Side-by-side comparison · SEO & Analytics
DataForSEO vs Google Analytics vs Contentsquare (formerly Hotjar)
Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.
Comparing 3 tools, the maximum.
At a glance
Pick it if: Anyone using Claude Code or building their own tools who wants real SEO data without a big monthly plan.
Pick it if: Every business with a website that wants to know how many people visit, where they come from and what turns them into customers.
Pick it if: Store owners, marketers and UX teams who want to see and hear why visitors leave, with surveys alongside the recordings.
Overview
| Attribute | DataForSEO | Google Analytics | Contentsquare (formerly Hotjar) |
|---|---|---|---|
| In one line | Raw search, keyword and backlink data you pay for by the query, built for AI agents. | Google's free website analytics: who visits, where they came from and what they do. | Heatmaps, session replays and surveys that show why visitors leave, with AI summaries. |
| Pricing model | Paid | Free | Freemium |
| Starting price | From $50 top-up | Free | From $39/mo |
| Free plan | No | Yes | Yes |
| Works with Claude Code | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Rating breakdown
Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.
| Attribute | DataForSEO | Google Analytics | Contentsquare (formerly Hotjar) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.3Winner |
| Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it. | 2.5 | 3.0 | 4.5 |
| FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together. | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them. | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan. | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.5 |
| Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over. | 4.5 | 3.5 | 4.0 |
Feature comparison
A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.
| Attribute | DataForSEO | Google Analytics | Contentsquare (formerly Hotjar) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access & platform | |||
| Free plan | No | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | No | Yes | No |
| Desktop app | No | No | No |
| Browser extension | No | No | No |
| API access | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Teams & business | |||
| Team workspace | – | Yes | Yes |
| Enterprise plan or SSO | No | Yes | Yes |
| Connects to other apps | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Open source or self-hosted | No | No | No |
| AI abilities | |||
| Works with your files | No | No | No |
| Understands images | No | – | – |
| Makes images | No | No | No |
| Makes video | No | No | No |
| Writes code | No | No | No |
| Runs agents or automations | No | No | No |
| Learns your brand or style | No | – | – |
| Works in many languages | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Capabilities score | 3/ 17 | 7/ 17 | 6/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | DataForSEO | Google Analytics | Contentsquare (formerly Hotjar) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans | Pay as you goOur pick From $50 top-up Anyone who wants real data in Claude Code without a subscription. | Google AnalyticsOur pick Free Almost every business. | FreeOur pick Free Most small business websites. |
Analytics 360 Custom Very large sites with huge traffic. | Growth From $39/mo billed yearly, or $49 monthly Businesses that want AI summaries and longer history. | ||
Pro Custom Teams running conversion work across many sites. | |||
Enterprise Custom Large companies. | |||
| Which plan to pick | There's only one way to pay. Use the $1 trial credit to test the MCP server, then top up $50 and set a daily limit of a dollar or two. Use the cheaper standard queue for bulk jobs and the live mode only when you need an answer now. | Use the free version. Analytics 360 is only for very large companies that hit the free limits. Set data retention to 14 months in the admin settings when you set it up, since the default is shorter. | Start on Free. For most small sites it does what Hotjar's paid plans used to. Take the 15-day Growth trial to see if the AI summaries save you time before paying. Survey responses are a separate product with their own Growth plan from $79 a month. |
Key features
| Attribute | DataForSEO | Google Analytics | Contentsquare (formerly Hotjar) |
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Pros and cons
| Attribute | DataForSEO | Google Analytics | Contentsquare (formerly Hotjar) |
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Who each one is for
| Attribute | DataForSEO | Google Analytics | Contentsquare (formerly Hotjar) |
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Questions people ask
Which is better, DataForSEO, Google Analytics or Contentsquare (formerly Hotjar)?
Contentsquare (formerly Hotjar) scores highest overall in our ratings (DataForSEO 4.0/5, Google Analytics 4.0/5 and Contentsquare (formerly Hotjar) 4.3/5). DataForSEO is best for SEO research from Claude Code and keyword volumes on demand. Google Analytics is best for counting website visitors and where they came from and seeing which ads and channels lead to sales. Contentsquare (formerly Hotjar) is best for seeing why visitors leave a page and heatmaps and session replays.
Which is cheaper, DataForSEO, Google Analytics or Contentsquare (formerly Hotjar)?
DataForSEO: There's no free plan. Paid plans start at From $50 top-up. Google Analytics: It's free to use. Contentsquare (formerly Hotjar): There's a free plan, and paid plans start at From $39/mo.
Which is easier to use, DataForSEO, Google Analytics or Contentsquare (formerly Hotjar)?
Contentsquare (formerly Hotjar) rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Store owners, marketers and UX teams who want to see and hear why visitors leave, with surveys alongside the recordings.
How we compare
Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.
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