Side-by-side comparison · SEO & Analytics
DataForSEO vs Contentsquare (formerly Hotjar) vs Microsoft Clarity
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: Store owners, marketers and UX teams who want to see and hear why visitors leave, with surveys alongside the recordings.
Pick it if: Store owners and marketers who want to know why visitors aren't converting, without paying for it.
Overview
| Attribute | DataForSEO | Contentsquare (formerly Hotjar) | Microsoft Clarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| In one line | Raw search, keyword and backlink data you pay for by the query, built for AI agents. | Heatmaps, session replays and surveys that show why visitors leave, with AI summaries. | Free heatmaps and session replays that show where visitors get stuck. |
| Pricing model | Paid | Freemium | Free |
| Starting price | From $50 top-up | From $39/mo | Free |
| 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 | Contentsquare (formerly Hotjar) | Microsoft Clarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4.0 | 4.3 | 4.3 |
| Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it. | 2.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together. | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.0 |
| 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 | 4.5 | 5.0 |
| Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over. | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
Feature comparison
A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.
| Attribute | DataForSEO | Contentsquare (formerly Hotjar) | Microsoft Clarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access & platform | |||
| Free plan | No | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | No | 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 | No |
| 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 | – | No |
| Makes images | No | No | No |
| Makes video | No | No | No |
| Writes code | No | No | No |
| Runs agents or automations | No | No | – |
| Learns your brand or style | No | – | No |
| Works in many languages | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Capabilities score | 3/ 17 | 6/ 17 | 5/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | DataForSEO | Contentsquare (formerly Hotjar) | Microsoft Clarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans | Pay as you goOur pick From $50 top-up Anyone who wants real data in Claude Code without a subscription. | FreeOur pick Free Most small business websites. | FreeOur pick Free Every website and online store. |
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. | 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. | There's one plan and it's free. Microsoft says it's free forever with no traffic limits. Install the tracking code through Shopify, WordPress or Google Tag Manager and it starts recording within minutes. |
Key features
| Attribute | DataForSEO | Contentsquare (formerly Hotjar) | Microsoft Clarity |
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Pros and cons
| Attribute | DataForSEO | Contentsquare (formerly Hotjar) | Microsoft Clarity |
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Who each one is for
| Attribute | DataForSEO | Contentsquare (formerly Hotjar) | Microsoft Clarity |
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Questions people ask
Which is better, DataForSEO, Contentsquare (formerly Hotjar) or Microsoft Clarity?
They tie on our overall rating (DataForSEO 4.0/5, Contentsquare (formerly Hotjar) 4.3/5 and Microsoft Clarity 4.3/5). DataForSEO is best for SEO research from Claude Code and keyword volumes on demand. Contentsquare (formerly Hotjar) is best for seeing why visitors leave a page and heatmaps and session replays. Microsoft Clarity is best for finding checkout drop-offs and watching real user sessions.
Which is cheaper, DataForSEO, Contentsquare (formerly Hotjar) or Microsoft Clarity?
DataForSEO: There's no free plan. Paid plans start at From $50 top-up. Contentsquare (formerly Hotjar): There's a free plan, and paid plans start at From $39/mo. Microsoft Clarity: It's free to use.
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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