Hotjar (now Contentsquare) vs Microsoft Clarity
Understand Hotjar’s move to Contentsquare before comparing replay, heatmaps and review workflows.
Which current service should a new team evaluate?
New users researching Hotjar are now directed to Contentsquare; new standalone Hotjar accounts are no longer available. Compare the current Contentsquare offer with Microsoft Clarity, then match capture, retention, feedback and review needs. Clarity is a free hosted tool for visual behaviour investigation. Existing Hotjar accounts need their own migration and historical-data assessment.
Seven differences that change the shortlist
| Buying question | Hotjar (now Contentsquare) | Microsoft Clarity |
|---|---|---|
| Current new-user route | Contentsquare; standalone Hotjar sign-up ended | Microsoft Clarity |
| Visual investigation | Heatmaps and replay through Contentsquare | Heatmaps and session recordings |
| Feedback scope | Survey workflows in the current Contentsquare offer | Evaluate visual evidence and any separate feedback tool |
| Free entry | Recurring Contentsquare Free tier | Free hosted Clarity service |
| Capture and retention | Confirm current product-specific limits and access periods | Ordinary recordings 30 days; selected data longer |
| Existing history | Establish Hotjar migration and export arrangements | A new collection does not recreate earlier visits |
| Selection proof | Current successor workflow meets the defined review brief | Clarity workflow meets the same review brief |
Four worked buying briefs
These are hypothetical scenarios with explicit assumptions. They do not establish equal capabilities, measured usability or a negotiated price.
| Requirement | Evidence to collect | Acceptance condition |
|---|---|---|
| Measurement scope | An agreed journey, events and relevant context | Both evaluations answer the same defined question |
| Collection quality | A synthetic journey reconciled with expected records | Counts and missing context can be explained |
| Commercial scope | Written plan limits and operating responsibilities | Every required capability has an owner and a budget |
| Review process | A short report and follow-up action | The intended team can repeat the investigation |
New mobile-form review
Can the team understand a visible point of friction?
Hotjar (now Contentsquare): Evaluate the relevant replay and heatmap tools in Contentsquare.
Microsoft Clarity: Filter recordings and heatmaps around the same form journey.
Hypothetical brief: use an instrumented test route and masked synthetic inputs.
Existing Hotjar account
What happens to saved findings and historical access?
Hotjar (now Contentsquare): Confirm the account-specific transition and any export arrangements.
Microsoft Clarity: Treat a move to Clarity as a new implementation.
A new script cannot recover sessions that were never collected or have expired.
Feedback plus behaviour
Does the team need visitors to explain the problem?
Hotjar (now Contentsquare): Scope the survey workflow and response entitlement.
Microsoft Clarity: Decide how a separate feedback channel would connect to visual findings.
Do not infer motivation solely from a click pattern or a replay.
Monthly review cadence
Will the evidence still be available at review time?
Hotjar (now Contentsquare): Check each current Contentsquare product’s data-access period.
Microsoft Clarity: Plan around ordinary recording retention and selected retained sessions.
Set a review owner and preserve permitted findings before the relevant retention window ends.
Compare the current successor, not old Hotjar packages
The familiar Hotjar name can lead to an outdated buying shortlist. Its official site now directs new users to Contentsquare, so an evaluation should use the present successor product and its current plan. Old Hotjar daily capture or Observe and Ask prices are not a new-purchase quotation.
For an existing account, make a separate inventory of collections, permissions, findings and historical access. A migration decision should distinguish evidence that must be retained from data that the team does not need to carry forward.
Turn recordings into a bounded review process
Choose one journey and one question, such as whether a mobile visitor can complete a form after reading an error. Record the pages and device context needed to investigate it, then check masking before collecting real sessions.
Review behaviour alongside completion events and direct feedback where available. A repeated click is a useful clue, but the team still needs to establish the cause and verify a proposed fix. Assign an owner and a follow-up check to each finding.
Questions before you choose
Can a new user still create a Hotjar account?
The official Hotjar transition page says new Hotjar accounts can no longer be created. New users are directed to Contentsquare.
Is Contentsquare Free only a trial?
No. It advertises an ongoing Free plan, with a separate introductory Growth trial. Scope and limits vary by product.
How long does Clarity retain ordinary recordings?
Microsoft’s retention documentation gives ordinary playback data a 30-day period. Labeled or favorited sessions and heatmap data can have longer specified periods.
Does free Clarity remove setup responsibilities?
No. The team still needs appropriate collection, masking, access and consent configuration, and a process for reviewing the findings.
Turn the comparison into your own evaluation
Use the same criteria and priorities for both products, keep unknowns unassessed and record the plan and evidence behind your ratings.
Build a Hotjar (now Contentsquare) vs Microsoft Clarity scorecard →Keep the assumptions with the figures
Use the date, billing cycle, units and limits with each example. Check current account terms before purchasing. Unverified prices and model costs stay unpriced.
Download the buying examples as JSON ↓Share the comparison
Use these examples when discussing the shortlist with your team.