What is the difference between Hotjar and Countly?

Hotjar is best for Teams wanting heatmaps and session recordings, while Countly is best for Mobile app teams wanting open-source analytics. Hotjar starts at Free and Countly starts at Free.

Is Hotjar or Countly cheaper?

Hotjar starts at Free with a free tier. Countly starts at Free and is free.

Is there a free alternative to Countly?

Both Hotjar and Countly offer free tiers.

Hotjar vs Countly

Hotjar is behavior analytics tool with heatmaps, session recordings, and user feedback surveys, while Countly is open-source product analytics for mobile, web, and desktop with crash reporting. Countly is open source and can be self-hosted, giving you full control over your data. Hotjar is built for teams wanting heatmaps and session recordings, whereas Countly targets mobile app teams wanting open-source analytics.

At a glance

	Hotjar	Countly
Best for	Teams wanting heatmaps and session recordings	Mobile app teams wanting open-source analytics
Starting price	Free	Free
Free tier	✓	✓
Open source	—	✓
Free tier available	✓	✓
Open source	—	✓
Crash Reports	—	✓
Funnels	✓	—
Heatmaps	✓	—
Mobile Analytics	—	✓
Push Notifications	—	✓
Session Recordings	✓	—
Surveys	✓	✓

Hotjar

Strengths

Includes Heatmaps as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows
Includes Session Recordings as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows
Free for 35 sessions/day — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
Established product with 12+ years on the market and a mature ecosystem

Weaknesses

Free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Data accuracy depends on tracking setup — misconfigured events give misleading results
Limited team/admin features if your organization eventually scales up

Try Hotjar → Full review

Countly

Strengths

Open source and transparent
Includes Mobile Analytics as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows
Fully open-source — you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in
The core product is free with no paywalled essentials

Weaknesses

May lack some advanced features
Self-hosting is free but requires server maintenance and DevOps knowledge
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Data accuracy depends on tracking setup — misconfigured events give misleading results

Try Countly → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Both Hotjar and Countly are free. You can try both without spending a dollar.

Feature gaps: Hotjar offers Funnels, Heatmaps and Session Recordings that Countly lacks. Countly brings Crash Reports, Mobile Analytics and Push Notifications that Hotjar does not have. Both share Surveys.

Team fit: Hotjar is geared toward small teams teams, while Countly is aimed at mid-size teams teams. Pick the one that matches where your team is today and where it is headed — migrating tools later is always painful.

Open source: Countly is open source, meaning you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in. Hotjar is proprietary — you are trusting the vendor with your data and uptime.

Where each tool shines: Hotjar's biggest strengths are: includes heatmaps as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows. includes session recordings as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows. Countly's biggest strengths are: open source and transparent. includes mobile analytics as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows.

Watch out for: With Hotjar, users commonly note that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade. With Countly, the main complaint is that may lack some advanced features.

Choose Hotjar if...

Your profile matches its sweet spot: teams wanting heatmaps and session recordings
You specifically need Funnels and Heatmaps
You care about includes session recordings as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows
Your team size fits the small teams profile Hotjar is designed for
The free tier works for you: free for 35 sessions/day

Choose Countly if...

You need a tool built for mobile app teams wanting open-source analytics
You need self-hosting, data sovereignty, or the ability to audit source code
You specifically need Crash Reports and Mobile Analytics
You care about includes mobile analytics as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows
Your team size fits the mid-size teams profile Countly is designed for