Google Analytics 4 vs Hotjar
A side-by-side look at Google Analytics 4 and Hotjar: what each costs to start, whether there is a free plan, how easy they are to pick up, and which features and integrations they cover.
Which should you choose?
Choose Google Analytics 4 if
- Marketers who run Google Ads and need attribution and audiences
- Websites of any size that need free, full-featured traffic analytics
- Teams combining web and app data in one property
Choose Hotjar if
- Marketers and UX teams diagnosing why landing pages underperform
- Ecommerce stores looking for checkout friction
- Small teams that want heatmaps and surveys without training
Cheapest to start
Not comparable
Free plan
Google Analytics 4, Hotjar
Highest editor rating
Google Analytics 4 · 4.3
| Compare | Google Analytics 4 |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes |
| Free trial | No |
| Starting price | Free |
| Editor rating | 4.3 |
| Ease of use | Takes time (2/5) |
| Category | Analytics |
| Pricing model | The standard version is free with no traffic cap. Analytics 360, the enterprise edition with higher limits and SLAs, is priced on request and not published. |
| Plans |
|
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android, API |
| Integrations | Google Ads, Google Workspace, WordPress |
| Best for |
|
| Pros |
|
| Cons |
|
| AI assistant | No |
| API access | Yes |
| Audience segmentation | Yes |
| Custom event tracking | Yes |
| Forms & surveys | No |
| Funnels | Yes |
| GDPR compliance tools | Yes |
| Heatmaps | No |
| Import & export | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes |
| Reporting & dashboards | Yes |
| Roles & permissions | Yes |
| Session replay | No |
| SSO / SAML | No |
| Templates | No |
Common questions
- Does Google Analytics 4 or Hotjar have a free plan?
- Both do. Google Analytics 4 and Hotjar each offer a free tier, so you can try either without paying.
- Which is easier to use, Google Analytics 4 or Hotjar?
- In VERILO's editorial assessment Hotjar is the easier of the two, scoring 5 out of 5 against 2 for Google Analytics 4. That is a judgement about how quickly a new team gets productive, not a measured benchmark.