Contentsquare vs Hotjar: What Changed After The Merger

Contentsquare vs Hotjar is no longer a simple comparison of two separate tools. Hotjar was acquired by Contentsquare in 2021, and on 1 July 2025 Hotjar merged into the Contentsquare Group. That means users now need to understand what changed, what still works in Hotjar, and when the full Contentsquare platform makes more sense.

Hotjar’s familiar tools, such as heatmaps, recordings, surveys, and feedback, are still available. But Contentsquare now positions the combined ecosystem around Experience Analytics, Product Analytics, Voice of Customer, Experience Monitoring, and AI-powered insights. So the real question is not only “Contentsquare vs Hotjar.” It is also: do you need a larger experience intelligence platform, or a simpler CRO and UX tool for faster website improvements?

Plerdy is a practical alternative for teams that need heatmaps, session recordings, conversion funnels, popups, A/B testing, and SEO analysis in one place. It is especially useful when marketers, ecommerce teams, and website owners want clear behavior data without moving into a heavy enterprise analytics setup.

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Contentsquare vs Hotjar In 2026: The Main Difference

The main difference is no longer only about features. Hotjar is now part of Contentsquare, but many users still search for Hotjar as a separate product because they know it for heatmaps, recordings, surveys, and user feedback. Contentsquare is now the broader platform, with tools for journey analysis, session replay, heatmaps, funnels, product analytics, Voice of Customer, and experience monitoring.

For large companies, Contentsquare can be useful because it connects many analytics layers in one platform. For smaller marketing, UX, and ecommerce teams, the question is different. They may want a tool that is easier to launch, easier to explain, and easier to use every week. That is why comparing Contentsquare, Hotjar, and Plerdy still makes sense.

Contentsquare, Hotjar, And Plerdy: Current Feature Comparison

Note: Hotjar is now part of Contentsquare, so this table compares how users usually understand these product options today: Contentsquare as a broader experience intelligence platform, Hotjar as the familiar behavior analytics product inside that ecosystem, and Plerdy as a practical CRO, UX, and SEO alternative.

Heatmaps

Contentsquare

Hotjar

Plerdy

Real-time tracking
Dynamic elements
Custom user groups
Testing first clicks
Accurate mobile analytics
Deeper segmentation
Segmentation by traffic channels
Adaptive layout and show data
Correct data after website design changes
Hide Empty clicks
Sequence of clicks
Users did not go to another page
Detect what website elements are the least effective
Find out which part of the page is making users leave

PopUps forms

Contentsquare

Hotjar

Plerdy

Ready to use templates
Reports about leads
Statistics about how do people interact with a form
Display a popup to specific trigger
API integrations with Mailchimp, Zapier, ClickUp, Intercom, HubSpot, and more
Video popup
Integrations virtual pageviews Hotjar UA & events GA4
Decrease eCommerce cart abandonment
Over 20 display rules

Feedbacks & NPS

Contentsquare

Hotjar

Plerdy

Surveys
Visual feedback (Emoji)
Net Promoter Score

Session recording

Contentsquare

Hotjar

Plerdy

Replay video about user behavior
Custom events and more settings
Timeline recording with pages and time
Filter by traffic channels
Analyze individual user groups
Analyze mobile and desktop website versions separately
Easily share video links
Automatically delete old videos
Rage clicks

Conversion Funnels

Contentsquare

Hotjar

Plerdy

Analyze funnels by devices and traffic channels
Track unique pageviews and drop-offs on every stage

SEO-checker

Contentsquare

Hotjar

Plerdy

Automatic SEO audits
SEO mistakes in semantics
Comparison of duplicates of the main meta tags
Data about mobile-first index
SEO health score
HTML page source
Historical data for 30 days
Semrush backlink analysis
Export your data to Google Spreadsheets

Google Search Console integration

Contentsquare

Hotjar

Plerdy

Tips on missed keywords
Segmentation of URL data, automatically added to the search
Analysis of keywords in the title
Search for insights (impressions, clicks, positions and CTR)
Adding tags

Event / Goals Tracking

Contentsquare

Hotjar

Plerdy

Configure events using a class or item ID
Automatically add up different events from a specific website page
Transfer to Google Analytics 4

Sales performance

Contentsquare

Hotjar

Plerdy

Elements customers interact with before making a purchase
Find out what does not affect sales at all
E-commerce conversion analysis
Each element is assigned a price
Analyze the impact of website elements on sales by traffic channel and device

A/B Testing tool

Contentsquare

Hotjar

Plerdy

A/B testing of element changes
A/B testing of page redirect (split test)
Variants: this can be a page, event, or ecommerce
A/B testing reports

Macro conversion

Contentsquare

Hotjar

Plerdy

Items that customers interact with before ordering

Other settings

Contentsquare

Hotjar

Plerdy

Cross-domain tracking
Sub-domain tracking
Email and Slack reports
Launch A/B tests
Support SPA sites
GDPR & CCPA compliance

Pricing

Contentsquare

Hotjar

Plerdy

Entry Level Price
Free plan, up to 200,000 monthly sessions Hotjar Free: 35 daily sessions; now part of Contentsquare Free
Free Trial
Start, month
Growth plan, see current pricing Legacy Hotjar Observe Plus; new plans moved to Contentsquare Startup $32/mo or $21/mo yearly
Business, month
Pro / Enterprise, contact sales Legacy Hotjar Business; see Contentsquare plans Scale $64/mo or $42/mo yearly
Enterprise, month
Enterprise, contact sales Part of Contentsquare plans Enterprise from $148/mo or $97/mo yearly
Is Hotjar Now Contentsquare?

Yes, Hotjar is now part of Contentsquare. Existing Hotjar users can still access their accounts and use the familiar Hotjar setup, but billing, legal structure, and the wider product direction are now connected with Contentsquare. This is why many users search for “is Hotjar now Contentsquare,” “is Contentsquare Hotjar,” or “Hotjar parent company.”

In simple words, Hotjar is still known for behavior analytics and feedback tools, while Contentsquare is the larger platform around digital experience intelligence. The products are not positioned as two completely separate competitors anymore. A better way to compare them is to look at which workflow you need: simple visitor behavior analysis, deeper enterprise journey analytics, or a practical CRO platform like Plerdy.

Contentsquare vs Hotjar Pricing: What Changed?

Contentsquare now uses a plan structure that includes Free, Growth, Pro, and Enterprise options. Hotjar pricing is no longer something users should read as a fully separate old-style pricing model without context, because Hotjar is now part of Contentsquare. Existing Hotjar users may still see familiar Hotjar account and billing details, but new comparison content should explain the move toward Contentsquare plans.

Contentsquare Free is positioned as a stronger free entry point, with more data than the old Hotjar Free plan. Hotjar Free captured 35 sessions per day, while Contentsquare Free offers up to 200,000 sessions per month and 100% data capture within that limit. This makes pricing a key section for users comparing Contentsquare vs Hotjar today.


Plerdy also has a free plan, plus paid plans for teams that need heatmaps, video sessions, SEO audit, popups, ecommerce tracking, conversions, AI UX Assistant, and A/B testing. This gives the page a useful third angle: Contentsquare for broader experience intelligence, Hotjar as the familiar behavior analytics product inside that ecosystem, and Plerdy as a more direct CRO and SEO-focused alternative.

Contentsquare vs Hotjar Comparison After The Merger

Contentsquare and Hotjar are still compared in Google because many users remember them as separate analytics tools. But today this comparison needs more context. Hotjar is now part of Contentsquare, so the question is not just which tool is better. The better question is what each option means for your team now: Hotjar-style behavior analytics, Contentsquare’s broader experience intelligence platform, or a simpler CRO-focused platform like Plerdy.

Hotjar: Familiar Behavior Analytics Inside The Contentsquare Ecosystem

Hotjar is still strongly associated with heatmaps, recordings, surveys, feedback, and simple user behavior analysis. This is why many marketers, UX specialists, and website owners still search for Hotjar pricing, Hotjar reviews, Hotjar reports, and Hotjar business plans.

The important update is that Hotjar is now part of Contentsquare. Existing users can continue using familiar Hotjar tools, but new buyers should understand the wider Contentsquare direction. Hotjar is no longer just a standalone comparison point. It is part of a larger platform strategy that combines behavior analytics, Voice of Customer, product analytics, monitoring, and AI-powered insights.

Contentsquare: Broader Experience Intelligence For Larger Teams

Contentsquare is now positioned as a broader experience intelligence platform. It helps teams analyze user behavior, session replays, heatmaps, funnels, journeys, feedback, product analytics, and technical friction. This makes it useful for enterprise, ecommerce, product, marketing, and UX teams that need deeper analysis across many journeys and user segments.

The trade-off is complexity. Contentsquare can be powerful, but some teams may not need a large platform with multiple product layers. If a team mainly wants to improve website UX, find conversion problems, analyze SEO issues, and run A/B tests faster, Plerdy can be easier to adopt.

About Hotjar

Hotjar is a well-known behavior analytics and feedback product. Many teams know it for heatmaps, session recordings, surveys, feedback widgets, and simple visitor behavior insights. That is why the brand still gets search demand around Hotjar pricing, Hotjar competitors, Hotjar reviews, Hotjar reports, and Hotjar for business.

Today, Hotjar should be viewed in a new context. It is now part of Contentsquare, and its future direction is connected with the wider Contentsquare platform. For existing users, this can feel familiar in daily usage, but for new buyers it changes how the tool should be compared. Hotjar is not just a separate small-business alternative anymore; it is part of a larger experience analytics ecosystem.

This matters for teams that want simple heatmaps and recordings, but do not want a heavier enterprise workflow. Some users will like the larger Contentsquare direction. Others may prefer a more direct tool that combines CRO, UX, SEO, funnels, popups, and A/B testing without adding too many layers.

About Contentsquare

Contentsquare is a digital experience intelligence platform for teams that need deeper analytics across websites, apps, journeys, funnels, user segments, feedback, product behavior, and experience monitoring. It is usually a stronger fit for larger companies or teams with complex analytics needs.

After the Hotjar acquisition and later business merge, Contentsquare now connects the familiar Hotjar experience with a wider product suite. This includes Experience Analytics, Product Analytics, Voice of Customer, Experience Monitoring, and AI-powered insights. It is a broader setup than a basic heatmap or session recording tool.

For enterprise teams, this can be a strong advantage. For smaller ecommerce, SaaS, and marketing teams, it may feel like more platform than they really need. That is why this Contentsquare vs Hotjar comparison should also explain where Plerdy fits as a simpler alternative.

When Plerdy Is A Better Alternative

Plerdy makes more sense when a team wants practical CRO, UX, and SEO insights without a heavy enterprise analytics setup. With Plerdy, marketers and website owners can use heatmaps, video sessions, conversion funnels, popups, ecommerce tracking, SEO audit, AI UX Assistant, and A/B testing from one platform.

This is useful for teams that want to find where users click, where they stop scrolling, which elements affect conversions, and what SEO issues hurt landing pages. Contentsquare is stronger for large experience intelligence programs. Hotjar is still familiar for behavior analytics and feedback. Plerdy is the more direct choice when the goal is faster website improvement with fewer layers.

Here’s what people say:

“ContentSquare enables you to see what pain points users face during their journey. The Impact quantification module even allows seeing how specific behaviors impact estimated revenue.”

Rossella T Digital Experience Manager

“Hotjar is easy to use and lightweight. I like that.”

Justin L Marketing Operations Manager

FAQ About Contentsquare vs Hotjar

Is Hotjar Now Contentsquare?

Yes. Hotjar is now part of Contentsquare. Existing Hotjar users can still access their accounts and familiar tools, but the company, billing, and wider product direction are now connected with Contentsquare.

Is Contentsquare The Same As Hotjar?

Not exactly. Hotjar is part of Contentsquare, but Contentsquare is the broader platform. Hotjar is still known for heatmaps, recordings, surveys, and feedback, while Contentsquare includes more advanced experience analytics, product analytics, Voice of Customer, monitoring, and AI-powered insights.

What Changed After Contentsquare Acquired Hotjar?

The biggest change is product direction. Hotjar’s familiar tools remain available, but Contentsquare now connects them with a larger platform. Users should compare the tools based on workflow, pricing, data limits, analytics depth, and team size.

Which Is Better: Contentsquare Or Hotjar?

Contentsquare is better for larger teams that need deeper journey analysis, segmentation, monitoring, and enterprise-level analytics. Hotjar is easier to understand for teams that want behavior analytics and feedback. But since Hotjar is now part of Contentsquare, many users should also compare simpler alternatives like Plerdy.

Is Plerdy A Good Alternative To Hotjar And Contentsquare?

Yes, Plerdy can be a good alternative if you need heatmaps, session recordings, funnels, popups, SEO audit, ecommerce tracking, and A/B testing in one platform. It is especially useful for marketers, ecommerce teams, and website owners who want CRO and UX insights without a complex enterprise setup.

Does Contentsquare Have Heatmaps Like Hotjar?

Yes. Contentsquare includes heatmap and zone-based analysis as part of its broader experience analytics platform. Hotjar is still strongly associated with simple heatmaps and recordings, while Contentsquare adds deeper journey analysis, segmentation, and enterprise-level analytics layers.

What Is The Best Hotjar Alternative After The Contentsquare Merger?

The best alternative depends on the team. Plerdy is a strong option for marketers, ecommerce websites, SaaS teams, and website owners who need heatmaps, recordings, funnels, popups, SEO analysis, and A/B testing without moving into a heavier enterprise platform.