Matomo is a self-hosted or cloud analytics platform focused on privacy-first website tracking with complete data ownership, while Hotjar is a SaaS-only heatmapping and session recording tool designed for UX research and conversion optimization. Matomo excels for data privacy and compliance; Hotjar excels for visual user behavior understanding.
Matomo vs Hotjar — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Choose Matomo if you need complete data privacy, GDPR compliance, unlimited tracking capacity, and full data ownership—especially for regulated industries or enterprises. Choose Hotjar if your primary goal is understanding user experience through visual behavior data (heatmaps, recordings) and you prioritize ease of setup and faster implementation for conversion optimization.
Privacy-focused web analytics platform offering Google Analytics alternative with self-hosting capability.
Comprehensive user behavior analytics platform with heatmaps, session recording, and feedback tools.
Structured comparison data for Matomo vs Hotjar with 175 attributes.
Learning Curve (Beginner-Friendly Rating)
Session Recordings Per Month (Basic Plan)
Matomo vs Hotjar — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Matomo vs Hotjar.
Which tool is better for GDPR compliance?
Matomo is superior for GDPR compliance. It offers native anonymization, automatic IP masking, and zero third-party data sharing without requiring external consent managers. Matomo is GDPR-compliant by default. Hotjar requires manual configuration with third-party consent tools and stores data on external servers, adding compliance complexity.
Can I see heatmaps and session recordings in Matomo?
Matomo does not have native heatmapping or session recording features. However, it integrates with third-party tools like Microsoft Clarity (free heatmaps) or Hotjar for session recordings. If visual UX data is your primary need, Hotjar is the better standalone choice.
What's the difference in cost for small websites?
For small websites, Matomo's free plan is significantly more generous—it offers unlimited pageviews (only limited by 6,000 device limit). Hotjar's free plan caps at 5,000 sessions/month. Matomo Cloud starts at $19/month vs. Hotjar's $39/month for paid plans, making Matomo 105% cheaper at entry level.
Hotjar is easier to set up: copy-paste a script tag and you're done in 3 minutes. Matomo Cloud also takes only 5 minutes. However, Matomo's self-hosted option (which provides full data ownership) requires 2-4 hours of server configuration. Choose based on your priority: speed (Hotjar) vs. control (Matomo self-hosted).
Can I use both Matomo and Hotjar together?
Yes, many companies use both. Matomo provides detailed analytics, traffic sources, and conversion tracking. Hotjar adds visual UX insights (heatmaps, recordings, surveys). This combination costs ~$58-80/month combined but delivers comprehensive analytics + UX data. It's a common setup for conversion optimization teams.