What is the difference between Mixpanel and Hotjar?

Mixpanel is best for Product teams tracking user behavior and funnels, while Hotjar is best for Teams wanting heatmaps and session recordings. Mixpanel starts at Free and Hotjar starts at Free.

Is Mixpanel or Hotjar cheaper?

Mixpanel starts at Free with a free tier. Hotjar starts at Free with a free tier.

Is there a free alternative to Hotjar?

Both Mixpanel and Hotjar offer free tiers.

Mixpanel vs Hotjar (2026) — notanothertool

At a glance

	Mixpanel	Hotjar
Best for	Product teams tracking user behavior and funnels	Teams wanting heatmaps and session recordings
Starting price	Free	Free
Free tier	✓	✓
Open source	—	—
Free tier available	✓	✓
Open source	—	—
A/B Testing	✓	—
Funnels	✓	✓
Heatmaps	—	✓
Retention	✓	—
Session Recordings	—	✓
Surveys	—	✓
User Flows	✓	—

Mixpanel

Strengths

Includes Funnels as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows
Includes Retention as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows
Free up to 20M events/mo — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
Established product with 17+ 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
Mobile experience lags behind the desktop version in features and polish

Try Mixpanel → Full review

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

The bottom line

Pricing: Both tools offer free tiers, so you can test each before committing. Mixpanel's free plan: Free up to 20M events/mo. Hotjar's free plan: Free for 35 sessions/day.

Feature gaps: Mixpanel offers A/B Testing, Retention and User Flows that Hotjar lacks. Hotjar brings Heatmaps, Session Recordings and Surveys that Mixpanel does not have. Both share Funnels.

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

Where each tool shines: Mixpanel's biggest strengths are: includes funnels as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows. includes retention as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows. 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.

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

Choose Mixpanel if...

You need a tool built for product teams tracking user behavior and funnels
You specifically need A/B Testing and Retention
You care about includes retention as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows
Your team size fits the mid-size teams profile Mixpanel is designed for
The free tier works for you: free up to 20m events/mo

Choose Hotjar if...

Your profile matches its sweet spot: teams wanting heatmaps and session recordings
You specifically need Heatmaps and Session Recordings
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