move maps, and Engagement Zones that combine all interaction types. Segment by device and compare page variations.

Session Recordings: Watch reconstructed user sessions with automatic detection of:

Rage clicks: Rapid, frustrated clicking
Dead clicks: Clicks on non-interactive elements
U-turns: Immediate page exits

These filters help you find problematic sessions without watching hours of footage.

Surveys & Feedback: Hotjar's strongest differentiator. Create multi-question surveys with various question types, NPS polls, feedback widgets, and exit-intent popups. AI-assisted survey building helps draft questions.

User Interviews (Engage): Recruit participants and conduct interviews directly through the platform. Separate pricing from approximately $350/month.

Funnels: Visualize drop-off in multi-step processes on Business plans and above.

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

Hotjar Pricing (2026)

Hotjar uses modular pricing across products: Observe (heatmaps/recordings), Ask (surveys), and Engage (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 |

Annual billing shown. Monthly is ~20% higher. Bundle discounts available.

Important note about sampling: Hotjar uses data sampling on most plans. If you have 10,000 visitors, you might only see recordings from a fraction of them. Only the Scale plan offers truly unlimited capture.

What is Mouseflow?

Mouseflow was founded in 2010 and has grown to serve over 210,000 customers globally. The platform focuses on capturing comprehensive behavioral data with advanced analytics capabilities.

Where Hotjar emphasizes user feedback, Mouseflow leans into detailed behavioral analysis. Their proprietary Friction Score, extensive heatmap variety, and robust form analytics make it a favorite among UX teams and conversion optimization specialists.

Key Mouseflow Features

Six Heatmap Types: Mouseflow offers more heatmap variety than most competitors:

Click Heatmap: Where users click
Scroll Heatmap: How far users scroll
Movement Heatmap: Where users move their cursor
Attention Heatmap: Where users spend time looking
Geo Heatmap: Geographic distribution of visitors
Live Heatmap: Real-time visualization of current activity

Session Recordings: Complete session capture with no random sampling within your credit limit. Mouseflow uses a credit-based model—you get a set number of recordings per month, but every session captures complete data.

Friction Score: Mouseflow's proprietary algorithm automatically quantifies user frustration. It tracks 7+ friction events including:

Click rage (rapid clicking)
Click error (clicking unresponsive elements)
Scroll bounce (erratic scrolling)
Form abandonment
JavaScript errors
Speed browsing (rushing through pages)
Custom friction events

The Friction Score surfaces high-friction sessions automatically without manual review.

Form Analytics: Detailed field-level analysis showing:

Drop-off rates by field
Time spent per field
Fields causing abandonment
Blank submissions
Refill rates

Conversion Funnels: Available on all plans (unlike Hotjar). Create funnels for any page sequence or event series.

JavaScript Error Tracking: Automatically capture JavaScript errors that affect user experience—included on all plans.

Journey Analytics: Visualize how users navigate through your site, identifying common paths and unexpected detours.

Mouseflow Pricing (2026)

Mouseflow uses session credit-based pricing. All features are available on all plans—you only pay for volume.

| Plan | Monthly Price | Sessions/mo | Websites | Data Retention | |------|---------------|-------------|----------|----------------| | Free | $0 | 500 | 1 | 1 month | | Starter | $39/mo | 5,000 | 1 | 3 months | | Growth | $109/mo | 15,000 | 3 | 6 months | | Business | $219/mo | 50,000 | 5 | 12 months | | Pro | $399/mo | 150,000 | 10 | 12 months | | Enterprise | Custom | 200,000+ | Custom | Custom |

14-day free trial available for all plans. Annual billing provides discounts.

Key difference: Mouseflow doesn't gate features by plan tier. Friction Score, form analytics, funnels, and JavaScript error tracking are available even on the free plan.

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

Session Recordings

Session replay is the flagship feature for both platforms, but implementation differs significantly.

Hotjar's approach:

Uses data sampling on most plans
If you have 10,000 visitors, you might only see recordings from a random subset
Automatic frustration detection (rage clicks, dead clicks, u-turns)
Clean, easy-to-use playback interface
365-day data retention across paid plans

Mouseflow's approach:

Credit-based model with no random sampling
Every session within your limit captures complete data
Proprietary Friction Score quantifies frustration automatically
More granular filtering options on all plans
Data retention varies by plan (3-12 months)

G2 Ratings:

Hotjar Session Replay: 9.3/10
Mouseflow Session Replay: 8.9/10

Winner: Depends on your priority. Hotjar for user-friendly playback and longer retention. Mouseflow for complete data capture (no sampling) and deeper friction analysis.

Heatmaps

Both offer quality heatmaps, but Mouseflow provides more variety.

Hotjar heatmaps:

Click, scroll, and move maps
Engagement Zones (combined view)
Device segmentation
Modern, clean visualization
Advanced filtering on higher plans

Mouseflow heatmaps:

Six distinct heatmap types (click, scroll, movement, attention, geo, live)
Real-time live heatmap
Geographic visualization
Advanced filtering on all plans
Attention maps for time-based analysis

G2 Ratings:

Hotjar Heat Maps: 9.3/10
Mouseflow Heat Maps: 9.2/10

Winner: Mouseflow for variety and ungated filtering. Hotjar for visual polish and simplicity.

Friction Detection

Both tools identify user frustration, but with different approaches.

Hotjar automatically tags recordings with:

Rage clicks (rapid, frustrated clicking)
Dead clicks (clicking non-interactive elements)
U-turns (immediate exits after arrival)

These filters help surface problematic sessions quickly.

Mouseflow's Friction Score is more comprehensive:

Proprietary algorithm tracking 7+ friction event types
Automatic scoring of every session
No manual setup required
Surfaces high-friction experiences in real-time
Includes JavaScript errors as friction signals

The Friction Score gives you a quantified metric for user frustration across your entire site, not just individual session flags.

Winner: Mouseflow—the Friction Score provides more comprehensive, automated frustration detection.

Form Analytics

This category clearly favors Mouseflow.

Hotjar offers basic form analytics on paid plans. You can see general conversion rates and some field data, but depth is limited.

Mouseflow provides advanced form analytics including:

Field-by-field drop-off rates
Time spent on each field
Fields causing abandonment
Blank submission tracking
Refill rates (users deleting and retyping)
Form completion funnel visualization

If optimizing lead generation forms, checkout processes, or signup flows is important, Mouseflow's form analytics are significantly more powerful.

Winner: Mouseflow, decisively. Essential for form optimization workflows.

Surveys and Feedback

This category clearly favors Hotjar.

Hotjar treats surveys as a core product:

Multi-question surveys with various types
NPS, CSAT, and CES surveys
Feedback widgets for specific pages
Exit-intent surveys
AI-assisted question generation
Behavioral targeting and triggers

Mouseflow offers basic feedback campaigns:

On-site surveys exist but lack depth
Limited question types
Less sophisticated targeting
Clearly secondary to behavioral analytics

G2 Ratings (Survey Builder):

Hotjar: 9.3/10
Mouseflow: 8.0/10

Winner: Hotjar, significantly. If qualitative feedback matters, Hotjar is the only choice.

Funnels and Conversion Tracking

Mouseflow includes funnels on all plans, even free. Create funnels for any sequence of pages or events, with detailed drop-off analysis.

Hotjar reserves funnels for paid Business plans and above. Similar functionality, but you're paying $80+/month to access it.

Winner: Mouseflow—no feature gating means funnels for everyone.

Integrations

Hotjar offers more integration options:

Native: Slack, HubSpot, Google Analytics, Jira, Segment, Mixpanel, Intercom, Linear
Platforms: WordPress, Shopify, Wix, Squarespace, GTM
8,000+ via Zapier
API access

Mouseflow covers essentials plus some unique options:

127+ integrations without premium requirements
Platforms: WordPress, Shopify, Wix, GTM
Notable: Optimizely, VWO integration for A/B test correlation
Segment integration
API access

Winner: Hotjar for breadth. Tie for practical needs—both cover the essentials.

JavaScript Error Tracking

Mouseflow includes JavaScript error tracking on all plans. Automatically capture and correlate JS errors with user sessions to understand how technical issues impact experience.

Hotjar does not offer JavaScript error tracking.

Winner: Mouseflow—valuable for identifying technical UX issues.

Pricing Comparison: Real-World Scenarios

Scenario 1: Small Website (5,000 sessions/month)

Hotjar: Plus Observe ($32/mo) = 100 daily sessions (~3,000/mo). May need Business ($80/mo) for adequate coverage. Add Ask Plus ($48/mo) for surveys. Total: $80-128/month

Mouseflow: Starter plan at $39/month covers 5,000 sessions with ALL features. Total: $39/month

Winner: Mouseflow—less than half the price with more features

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

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

Mouseflow: Growth plan at $109/month covers 15,000 sessions with all features. Total: $109/month

Winner: Mouseflow—$35/month savings with equivalent or better analytics

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

Hotjar: Scale Observe ($171/mo) for unlimited sessions + Scale Ask ($128/mo). Total: $299/month

Mouseflow: Business plan at $219/month covers 50,000 sessions. Total: $219/month

Winner: Mouseflow—$80/month savings

Scenario 4: Enterprise (150,000+ sessions/month)

Hotjar: Scale plans at $299/month (combined) handle unlimited volume with 365-day retention.

Mouseflow: Pro plan at $399/month for 150,000 sessions, or Enterprise for custom pricing above that.

Winner: Hotjar at this volume—unlimited sessions beats credit-based at high scale

The Hidden Costs

Hotjar's feature gating: Many features (advanced filtering, funnels, extended retention) require Business or Scale plans. The Plus plan feels limited quickly.

Mouseflow's storage limits: Lower plans have shorter data retention (1-6 months vs Hotjar's 365 days). If historical analysis matters, factor this in.

Enterprise Considerations

Hotjar Enterprise

Hotjar's Scale and Enterprise tiers offer:

Unlimited sessions and surveys
365-day data retention
Priority support
Advanced user permissions
Custom integrations
SAML SSO (Enterprise only)
Dedicated success manager (Enterprise only)

Contentsquare acquisition brings enterprise-grade infrastructure and ongoing investment.

Mouseflow Enterprise

Mouseflow Enterprise includes:

12 million+ session capacity
Custom data retention
20+ websites
Two-factor authentication
Customizable dashboards
Priority support
Uptime SLAs
Security reviews
Custom pricing and terms

Which is Better for Enterprise?

Choose Hotjar if: You need qualitative research at scale (surveys, interviews) alongside behavior analytics. The Contentsquare backing provides enterprise stability.

Choose Mouseflow if: Detailed behavioral analysis, form optimization, and comprehensive session data are priorities. Better value for pure analytics needs without survey requirements.

Customer Reviews Comparison

According to G2 reviews (2026):

Overall Ratings:

Mouseflow: 4.6/5
Hotjar: 4.3/5

Reviewers preferred working with Mouseflow generally and found it simpler to set up and use.

Specific Feature Ratings:

| Feature | Hotjar | Mouseflow | |---------|--------|-----------| | Ease of Setup | 9.0 | 9.2 | | Ease of Use | 9.1 | 9.1 | | Quality of Support | 8.8 | 9.0 | | Product Direction | 8.3 | 8.7 | | Session Replay | 9.3 | 8.9 | | Heat Maps | 9.3 | 9.2 | | Survey Builder | 9.3 | 8.0 | | Custom Reports | 9.4 | 8.8 |

Key Insight: Hotjar excels at surveys and dashboards. Mouseflow wins on setup, support, and overall satisfaction.

Pros and Cons Summary

Hotjar Pros

Industry-leading survey and feedback tools
Longer data retention (365 days)
Modern, polished interface
More integrations available
Strong brand recognition
Part of Contentsquare (enterprise backing)

Hotjar Cons

Data sampling on most plans (not complete capture)
Feature gating (funnels, advanced filtering on higher tiers)
Higher total cost for comprehensive feature access
No JavaScript error tracking
No Friction Score equivalent
Basic form analytics

Mouseflow Pros

Proprietary Friction Score for automated frustration detection
Six heatmap types (more variety)
Advanced form analytics
All features on all plans (no gating)
JavaScript error tracking included
Higher G2 satisfaction rating
Better value for pure analytics

Mouseflow Cons

Less sophisticated survey tools
Shorter data retention on lower plans
Credit-based model can feel limiting at scale
Fewer integrations overall
Less brand recognition
Basic feedback capabilities

Who Should Choose What?

Choose Hotjar If You:

Need advanced surveys: User feedback through surveys, NPS, and interviews is central to your work
Want long data retention: 365-day storage matters for seasonal analysis or historical reference
Value polished UX: Interface quality and modern design are important to your team
Run qualitative research: Understanding "why" through direct user input is your focus
Already have analytics depth elsewhere: You use separate tools for detailed behavioral analysis

Choose Mouseflow If You:

Focus on UX optimization: Finding and fixing friction points is your primary goal
Need form analytics: Optimizing lead gen forms, checkout, or signup flows is critical
Want all features upfront: Feature gating frustrates you—pay once, get everything
Need friction detection: The automated Friction Score matches your analytical style
Prefer quantitative depth: You want comprehensive behavioral data, not just samples
Track JavaScript errors: Correlating technical issues with UX matters

Consider Both If You:

Need Hotjar's surveys AND Mouseflow's analytical depth
Have budget for specialized tools
Want best-in-class in both qualitative and quantitative categories

Alternatives to Consider

Microsoft Clarity (Free)

Completely free heatmaps and session recordings with AI Copilot insights. No surveys, no friction scoring, but unlimited usage at zero cost. Best for budget-conscious teams.

Lucky Orange ($39+/month)

All-in-one platform with live chat and real-time monitoring. Good form analytics, includes chat for direct visitor engagement.

FullStory

Enterprise-grade session replay with powerful search capabilities. Higher price point but industry-leading for large organizations.

UXHeat (Coming Soon)

We're building UXHeat as an AI-powered alternative that automatically surfaces insights from user behavior data. Instead of watching recordings or manually analyzing friction, get prioritized recommendations delivered automatically.

What makes UXHeat different:

AI identifies patterns and problems without manual review
Friction detection with actionable recommendations
Natural language summaries of user behavior
Transparent pricing without enterprise gatekeeping

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

Final Verdict

Choose Hotjar if: Surveys, user feedback, and qualitative research are essential to your optimization process. Hotjar's survey tools remain unmatched, and if understanding user intent through direct feedback is your priority, it justifies the premium.

Choose Mouseflow if: You need deep behavioral analysis without feature gating. The Friction Score, comprehensive form analytics, and all-inclusive pricing make Mouseflow better value for teams focused on quantitative UX optimization.

The pragmatic choice: For most analytics-focused teams, Mouseflow delivers more analytical depth at a lower price point. Add Hotjar's free tier for occasional surveys if needed.

The research-heavy choice: Teams conducting ongoing user research should invest in Hotjar's survey capabilities. Supplement with Microsoft Clarity (free) for additional session recording coverage.

Both are mature, reliable platforms. With Mouseflow's higher G2 satisfaction rating (4.6 vs 4.3), it's worth serious consideration even if Hotjar's brand recognition is stronger.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Mouseflow better than Hotjar?

For pure behavioral analytics—session recordings, heatmaps, form analytics, friction detection—Mouseflow offers more depth at comparable pricing. For user feedback, surveys, and qualitative research, Hotjar is significantly stronger. Your choice depends on whether you prioritize quantitative analysis or qualitative feedback.

Does Mouseflow sample data like Hotjar?

No. Mouseflow uses a credit-based model where every session within your limit captures complete data. Hotjar uses sampling on most plans, meaning you only see a fraction of total sessions. This is a significant difference for teams needing comprehensive data.

What is Mouseflow's Friction Score?

The Friction Score is Mouseflow's proprietary algorithm that automatically quantifies user frustration. It tracks 7+ friction events (rage clicks, click errors, scroll bounce, form abandonment, JS errors, speed browsing) and scores each session. High-friction sessions surface automatically without manual review.

Can I use Hotjar and Mouseflow together?

Yes. Some teams use Mouseflow for detailed behavioral analysis and Hotjar for surveys. The scripts don't conflict, though you should monitor cumulative performance impact.

Which tool has better customer support?

Both offer support, but G2 ratings favor Mouseflow (9.0 vs 8.8 for quality of support). Hotjar has a larger team with priority support on higher plans. Neither offers phone support.

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

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