Umami vs Hotjar
Umami is open-source, privacy-focused web analytics you can self-host, while Hotjar is behavior analytics tool with heatmaps, session recordings, and user feedback surveys. Umami is open source and can be self-hosted, giving you full control over your data. Umami is built for developers who want free, self-hosted, privacy-first analytics, whereas Hotjar targets teams wanting heatmaps and session recordings.
At a glance
|
Umami
|
Hotjar
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Developers who want free, self-hosted, privacy-first analytics | Teams wanting heatmaps and session recordings |
| Starting price | Free | Free |
| Free tier | ✓ | ✓ |
| Open source | ✓ | — |
| Free tier available | ✓ | ✓ |
| Open source | ✓ | — |
| Cookieless | ✓ | — |
| Custom Events | ✓ | — |
| Funnels | — | ✓ |
| Heatmaps | — | ✓ |
| Open Source | ✓ | — |
| Real-Time Dashboard | ✓ | — |
| Self-Hosted | ✓ | — |
| Session Recordings | — | ✓ |
| Surveys | — | ✓ |
Umami
Strengths
- Free and open source
- Easy to self-host (Docker, Vercel, Railway)
- Clean, modern dashboard
- Privacy-focused, no cookies
Weaknesses
- Requires self-hosting for free use
- Fewer features than GA or even Plausible
- Limited integrations
- Cloud pricing not competitive with Plausible
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
The bottom line
Pricing: Both Umami and Hotjar are free. You can try both without spending a dollar.
Feature gaps: Umami offers Cookieless, Custom Events and Open Source that Hotjar lacks. Hotjar brings Funnels, Heatmaps and Session Recordings that Umami does not have.
Team fit: Umami is geared toward individual users and small setups, 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.
Open source: Umami 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: Umami's biggest strengths are: free and open source. easy to self-host (docker, vercel, railway). 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 Umami, users commonly note that requires self-hosting for free use. With Hotjar, the main complaint is that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade.
Choose Umami if...
- Your profile matches its sweet spot: developers who want free, self-hosted, privacy-first analytics
- You need self-hosting, data sovereignty, or the ability to audit source code
- You specifically need Cookieless and Custom Events
- You care about easy to self-host (docker, vercel, railway)
- Your team size fits the individuals profile Umami is designed for
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
Looking for more options?
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