Hotjar vs FullStory: Complete Comparison

Quick Summary

Winner: FullStory for most users because of its more advanced analytics capabilities, deeper session replay insights, and sophisticated data analysis tools.

However, if you have a smaller team, limited budget, or need a simpler, more accessible user experience tool, Hotjar might be better. Each platform excels in different areas, so your specific needs will determine which is most suitable for your team.

Pricing Comparison

Note: Pricing may change - check their websites for current offers.

Features Comparison

Session Recording & Replay

Both Hotjar and FullStory offer session recording functionality, but with notable differences:

Hotjar provides straightforward session recordings that capture user interactions, clicks, scrolls, and movements. It's easy to filter recordings based on user behavior, but has limitations in terms of advanced analysis.

FullStory takes session recordings to the next level with its Digital Experience Intelligence platform. It not only captures sessions but also automatically indexes every user interaction for searchability. The platform can detect rage clicks, error clicks, and other frustration signals automatically.

Heatmaps

Hotjar is known for its intuitive heatmaps, offering click, move, and scroll maps that are easy to set up and understand. This is a core strength of the platform.

FullStory offers heatmaps as well, but with more advanced analytics capabilities. Their click maps include automatic frustration detection and can be segmented more precisely based on user behavior.

Analytics & Insights

Hotjar provides basic analytics centered around its core features. The insights are straightforward and accessible but not as deep as competitors.

FullStory excels with its "Page Insights" and "Session Insights" that offer detailed performance metrics. It can automatically identify issues and opportunities through machine learning and its frustration score metrics.

Funnel Analysis

Hotjar introduced Funnels in their higher-tier plans, allowing basic conversion path analysis.

FullStory offers more sophisticated funnel analysis with real-time data, allowing you to build funnels retroactively and analyze them instantly without having to set up tracking beforehand.

Feedback Collection

Hotjar offers a variety of feedback tools including surveys, feedback widgets, and incoming feedback features that make it easy to collect user opinions.

FullStory focuses more on behavioral analytics than explicit feedback collection, though it does offer integration options with various feedback tools.

Technical Requirements

Hotjar requires minimal setup with a simple JavaScript snippet and offers a WordPress plugin for easy installation.

FullStory requires a more involved setup and can impact page load times more significantly due to its comprehensive data capture.

Integration Capabilities

Hotjar offers integrations with popular platforms like Google Analytics, Slack, and various CRMs.

FullStory provides more extensive enterprise-level integrations, including development tools like Jira and Bugsnag, making it more suitable for technical teams.

Pros & Cons

Hotjar

Pros: ✅ More affordable pricing options ✅ Easier to use with a simpler interface ✅ Excellent heatmap visualizations ✅ Built-in feedback collection tools ✅ Quick setup with minimal technical knowledge ✅ Free plan available for basic needs

Cons: ❌ Less advanced analytics capabilities ❌ Limited session recording filtering options ❌ Fewer integration possibilities for technical teams ❌ Recordings can sometimes miss certain interactions ❌ Limited retroactive data analysis

FullStory

Pros: ✅ Comprehensive digital experience platform ✅ Advanced search capabilities for user sessions ✅ Automatic frustration detection ✅ Retroactive funnel creation and analysis ✅ Deeper technical integrations ✅ More powerful segmentation options

Cons: ❌ Higher price point ❌ Steeper learning curve ❌ No free plan (only trial) ❌ Can impact page load performance ❌ May be overwhelming for small teams

Best For (Use Cases)

Hotjar is best for:

• Small to mid-size businesses with limited budgets
• Marketing teams needing basic user insights
• Companies new to UX research looking for an accessible entry point
• Teams focused on gathering direct user feedback alongside behavioral data
• Websites with straightforward user journeys needing basic visualization of user behavior

FullStory is best for:

• Enterprise organizations with complex digital products
• Development and product teams needing detailed technical insights
• Companies with sophisticated analytics needs requiring deep data analysis
• E-commerce and SaaS companies tracking complex user journeys
• Teams with existing analytics expertise who can leverage advanced capabilities

The Verdict

Both Hotjar and FullStory offer valuable insights into user behavior, but they serve different market segments and use cases.

Choose Hotjar if:

• You have budget constraints
• You need a simple, user-friendly interface
• Your primary focus is heatmaps and basic recordings
• You want built-in feedback collection
• You're just starting your UX research journey

Choose FullStory if:

• You need enterprise-grade analytics
• Your team can benefit from advanced technical insights
• You require sophisticated segmentation and retroactive analysis
• You're dealing with complex user journeys
• Budget is less of a concern than depth of insights

For many organizations, the choice between Hotjar and FullStory represents a trade-off between accessibility and depth. Hotjar provides an excellent entry point with its intuitive interface and more affordable pricing, while FullStory offers deeper insights at a higher price point and with a steeper learning curve.

Looking for an Alternative for Card Sorting?

If you're specifically looking to conduct card sorting exercises to improve your information architecture and user experience, neither Hotjar nor FullStory specializes in this area.

For effective card sorting studies, consider trying Free Card Sort – a specialized tool designed specifically for card sorting with:

• Unlimited card sorting studies
• No credit card required to get started
• Simple setup and participant experience
• Comprehensive analysis of sorting results
• The ability to identify patterns in how users organize your content

Card sorting complements the insights you gather from tools like Hotjar and FullStory by helping you understand your users' mental models and how they expect your information to be organized.

Try Free Card Sort today and enhance your UX research toolkit with specialized card sorting capabilities.