Google Analytics vs Hotjar
Google Analytics and Hotjar are both analytics options. Google Analytics lists 6 features across 3 platforms; Hotjar lists 6 features across 1 platform — see the full breakdown below, sourced from each vendor's own site rather than ratings or reviews.
Side-by-side summary
Best for Google Analytics
Best suited to organizations that need web/app measurement and attribution tied closely to Google's advertising and cloud ecosystem; Analytics 360 is aimed at larger organizations that need higher limits, longer retention, unsampled analysis, and service-level commitments.
Best for Hotjar
Best suited to existing Hotjar users planning the transition and to teams evaluating behavior analytics, session replay, heatmaps, funnels, surveys, and experience insights in the current Contentsquare product suite.
Feature comparison
Every feature listed here comes directly from each vendor's own official site.
Google Analytics
- Web and app event-based measurement in Google Analytics 4
- Cross-platform reporting and attribution
- Audiences, key events, explorations, and customizable reports
- Machine-learning-based insights and predictive capabilities
- Native integrations with Google Ads, Search Ads 360, Search Console, and Google Cloud
- BigQuery export, with materially higher daily export limits on Analytics 360
Hotjar
- Heatmaps and zone-based behavior analysis
- Session replay
- Funnels and journey analysis
- Surveys and feedback workflows
- Error and performance monitoring
- Sense AI features and LLM/MCP connectivity on current Contentsquare plans
Pros and cons
Google Analytics
- Web and app event-based measurement in Google Analytics 4
- Cross-platform reporting and attribution
- Audiences, key events, explorations, and customizable reports
- Machine-learning-based insights and predictive capabilities
- Native integrations with Google Ads, Search Ads 360, Search Console, and Google Cloud
- BigQuery export, with materially higher daily export limits on Analytics 360
- Standard properties have lower limits than Analytics 360, including up to 14 months of configurable data retention versus up to 50 months on 360.
- Standard explorations can sample at 10 million events per query, while 360 raises that threshold and adds unsampled exploration capacity.
- Standard daily BigQuery export is capped at 1 million events, while Analytics 360 supports much larger daily exports; organizations exceeding Standard limits need to evaluate a 360 contract.
Hotjar
- Heatmaps and zone-based behavior analysis
- Session replay
- Funnels and journey analysis
- Surveys and feedback workflows
- Error and performance monitoring
- Sense AI features and LLM/MCP connectivity on current Contentsquare plans
- New users cannot create a Hotjar account; they are directed to Contentsquare instead.
- The old Hotjar plan names and prices are no longer the right basis for a new purchase decision.
- Contentsquare pricing is product-specific: Experience Analytics Growth starts at $49/month billed annually, while other products such as Voice of Customer have separate plan pricing.
Key differences
- Google Analytics lists Web and app event-based measurement in Google Analytics 4, Cross-platform reporting and attribution, Audiences, key events, explorations, and customizable reports, Machine-learning-based insights and predictive capabilities, Native integrations with Google Ads, Search Ads 360, Search Console, and Google Cloud, BigQuery export, with materially higher daily export limits on Analytics 360 that Hotjar doesn't list.
- Hotjar lists Heatmaps and zone-based behavior analysis, Session replay, Funnels and journey analysis, Surveys and feedback workflows, Error and performance monitoring, Sense AI features and LLM/MCP connectivity on current Contentsquare plans that Google Analytics doesn't list.
- Google Analytics supports iOS, Android, which Hotjar doesn't list.
Choose Google Analytics if…
Choose Google Analytics if this fits: Best suited to organizations that need web/app measurement and attribution tied closely to Google's advertising and cloud ecosystem; Analytics 360 is aimed at larger organizations that need higher limits, longer retention, unsampled analysis, and service-level commitments. Compared with Hotjar specifically, Google Analytics also offers Web and app event-based measurement in Google Analytics 4, Cross-platform reporting and attribution, Audiences, key events, explorations, and customizable reports, and 3 more features that Hotjar doesn't list, plus iOS, Android support that Hotjar doesn't list.
Choose Hotjar if…
Choose Hotjar if this fits: Best suited to existing Hotjar users planning the transition and to teams evaluating behavior analytics, session replay, heatmaps, funnels, surveys, and experience insights in the current Contentsquare product suite. Compared with Google Analytics specifically, Hotjar also offers Heatmaps and zone-based behavior analysis, Session replay, Funnels and journey analysis, and 3 more features that Google Analytics doesn't list.
Facts on this page are sourced from each vendor's official site (linked below), not from ratings or reviews. Products change — verify anything that matters to your decision directly on the vendor's own site before switching. See our Disclaimer and Sources Policy.
Google Analytics sources
Last verified October 8, 2026
- https://marketingplatform.google.com/about/analytics/
- https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/11202874?hl=en
- https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/12229528?hl=en
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