Heatmaps show you what analytics numbers can't — actual user behavior on your pages.
Essential for optimizing landing pages and product pages where conversions matter.
Hotjar
Industry standard for heatmaps and session recordings. Free tier is generous for smaller sites.
- Pricing
- Freemium
- Website
- hotjar.com
Microsoft Clarity
Completely free heatmaps and session recordings from Microsoft. Surprisingly good for a free tool.
- Pricing
- Free
- Website
- clarity.microsoft.com
Lucky Orange
Heatmaps plus live chat and conversion funnels. Good if you want multiple tools in one.
- Pricing
- Paid
- Website
- luckyorange.com
Crazy Egg
One of the originals. Clean interface, solid scroll maps and click tracking.
- Pricing
- Paid
- Website
- crazyegg.com
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between heatmaps and session recordings?
Heatmaps show aggregate behavior—where most users click and how far they scroll. Session recordings show individual user journeys. Both are useful: heatmaps for quick insights, recordings for understanding why users behave a certain way.
Is Microsoft Clarity really free?
Yes, completely free with unlimited recordings and heatmaps. Microsoft uses the data to improve their products, but the tool itself costs nothing. It's genuinely one of the best free analytics tools available.
Will heatmap tools slow down my website?
Minimally. Most modern heatmap tools load asynchronously and have negligible impact on page speed. Microsoft Clarity is particularly lightweight. If you're concerned, test your page speed before and after installation.
How many session recordings do I need?
Start with 100-500 recordings per month to identify major issues. You don't need to watch all of them—look for patterns in where users get stuck or leave. Quality of insights matters more than quantity of recordings.
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