As a business grows its martech stack, website analytics is usually one of the first tools selected, most often Google Analytics because it is free and connects directly to Google Ads. Website analytics tells you what happened. Before long, answering why it happened becomes critical. That is where behavior analytics comes in: session replay, heatmaps, and lightweight feedback that reveal the reasons behind the numbers.
Martech landscape: These tools fit in the Behavior Analytics / Experience Analytics family within the Scott Brinker (chiefmartec) landscape.
Free plan comparison (2025)
Legend: ✓ = included — = not included Limited = included with caps (see notes)
A) Core limits
| Tool | Sessions / Recordings | Data retention | Heatmaps | Sites / Projects | Team seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotjar (Basic) | 35/day | 365 days | Unlimited | 1 site per plan | Unlimited |
| Microsoft Clarity | Up to 100k recs/day (per project) | 30 days (recordings) | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Mouseflow (Free) | 500/month | 1 month | Unlimited | 1 website | Unlimited |
B) Feature checklist (free tiers)
| Tool | Session replay | Heatmap types | Funnels / Forms | Surveys / Feedback | Integrations (examples) | Mobile apps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotjar | ✓ | Click, Scroll (web) | — | Limited (3 widgets, 20 responses/mo) | HubSpot, GA, Slack (incl.) | Web only (no native SDK) |
| Clarity | ✓ | Click, Scroll, Area, Attention, Conversion | — | — (surveys not included) | GA4, Google Ads, MS Ads | Web + Mobile SDK (iOS/Android) |
| Mouseflow | ✓ | Click, Scroll, Attention, Move, Geo | Limited (1 funnel & 1 form report) | Limited (1 feedback survey) | GA, HubSpot, 20+ plug-and-play | Web (no native SDK) |
C) Privacy defaults
| Tool | PII masking / keystrokes | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hotjar | Masked by default | Can allow specific fields if needed. |
| Clarity | Masking “Balanced” by default | Strict & Relaxed modes available. |
| Mouseflow | IPs & keystrokes masked by default | Visual privacy tools to exclude elements. |
Notes
- Clarity limits: Clarity is free-forever and unsampled for typical sites; however, it keeps up to 100,000 recordings per project per day and then samples if you go beyond that volume.
- Hotjar Ask (free): Basic includes 3 active widgets and 20 responses/month; unlimited questions per survey.
- Mobile support: Hotjar supports websites and web apps; it does not provide native mobile SDKs. Clarity supports native iOS/Android via SDK. Mouseflow is web-focused.
Also consider (free tiers exist)
- Lucky Orange (100 sessions/mo free)
- PostHog (generous free usage incl. session replay & product analytics)
- Heap (up to 10k sessions/mo free)
- Smartlook (≈3k sessions/mo free)
- LogRocket (≈1k sessions/mo free)
Sources (selected)
- Hotjar: Pricing, Keystroke masking, No native mobile apps, Plan basics
- Microsoft Clarity: Pricing, FAQ, Heatmaps, 100k/day recording cap, Masking, Mobile SDK, GA4 integration, Google Ads integration
- Mouseflow: Pricing, Free plan allowances, Privacy
- Brinker landscape: 2025 supergraphic
Quick research notes (why the values above are what they are)
- Hotjar Basic: Free plan allows up to 35 sessions per day, unlimited heatmaps, 365 day storage for Observe data, HubSpot integration on free, and unlimited team members.
- Microsoft Clarity: Free forever with unlimited heatmaps and projects. Recordings are retained 30 days. The service keeps up to about 100,000 recordings per project per day before sampling. Includes GA4 and Google Ads integrations plus a mobile SDK.
- Mouseflow Free: Includes 500 recordings per month, one website, one month retention, and limited funnels, forms, and feedback, typically one of each.
Background and ownership
Hotjar is part of Contentsquare following an acquisition announced in September 2021. The Hotjar product continues to operate under its own brand with free and paid plans.