Hotjar Problems & Issues
Real user-reported problems, complaints, and limitations for Hotjar. Based on analysis of 15 signals.
Overall score: 52/100
Issues by Category
Over 800% price increase after acquisition
Long-time customers report Hotjar became 'shockingly greedy' under new ownership. One user reported a price increase of over 800%. The pricing structure shifted from affordable to 'penny-pinching every little feature' requiring hundreds of dollars a month for arbitrary limits.
Hotjar is now Contentsquare: separate bills for heatmaps and surveys
hotjar.com/pricing now redirects to Contentsquare, where heatmaps/recordings (Experience Analytics) and surveys (Voice of Customer) are separate subscriptions starting at $49 and about $99/month when billed monthly. Teams that used one Hotjar plan for both now pay two bills, and reviewers on Capterra and G2 call the post-acquisition tiers unclear.
Free plan only replays 5% of sessions
The free Experience Analytics plan advertises up to 200k monthly sessions, but session replays capture only 5% of them (max 10k), data is kept for one month, and only one project is allowed. Teams that relied on the free plan for recordings get far fewer replays than the headline number suggests.
No refunds if you cancel on renewal day
Older complaints describe being refused refunds when cancelling on the renewal day. Contentsquare's pricing page now offers a full refund within 30 days for new Growth accounts; after that, billing runs to the end of the cycle, so annual renewals are still a trap if missed.
Hotjar stops recording when the session limit is reached
Hotjar samples traffic above the plan's capture rate and, once the allowance is used up, collects no new recordings or heatmap data until the next reset. Legacy plans capped daily sessions (100 on Plus, 500 on Business); Contentsquare plans use monthly session tiers, so busy launches can exhaust a tier early and leave gaps.
Heatmaps buggy between desktop and mobile views
Heat maps are occasionally buggy especially when switching between desktop and mobile views. Some accounts constantly go on and off with alerts about tracking not being properly implemented. Doesn't work well with single page applications.
Conversion funnel tracking inaccurate
Users report the conversion funnel tracking tool doesn't accurately report metrics. If a page has popup, modal, or overlay, that can be problematic for tracking. Users question the accuracy of the reports overall.
Session recordings miss key interactions and dynamic content
Session recordings can be incomplete, hard to filter, and miss key interactions. JavaScript obscures viewing of dynamic content, making it unclear what users are doing. Users get overwhelmed by not-relevant recordings where users just idle.
Heatmap page height limited to 1500px
There's a limit on page height that can be captured at 1500px. Long scrolling pages don't get fully captured in heatmaps, limiting insights for modern long-form content pages and infinite scroll designs.
Only 3 heatmaps at a time on lower plans
On smaller Hotjar plans, the cap at creating only 3 heatmaps at a time feels restrictive. Users need to delete old heatmaps to create new ones, losing historical data in the process.
Website slows down by 500ms-1 second after install
Hotjar's script adds 0.47MB to page weight and 829ms to load time. Users report sites loading 1.5-2.5 seconds normally but up to 4 seconds with Hotjar installed. It's one of the slowest among popular heatmap tools.
Ad blockers break site functionality when Hotjar installed
Hotjar adds overhead to websites and ad blockers started making sites respond weirdly. Some users report their sites behave differently when visitors have ad blockers enabled because of Hotjar integration conflicts.
No human support - chatbots and gatekeeping
After-care service is poor with no way to speak to a human, just a chatbot. Users describe serious gatekeeping, requiring multiple field entries in chat windows. AI chatbot required re-entering the same URL three times - very frustrating experience. 2.5-star Trustpilot rating largely stems from support issues.
Hotjar to Contentsquare migration billing confusion
Accounts are being moved from legacy Hotjar plans to Contentsquare tiers on a rolling, per-account basis through 2026. Reviewers describe changing billing entities, plan names (Basic/Plus/Business vs Free/Growth/Pro) and renewals that took weeks to sort out.
Removed cross-domain tracking - critical feature gone
Hotjar recently removed cross-domain tracking, which was a great benefit for users tracking customers across multiple domains. This feature removal frustrated many multi-site businesses who relied on it.
Regret Patterns
Common reasons users regret choosing Hotjar.
Discovered Microsoft Clarity after paying for Hotjar
Many users paid for Hotjar without knowing Microsoft Clarity offers free unlimited heatmaps and recordings. They regret not researching alternatives first, especially since Clarity covers most basic needs.
Session limits caused major data gaps
High-traffic sites hit daily session limits constantly, missing most visitor sessions. Users regret not understanding how restrictive the limits are until they had incomplete data during critical periods.
Site speed dropped after Hotjar install
Users noticed significant performance degradation after installing Hotjar. Page load times increased by 500ms-1 second. Some saw Core Web Vitals drop, affecting SEO. Regret not testing performance impact first.
Needed surveys but had to pay for separate Ask subscription
Users subscribed to Observe (heatmaps) expecting surveys included. Discovered surveys require separate Ask subscription, effectively doubling their bill. The split product structure felt like a bait and switch.
Price increased dramatically at renewal
Users experienced massive price increases (some report 800%+) at renewal after Contentsquare acquisition. Annual subscribers locked into old pricing were shocked when renewal came with the new pricing structure.
Couldn't get refund after accidental renewal
Users who forgot to cancel were charged for another year and couldn't get refunds even when requesting immediately. Hotjar's strict no-refund policy on renewal day caught many off guard.
Cross-domain tracking removed after depending on it
Businesses relying on cross-domain tracking built workflows around the feature. When Hotjar removed it, they had to scramble for alternatives, losing historical data and disrupting analytics.
When Hotjar Breaks Down
Specific scenarios where Hotjar fails or underperforms.
Site traffic exceeds session limits
Your marketing campaign works and traffic spikes. But Hotjar stops recording after 35-500 sessions/day. You miss most visitor behavior during your most important traffic periods. No way to capture overflow.
Core Web Vitals drop after installation
You install Hotjar and Google Search Console shows Core Web Vitals declining. Page speed drops by nearly a second. You face a choice: lose SEO rankings or lose behavior insights.
Need surveys but already paying for Observe
You need to collect user feedback but discover surveys require a separate Ask subscription. Your $80/month Observe plan doesn't include them. Now you're looking at $130+/month total.
Support can't help during critical issue
Tracking breaks before a product launch. You need urgent help but only get chatbot responses. No phone support, no live chat, just a ticket that takes 5+ days. Launch happens without analytics.
Long scrolling pages aren't fully captured
Your content marketing relies on long-form pages. But Hotjar's 1500px height limit means you only see heatmaps for the top portion. Can't tell what happens in the content users actually scroll to.
Renewal brings 800% price increase
You've been using Hotjar for a year at reasonable rates. Renewal notice arrives with dramatically higher pricing after acquisition changes. Budget no longer accommodates the tool.
SPA or dynamic content not tracked properly
Your React/Vue app uses dynamic content and SPAs. Hotjar struggles to capture interactions correctly. Session recordings show confusing behavior that doesn't match reality.
Ad blocker users break site functionality
Users with ad blockers report your site behaving strangely. Investigation reveals Hotjar integration conflicts. You're degrading experience for privacy-conscious users.