Amplitude
Hotjar
| Feature | Amplitude | Hotjar |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $49/mo | Free / from $32/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.4 / 5 | 4.4 / 5 |
| Best For | product-teams, growth-teams, data-analysts, saas-companies | ux-designers, product-managers, marketers, conversion-optimizers |
| Founded | 2012 | 2014 |
| Event Analytics | ✓ | ✗ |
| Cohort Analysis | ✓ | ✗ |
| Funnels | ✓ | ✓ |
| Retention | ✓ | ✗ |
| Experimentation | ✓ | ✗ |
| Session Replay | ✓ | ✗ |
| Cdp | ✓ | ✗ |
| Heatmaps | ✗ | ✓ |
| Session Recordings | ✗ | ✓ |
| Surveys | ✗ | ✓ |
| Feedback Widgets | ✗ | ✓ |
| User Interviews | ✗ | ✓ |
| Dashboards | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Amplitude Pros
- Powerful behavioral cohort analysis
- Free tier generous (50K monthly tracked users)
- Built-in experimentation (A/B testing)
- Excellent for product-led growth metrics
✗ Amplitude Cons
- Complex event taxonomy required upfront
- Expensive at scale beyond free tier
- Steep learning curve for non-analysts
✓ Hotjar Pros
- Heatmaps show exactly where users click
- Session recordings reveal UX issues
- Easy to install (one script tag)
- Surveys and feedback widgets included
✗ Hotjar Cons
- Can slow down site if not configured well
- Session recordings take time to review
- Limited to web — no mobile app analytics
The Verdict
Amplitude is built for product teams and growth teams, with a focus on event-analytics and cohort-analysis. Hotjar targets ux designers and product managers and leads with heatmaps and session-recordings.
On pricing, Hotjar is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $32/mo compared to $49/mo for Amplitude. That $17/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.