ToolStack

Hotjar vs FullStory

Side-by-side comparison · Updated 2026-03-30

Our VerdictFullStory wins overall

FullStory outranks Hotjar on our weighted score — heavier on review volume, lighter on raw rating. If your team is squarely in startup territory, FullStory is likely the stronger fit.

Choose Hotjar if…

Choose Hotjar if your team focuses on heatmap analysis and session replay and fits a startup, scaleup profile. Free tier available. Extremely fast setup — just add a single JavaScript snippet and start collecting heatmaps and recordings within minutes

Choose FullStory if…

Choose FullStory if your team focuses on session replay and user behavior analysis and fits a startup, scaleup profile. Free tier available. Best-in-class autocapture technology — captures every click, scroll, and interaction without manual event tagging, enabling retroactive analysis on historical data

Hotjar
by Contentsquare
4.3
out of 5 · 1k+ G2 reviews
Visit Hotjar ↗
FullStory
by FullStory
4.5
out of 5 · 900 G2 reviews
Visit FullStory ↗

Feature Comparison

FeatureHotjarFullStory
Category
behavior_analytics
session_replay
G2 Score
4.3 / 5.0
4.5 / 5.0Better
G2 Reviews
1300
900
Free Tier
Starting Price
—
—
Mobile App
AI Features
API Access
SSO / SAML
SOC 2
Learning Curve
easy
moderate
Platforms
web
web

Pros & Cons

Hotjar

Pros
✓ Extremely fast setup — just add a single JavaScript snippet and start collecting heatmaps and recordings within minutes
✓ Intuitive, beginner-friendly interface that non-technical PMs, designers, and marketers can use without training
✓ Combines qualitative (recordings, surveys, feedback) and quantitative (heatmaps, funnels) insights in one platform
✓ Generous free tier provides unlimited heatmaps and 35 daily sessions, enough for early-stage products and MVPs
Cons
✗ Session-based pricing can become expensive quickly for high-traffic sites — costs scale with pageviews, not team size
✗ Limited advanced product analytics compared to dedicated tools like Amplitude or Mixpanel — no cohort analysis, retention curves, or event-level funnels natively
✗ No native mobile app analytics — only tracks web and mobile web, not native iOS/Android applications

FullStory

Pros
✓ Best-in-class autocapture technology — captures every click, scroll, and interaction without manual event tagging, enabling retroactive analysis on historical data
✓ Frustration signals (rage clicks, dead clicks, error clicks) surface UX problems automatically, saving PMs hours of manual session review
✓ Powerful search and segmentation — find specific user sessions by any combination of events, user properties, or frustration signals in seconds
✓ Strong privacy-by-design approach with automatic PII masking, excluded elements, and HIPAA-compliant configurations for regulated industries
Cons
✗ No transparent public pricing — Business and Enterprise plans require contacting sales, making budgeting difficult for smaller teams
✗ Session-based pricing can become very expensive at scale, especially for high-traffic consumer products with millions of monthly sessions
✗ Data retention on lower tiers is limited — teams may lose access to historical sessions unless on Enterprise plans

Frequently Asked Questions

It depends on your needs. Hotjar scores 4.3/5 on G2, while FullStory scores 4.5/5. Hotjar is better for heatmap_analysis and session_replay, while FullStory excels at session_replay and user_behavior_analysis.
Hotjar starts at N/A per user/month with a free tier. FullStory starts at N/A per user/month with a free tier.
Hotjar supports 120 integrations, while FullStory supports 70.
Full Hotjar Review →Full FullStory Review →
Data verified 2026-03-30. Some links may be affiliate links — see disclosure.