Hotjar vs PostHog
Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, and ratings
At a glance
| Dimension | Hotjar | PostHog |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free up to 200K sessions/month, then from $39/mo (Plus) | Free up to 1M events/month, then $0.00035/event |
| Best For | Marketers and UX researchers needing heatmaps and replays | Product engineers wanting full-stack analytics + feature flags |
| Key Differentiator | Heatmaps, attention maps, AI summaries via Sense AI | Open-source, SQL warehouse, feature flags, A/B testing |
| Integrations | 10+ on free plan (Google Analytics, Slack, Jira, ChatGPT via MCP) | 120+ (Stripe, Slack, GitHub, Snowflake, etc.) |
| Self-Host Option | No (SaaS only) | Yes (open-source, self-host available) |
| Latest News Impact | No recent news | AI-native hiring focus, internal AI model training |
Choose PostHog if you're a product engineer who wants a unified platform for analytics, feature flags, experimentation, and a data warehouse with generous free tiers and self-hosting. Choose Hotjar if you're a marketer or UX researcher focused on visual behavior insights (heatmaps, replays) and prefer a simpler, AI-assisted interface without engineering complexity.
Behavior analytics with heatmaps, session replays, and AI summaries for conversion insights.
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Open-source product OS unifying analytics, session replay, feature flags, and a data warehouse.
Visit WebsiteWho should pick which
- Solo founder building a B2B SaaSPick: PostHog
PostHog provides free analytics, feature flags, A/B testing, and a data warehouse—all essential for iterating on product without separate tools.
- Marketing manager optimizing landing page conversionPick: Hotjar
Hotjar's heatmaps and attention maps visually show where users click and scroll, plus AI summaries help quickly identify drop-offs.
- UX researcher conducting usability studiesPick: Hotjar
Session replays with AI summaries and funnels allow easy identification of user pain points without requiring SQL or custom events.
- Product engineer needing feature flags and experimentsPick: PostHog
PostHog has native feature flag management with built-in A/B testing, and integrates with GitHub, Sentry, and engineering tools.
- Data team requiring custom SQL analyticsPick: PostHog
PostHog's managed data warehouse and SQL editor allow direct querying of event data, plus data pipelines to Snowflake/BigQuery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hotjar vs PostHog: which should you choose?
Choose PostHog if you're a product engineer who wants a unified platform for analytics, feature flags, experimentation, and a data warehouse with generous free tiers and self-hosting. Choose Hotjar if you're a marketer or UX researcher focused on visual behavior insights (heatmaps, replays) and prefer a simpler, AI-assisted interface without engineering complexity.
Which tool offers session replay?
Both offer session replays. PostHog gives 5K free recordings/month; Hotjar gives recordings as part of its free 200K sessions/month (with AI summaries).
Can I self-host these tools?
Only PostHog is open-source and can be self-hosted. Hotjar is SaaS-only (part of Contentsquare).
Which is better for A/B testing?
PostHog includes A/B testing via feature flags (experiments). Hotjar does not have A/B testing.
How do integrations compare?
PostHog has 120+ integrations (Stripe, Slack, GitHub, Snowflake, etc.). Hotjar has 10+ on free (Google Analytics, Slack, Jira, ChatGPT via MCP).
Is there a free plan?
Both have free plans. PostHog: 1M events/month, 5K recordings, 1M flag requests, 1M warehouse rows. Hotjar: 200K sessions/month.
Which tool provides heatmaps?
Only Hotjar provides heatmaps (clicks, moves, scrolls, attention maps). PostHog does not have heatmaps.
Can I query data using SQL?
Yes, PostHog has a built-in SQL editor with BI visualization. Hotjar does not support SQL queries.
Which tool is better for non-technical teams?
Hotjar is more accessible for marketers and UX researchers with its visual UI and AI summaries. PostHog requires more technical setup and is best for engineers.
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Last reviewed: May 12, 2026