Hotjar vs Microsoft Clarity vs FullStory (2026)
Hotjar’s acquisition by Contentsquare completed July 2025. Old Plus/Business/Scale plans are being replaced by a unified Growth plan at $49/mo. The free plan upgraded from 35 sessions/day to up to 200,000 sessions/month. Microsoft Clarity remains completely free with no limits. FullStory’s free tier offers 30,000 sessions/month with 12-month data retention.
Hotjar’s Contentsquare acquisition completed July 2025 (not 2021 — that was announced). Old Plus/Business/Scale plans are being replaced by Growth at $49/mo. The free plan upgraded from 35 sessions/day to up to 200,000 sessions/month. Legacy plans still exist for existing customers during migration. Prices verified May 2026.
- Hotjar (now Contentsquare) — Best for combining heatmaps with user surveys and feedback. Free plan upgraded (200K sessions/mo). New Growth plan $49/mo (or $40 annual) unifies heatmaps + surveys. Legacy Plus $39/mo still active for existing users. Migration in progress through 2026.
- Microsoft Clarity — Best free heatmap tool. Completely free, unlimited sessions, forever. AI Copilot included. No surveys or funnels. 30-day data retention. Data processed by Microsoft.
- FullStory — Best for enterprise digital experience analytics. Free tier (30,000 sessions/month, 12-month retention). Paid plans custom-priced. Retroactive DX Data querying, revenue attribution, StoryAI.
| Your Situation | Best Fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You need heatmaps and recordings at zero cost | Microsoft Clarity | Completely free — unlimited sessions, no paid tier needed, no session limits ever |
| You want to ask users why they’re leaving your site | Hotjar | On-site surveys and feedback widgets — no other tool matches this |
| You need retroactive data querying — ask questions you didn’t tag | FullStory | DX Data autocapture lets you query any historical user interaction retroactively |
| You’re on a budget and just need click and scroll data | Microsoft Clarity | Free forever — 80% of Hotjar’s core features at 0% of the cost |
| You need 12+ months of historical session data on a free plan | FullStory | 12-month data retention on free tier — Clarity has 30 days, Hotjar free also 30 days |
| You want both qualitative feedback and behavioural analytics | Hotjar Growth $49/mo | New Growth plan unifies heatmaps + surveys in one subscription |
| You have a complex SaaS product and enterprise-level needs | FullStory | Revenue impact analysis, StoryAI, advanced session search — built for enterprise |
| Confused by old Hotjar plans vs new Contentsquare plans | Hotjar | Growth ($49/mo) replaces Plus/Business. Start fresh with Growth if evaluating now. |
True Cost Calculator
Microsoft Clarity is free at any session volume. Hotjar charges based on plan. FullStory’s free tier covers 30,000 sessions/month. Drag to your monthly session volume to see which plan tier you need and what it costs.
Key Stats (May 2026)
At a Glance
Heatmaps, session recordings, and user surveys — now unified under Contentsquare
- Only tool combining heatmaps + recordings + surveys + feedback
- New Growth plan unifies Observe + Ask — no more split billing
- Free plan upgraded to 200,000 sessions/month
- On-site surveys with targeting — exit intent, scroll depth, URL
- 30-day money-back guarantee on paid plans
- AI-powered survey analysis on paid plans
- Contentsquare acquisition completed July 2025 — plans in transition
- Legacy and new plan names coexist — confusing to evaluate
- Old free plan cap was 35 sessions/day — check which version you’re seeing
- Data retention 30 days on free, 365 days on paid
Unlimited free heatmaps and session recordings — forever, no limits, AI Copilot included
- Completely free — unlimited sessions regardless of traffic
- Rage click and dead click detection out of the box
- AI Copilot for instant session insights and summaries
- Google Analytics integration for combined view
- Lightweight script — minimal performance impact
- No session limits — suitable even for high-traffic sites
- Data processed by Microsoft — privacy consideration for GDPR
- 30-day data retention only — no historical analysis
- No on-site surveys or user feedback widgets
- No funnel analysis, A/B testing, or event tracking
Enterprise digital experience intelligence — retroactive data querying, 12-month free retention
- DX Data autocapture — retroactively query any user interaction
- 12-month data retention on free tier — best in comparison
- StoryAI for automatic session summaries and friction signals
- Revenue impact analysis — tie UX friction to lost deals
- HubSpot and Salesforce integration for revenue attribution
- Advanced session search — find specific behaviours instantly
- Paid plans require enterprise sales call — no published pricing
- Significant overkill for small and mid-market websites
- Steeper learning curve — built for data-mature teams
- No on-site surveys on standard plans
At-a-Glance Scorecard
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Hotjar | Microsoft Clarity | FullStory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan sessions | ✓ Up to 200K/mo (updated 2025) | ✓ Unlimited — no cap ever | ⚡ 30,000/month |
| Free data retention | ⚡ 30 days | ⚡ 30 days | ✓ 12 months — best here |
| Heatmaps | ✓ Click, move, scroll | ✓ Click, scroll, rage/dead clicks | ✓ Click, scroll, advanced |
| Session recordings | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes — unlimited | ✓ Yes — advanced search |
| On-site surveys | ✓ Yes — best in class (Growth plan) | ✗ No | ⚡ Limited guides/surveys |
| Feedback widgets | ✓ Yes | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| Retroactive querying | ✗ No | ✗ No | ✓ DX Data — unique to FullStory |
| AI features | ⚡ AI survey analysis on paid | ✓ AI Copilot — session summaries | ✓ StoryAI — advanced summaries |
| Entry paid price | Growth $49/mo ($40 annual) | Free — no paid tier | Custom — enterprise sales |
Verified Pricing (May 2026)
Hotjar’s transition to Contentsquare’s unified platform is the biggest pricing change in this comparison. The free plan is being upgraded from 35 sessions/day to up to 200,000 sessions/month. The old Plus/Business/Scale plan structure is being replaced by a simpler Growth ($49/mo) / Pro / Enterprise model. Legacy plans are still active for existing customers. New buyers should see the unified Growth pricing — but verify at hotjar.com/pricing as rollout is gradual through 2026.
| Tier | Hotjar (Contentsquare) | Microsoft Clarity | FullStory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Up to 200K sessions/mo · heatmaps + recordings · 30-day retention (new unified plan) | ✓ Unlimited sessions · no cap · 30-day retention | 30,000 sessions/mo · ✓ 12-month retention |
| Entry paid | Growth $49/mo ($40/mo annual) — heatmaps + surveys unified | No paid tier — always free | Custom — enterprise sales call required |
| Legacy plans (existing users) | Plus $39/mo · Business $99/mo · Scale $213/mo — still active during migration | N/A | N/A |
| Higher tiers | Pro custom · Enterprise custom (Contentsquare full platform) | N/A | Enterprise custom — typically $200+/mo starting |
| Watch out for | Two plan structures coexist: legacy Hotjar and new Contentsquare. New buyers may be shown Growth pricing; legacy users may still see Plus/Business. Surveys are included in Growth — previously a separate add-on. 30-day money-back guarantee on Growth. | 30-day data retention is the key limitation — no historical analysis. Microsoft can change pricing terms. EU GDPR data residency concern for some teams. No surveys, funnels, or event tracking at any tier. | Free tier 30K sessions/mo may be enough for many teams. Paid plans require a full enterprise sales process — no self-serve upgrade. 12-month retention on free is the standout advantage. |
The Full Picture
Hotjar — Transitioning to Contentsquare’s Unified Platform
The most important thing to understand about Hotjar in 2026 is that it is mid-migration. Contentsquare’s acquisition was completed in July 2025, and Hotjar, Heap, and Contentsquare are being unified into one all-in-one platform. This creates a genuinely confusing evaluation environment: some new buyers will be shown the new Growth ($49/month) pricing; existing customers remain on legacy Plus/Business/Scale plans during the gradual migration. The old free plan capped at 35 sessions/day; the new Contentsquare free plan covers up to 200,000 sessions/month — a dramatic improvement that fundamentally changes who can use Hotjar for free.
The new Growth plan at $49/month ($40/month annual) is a meaningful improvement over the old structure. Previously, Hotjar charged separately for Observe (heatmaps), Ask (surveys), and Engage (user interviews) — teams needing all three could spend $200+/month. The unified Growth plan combines heatmaps and surveys in one subscription, eliminating the confusing modular billing. AI-powered survey analysis and a 30-day money-back guarantee are included.
Hotjar’s genuine differentiator remains the survey capability. On-site surveys with targeting by URL, exit intent, scroll depth, time on page, or user segment are the most capable in-product feedback collection available without a separate survey tool. For UX researchers and product managers who need qualitative data alongside behavioural analytics, this combination remains unmatched. If your primary need is just heatmaps and recordings, Microsoft Clarity is free and capable. If surveys matter to your research process, Hotjar’s Growth plan justifies the $49/month.
Microsoft Clarity — Free, Unlimited, and Surprisingly Good
Microsoft Clarity launched in 2020 and has grown into the most compelling free analytics tool in the heatmap category. Unlimited sessions, unlimited heatmaps, unlimited data — no caps, no paywalls, no session limits regardless of traffic volume. The AI Copilot provides genuine value: it summarises session patterns, identifies frustration signals across recordings, and answers natural language questions about user behaviour — capabilities that reduce time-to-insight from session data. The Google Analytics integration allows teams to correlate behavioural data with traffic and conversion metrics in a combined view.
The privacy consideration is real and worth understanding clearly. Your user data is processed by Microsoft’s servers. Clarity’s terms allow Microsoft to use collected data for product improvement. A Data Processing Agreement is available, but some European legal teams flag the US data residency under GDPR. For most small businesses and startups, this is an acceptable trade-off. For regulated industries or companies with strict data governance, review the terms carefully before deploying.
The 30-day data retention limit is Clarity’s most significant practical constraint. If you need to investigate a conversion drop from six weeks ago or audit user behaviour across a quarter, the data won’t be there. FullStory’s free tier (12-month retention) is better for teams needing historical context. For teams that only need recent session data and want zero cost, Clarity is the obvious starting point — and for many teams, it’s the permanent solution.
FullStory — When You Need to Ask Questions You Didn’t Plan For
FullStory occupies a different category from Hotjar and Clarity. Its core differentiator — DX Data — is the ability to capture all user interactions automatically and query them retroactively. This means if something unexplained happens in your conversion data three months from now, you can look back at session recordings and ask FullStory questions about user behaviour you didn’t specifically tag in advance. No other tool in this comparison offers this. It changes the fundamental economics of digital analytics — you’re not limited to the hypotheses you thought to measure when you set up tracking.
FullStory’s free tier is the most generous upgrade from Clarity available. 30,000 sessions per month with 12-month data retention — compared to Clarity’s 30-day retention — provides meaningful historical context for teams moving beyond basic behaviour analytics. StoryAI automatically summarises session patterns and surfaces frustration signals. The HubSpot and Salesforce integrations allow revenue impact analysis: connecting UX friction points to actual pipeline impact and missed deals.
The practical recommendation for most teams is straightforward. Start with Microsoft Clarity for free heatmaps and recordings. If you need surveys and qualitative feedback, add Hotjar Growth at $49/month. If you need longer historical data retention, upgrade to FullStory’s free tier for 12-month storage at 30,000 sessions/month. Evaluate FullStory paid plans when you have a dedicated analytics team, complex SaaS product, and the revenue to justify enterprise tooling. None of these tools replaces a product analytics platform like Mixpanel or PostHog for event-based funnel analysis — they complement it with behavioural session context.
Who Should Use Each Tool?
Choose Hotjar if…
- You need to survey users directly on your site
- You want feedback widgets for real-time user sentiment
- Your UX research combines qualitative and behavioural data
- Budget allows Growth plan at $49/month
- You want the unified Observe + Ask in one subscription
Choose Microsoft Clarity if…
- Budget is zero and you need heatmaps and recordings
- You have high traffic and can’t afford per-session pricing
- 30-day data retention is sufficient for your needs
- Microsoft data practices are acceptable in your context
- You want to validate whether behaviour analytics is worth investing in
Choose FullStory if…
- You have a complex SaaS product with a dedicated analytics team
- You need retroactive data querying beyond what you tracked
- You need 12-month historical retention without paying
- You want to tie UX friction to revenue impact via HubSpot/Salesforce
- Enterprise compliance and security requirements apply
Best Tool by Use Case
Hidden Costs & Gotchas
Hotjar — Two plan structures coexist in 2026
New buyers evaluating Hotjar in 2026 may be shown the new Contentsquare Growth plan ($49/mo). Existing customers are still on legacy Plus/Business/Scale plans. The two structures have different features, session limits, and billing models. Always confirm which plan structure you’re being offered at hotjar.com/pricing.
Hotjar — Surveys were previously a separate add-on
Under the old modular structure, Observe (heatmaps) and Ask (surveys) were separate subscriptions. Teams needing both could spend $100–180/month. The new Growth plan unifies these at $49/month — a significant saving if surveys are needed. Verify which structure your account is on.
Microsoft Clarity — 30-day data retention
Clarity only keeps 30 days of session data. If you need to investigate a conversion drop from six weeks ago or audit user behaviour over a quarter, the data won’t be there. FullStory’s free tier (12-month retention) is better for teams needing historical context.
Microsoft Clarity — Data processed by Microsoft
Clarity’s terms allow Microsoft to use collected data for product improvement. For GDPR-regulated businesses or teams handling sensitive user data, review the Data Processing Agreement and Microsoft’s terms before deploying. Some EU legal teams flag US data residency as a compliance concern.
FullStory — Paid plans require enterprise sales
FullStory’s paid plans require a sales call — no published pricing, no self-serve upgrade. Budget estimates suggest $200+/month as a starting point, scaling with session volume. Not suitable for teams that need to know costs before starting an evaluation.
All three — No funnel or product analytics
None of these tools replace a product analytics platform like Mixpanel, Amplitude, or PostHog for event-based funnel analysis, retention cohorts, or A/B testing. They complement product analytics with behavioural session context — not replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Microsoft Clarity really free?
What happened to Hotjar in 2025?
How much does Hotjar cost in 2026?
What is FullStory best for?
Can I use Hotjar and Microsoft Clarity at the same time?
Does Microsoft Clarity affect website performance?
Ready to Understand Your Users Better?
All three offer free plans — start with Clarity if budget is zero, FullStory if you need 12-month history.