Hotjar
LinearB
| Feature | Hotjar | LinearB |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $32/mo | Free / from $39/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.4 / 5 | 4.2 / 5 |
| Best For | ux-designers, product-managers, marketers, conversion-optimizers | engineering-managers, vp-engineering, ctos, devops-teams |
| Founded | 2014 | 2019 |
| Heatmaps | ✓ | ✗ |
| Session Recordings | ✓ | ✗ |
| Surveys | ✓ | ✗ |
| Feedback Widgets | ✓ | ✗ |
| Funnels | ✓ | ✗ |
| User Interviews | ✓ | ✗ |
| Dashboards | ✓ | ✗ |
| Cycle Time Metrics | ✗ | ✓ |
| Dora Metrics | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pr Insights | ✗ | ✓ |
| Workflow Automation | ✗ | ✓ |
| Team Benchmarks | ✗ | ✓ |
| Planning Intelligence | ✗ | ✓ |
| Investment Profile | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ 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
✓ LinearB Pros
- Correlates engineering metrics with business outcomes
- Automated workflow improvements (WorkerB)
- Benchmarks against industry standards
- Identifies bottlenecks in dev process
✗ LinearB Cons
- Expensive for large engineering teams
- Can feel like surveillance to developers
- Metrics can be gamed if not used carefully
The Verdict
Hotjar is built for ux designers and product managers, with a focus on heatmaps and session-recordings. LinearB targets engineering managers and vp engineering and leads with cycle-time-metrics and dora-metrics.
On pricing, Hotjar is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $32/mo compared to $39/mo for LinearB. That $7/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.