Google Analytics 4 vs Hotjar

Google Analytics 4 logo
Google's free web analytics platform — measures sessions, lead-form conversions, and channel performance on every real estate website.
Free
Hotjar logo
A premium behavior-analytics platform with heatmaps, recordings, and on-site surveys — the paid competitor to Microsoft Clarity.
$32/mo (Observe Plus)

Google Analytics 4 vs Hotjar: feature comparison

FeatureGoogle Analytics 4Hotjar
Website Traffic Analytics✓✗
Keyword / Rank Tracking✗✗
Backlink Analysis✗✗
Technical SEO Audit✗✗
Competitor Analysis✗✗
Heatmaps / Session Replay✗✓
Custom Dashboards / Reports✓✓
Free Tier Available✓✓

Google Analytics 4 — Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Free forever
  • Native Google Ads integration for conversion tracking
  • Event-based model — flexible for custom metrics
  • Integrates with Search Console, Looker Studio, BigQuery

Cons

  • Steeper learning curve than Universal Analytics
  • Default reports often require customization
  • Sampling on high-traffic sites without BigQuery export
  • Event schema requires planning to be useful

Hotjar — Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Polished UI and mature tooling
  • On-page surveys for qualitative feedback
  • Deeper integration ecosystem than Clarity
  • Free tier available for small sites

Cons

  • Free tier cap (35 sessions/day) hits quickly
  • Paid pricing higher than Clarity's free model
  • Session replays limited by tier
  • Some features require upgrading across product lines