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Side-by-side comparison · SEO & Analytics

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.

Contentsquare (formerly Hotjar)

4.3

From From $39/mo

Microsoft Clarity

4.3

Free to start

Comparing 2 tools. Add one more if you like.

At a glance

Pick it if: Store owners, marketers and UX teams who want to see and hear why visitors leave, with surveys alongside the recordings.

Best value

Pick it if: Store owners and marketers who want to know why visitors aren't converting, without paying for it.

Overview

AttributeContentsquare (formerly Hotjar)Microsoft Clarity
In one lineHeatmaps, session replays and surveys that show why visitors leave, with AI summaries.Free heatmaps and session replays that show where visitors get stuck.
Pricing modelFreemiumFree
Starting priceFrom $39/moFree
Free plan Yes Yes
Works with Claude Code Yes Yes

Rating breakdown

Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.

AttributeContentsquare (formerly Hotjar)Microsoft Clarity
Overall rating4.34.3
Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.
4.5
4.5
FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together.
4.5
4.0
Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them.
4.0
4.0
Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan.
4.5
5.0
Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over.
4.0
4.0

Feature comparison

A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.

AttributeContentsquare (formerly Hotjar)Microsoft Clarity
Access & platform
Free plan Yes Yes
Mobile app No–
Desktop app No No
Browser extension No No
API access Yes Yes
Teams & business
Team workspace Yes Yes
Enterprise plan or SSO Yes No
Connects to other apps Yes Yes
Open source or self-hosted No No
AI abilities
Works with your files No No
Understands images– No
Makes images No No
Makes video No No
Writes code No No
Runs agents or automations No–
Learns your brand or style– No
Works in many languages Yes Yes
Capabilities score6/ 175/ 17

Pricing

Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.

AttributeContentsquare (formerly Hotjar)Microsoft Clarity
Plans

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 pickStart 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

AttributeContentsquare (formerly Hotjar)Microsoft Clarity
Standout features
  • Heatmaps
  • Session replay
  • Surveys and feedback
  • Funnels and journeys
  • Sense AI
  • MCP connection
  • Session recordings
  • Heatmaps
  • Copilot
  • Smart events and funnels
  • AI visibility
  • MCP server

Pros and cons

AttributeContentsquare (formerly Hotjar)Microsoft Clarity
Pros
  • Huge free plan at 200,000 sessions a month
  • Heatmaps, replays, funnels and surveys in one place
  • Polished, easy interface
  • AI summaries save watching hours of recordings
  • MCP connection works on the free plan
  • Completely free with no traffic or team limits
  • Session replays and heatmaps that match the paid tools
  • Copilot turns piles of recordings into plain findings
  • Easy installs for Shopify, WordPress and Tag Manager
  • MCP server for Claude
Cons
  • The Hotjar name is gone and new Hotjar accounts are closed
  • Overlaps with Microsoft Clarity, which is free and unlimited
  • AI features need a paid plan
  • Surveys, product analytics and replays are separate products with separate prices
  • Pro and Enterprise prices aren't published
  • Your visitor data goes to Microsoft, which some businesses won't accept
  • Recordings keep for 30 days, so you can't go back far
  • The interface is rougher than Hotjar and filters take some learning
  • Can slow a page slightly if it's already heavy with scripts

Who each one is for

AttributeContentsquare (formerly Hotjar)Microsoft Clarity
Best for
  • Seeing why visitors leave a page
  • Heatmaps and session replays
  • On-site surveys and feedback
  • Testing landing pages for ad campaigns
  • Finding checkout drop-offs
  • Watching real user sessions
  • Scroll and click heatmaps
  • Spotting broken buttons
You'll find it used by
  • Store owners
  • Marketers
  • UX designers
  • Agencies
  • Store owners
  • Marketers
  • Product teams
  • Agencies

Questions people ask

Which is better, Contentsquare (formerly Hotjar) or Microsoft Clarity?

They tie on our overall rating (Contentsquare (formerly Hotjar) 4.3/5 and Microsoft Clarity 4.3/5). 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, Contentsquare (formerly Hotjar) or Microsoft Clarity?

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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