UserProofMicrosoft Clarity vs Hotjar in 2026
Disclosure: UserProof publishes this page and sells a third option, named once near the end. Neither Microsoft nor Contentsquare pays us. Every fact links to the vendor’s own page, read October 26, 2026. We did not hands-on test either tool for this page.
Microsoft Clarity is free at any traffic with every session recorded and no sampling, per its FAQ. Hotjar is now part of Contentsquare, and new sign-ups land on Contentsquare’s plans: the free plan covers up to 200,000 sessions a month but records replays for 5% of them (at most 10,000), and paid plans start at $39 a month. Pick Clarity for free full recording and heatmaps. Pick Hotjar (Contentsquare) for surveys, feedback widgets and an AI assistant with a published tool-call allowance.
The number this page puts side by side: on a site with 100,000 sessions a month, Clarity keeps all 100,000 recordings for 30 days at $0, while Contentsquare Free records 5,000 of them (5%) and keeps data for 1 month (our arithmetic from both pages).
Jump to: side by side · recordings at real volumes · AI and MCP · which to pick · FAQ
Clarity vs Hotjar, side by side
| Microsoft Clarity | Hotjar (Contentsquare) | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free forever; the FAQ says you are never compelled to upgrade | Free $0; Growth $39 a month (shown next to $49); Pro and Enterprise custom |
| Sessions | No traffic limits | Free up to 200,000 a month; Growth 7,000 and up |
| Replay capture | Every session, no sampling | Free 5% (max 10,000); Growth 15% (min 20,000); Pro and Enterprise up to 100% |
| Recording retention | 30 days from recording | Free 1 month; Growth replays 2 months; Pro 2 months, up to 24 |
| Heatmaps | Yes, available up to 9 months | Included on every plan |
| Surveys and feedback | Not listed in the FAQ features | Free: basic surveys, 100 responses a month, 3 widgets; Growth 500 to 100,000 responses |
| AI assistant | Copilot in Clarity: chat about dashboard data and heatmap summaries | Sense chat on Growth and up; not on Free |
| MCP for coding agents | Open-source server, 3 tools, Data Export API token | Free: up to 300 tool calls a month; Growth 36,000 a year; Pro 72,000; Enterprise 108,000 |
| Cookies and consent | First-party cookies; explicit consent needed where local rules require it | See Contentsquare’s privacy docs |
Recordings you actually get
Our arithmetic: Clarity records every session; Contentsquare Free records 5% of sessions, up to 10,000. Growth records 15% of sessions with a stated minimum of 20,000, at a price its page sets with a slider above 7,000 sessions, so we leave it out of the dollar table.
| Monthly sessions | Clarity | Contentsquare Free |
|---|---|---|
| 20,000 | 20,000 recordings, $0 | 1,000 recordings, $0 |
| 100,000 | 100,000 recordings, $0 | 5,000 recordings, $0 |
| 200,000 | 200,000 recordings, $0 | 10,000 recordings, $0 (the cap) |
| 300,000 | 300,000 recordings, $0 | Above the 200,000-session Free limit |
AI and MCP
Both now let an AI assistant read your data. Clarity’s open-source MCP server has three tools (dashboard queries, a filtered recordings list and documentation) and runs on a Data Export API token whose docs list 10 requests per project per day over the last 1 to 3 days. Our Clarity MCP setup guide for Claude Code covers the command and limits. Contentsquare’s pricing page gives Free up to 300 tool calls a month and its free MCP page names ChatGPT and Claude.
In 94 answers about session replay tools from ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini (our scan, October 20, 2026), Microsoft Clarity was named in 74 and Hotjar in 69.
Which to pick
| If | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You want every session recorded for free | Microsoft Clarity | No traffic limits and no sampling, per its FAQ. |
| You run surveys and on-page feedback | Hotjar (Contentsquare) | Surveys and widgets on every plan. |
| You want heatmaps on a budget | Either | Both include heatmaps; Clarity keeps them up to 9 months. |
| You want an AI assistant with a set allowance | Hotjar (Contentsquare) | 300 tool calls a month free, more on paid plans. |
| You want your coding agent handed one fix with the file and line | UserProof | Free for 5,000 visits, $29 for 50,000; vs Clarity, vs Hotjar. |
More: 12 session replay tools for AI coding agents, ranked.
FAQ
Is Microsoft Clarity better than Hotjar?
For free recording, yes: Clarity records every session with no traffic limits, while Hotjar's free plan (now Contentsquare Free) records 5% of sessions, at most 10,000. Hotjar is stronger on surveys and feedback widgets.
Is Hotjar still free?
Hotjar is now part of Contentsquare. Contentsquare Free is $0 for up to 200,000 sessions a month, with 5% replay capture, 1 month of data and basic surveys (pricing page, read October 26, 2026).
How much does Hotjar cost?
On Contentsquare's pricing page, Growth starts at $39 a month for 7,000 monthly sessions and captures 15% of sessions for replay; Pro and Enterprise are custom priced.
Does Clarity have heatmaps like Hotjar?
Yes. Clarity's FAQ says heatmaps are available for up to 9 months. Contentsquare includes heatmaps on every plan.
Do Clarity and Hotjar work with ChatGPT or Claude?
Clarity has an open-source MCP server with 3 tools. Contentsquare's pricing lists up to 300 MCP tool calls a month on Free and 36,000 a year on Growth.
Sources
- Microsoft Clarity: Clarity FAQ; Clarity MCP server README; Clarity Data Export API docs (read October 26, 2026)
- Hotjar and Contentsquare: Contentsquare pricing (Hotjar plans); Contentsquare free MCP page (read October 26, 2026)
- AI answer counts: UserProof scan of 94 discovery answers from ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini, October 20, 2026
Corrections
If a fact here is out of date, the vendor’s own page is the source of truth. Report it through our GitHub issues. We re-read these pages every quarter.