GhostStat vs Hotjar: heatmaps and recordings without cookies

Hotjar is the name most people think of for heatmaps and session recordings. A lot has changed, though: Hotjar is now part of Contentsquare, and new users can no longer open a Hotjar account. This comparison of GhostStat vs Hotjar looks at what that means for you, how the two tools handle cookies and data, and where each one fits. Every statement about Hotjar and Contentsquare links to their own pages.

Last checked: 11 October 2026. If something here is out of date, tell us.

Hotjar vs GhostStat at a glance

Hotjar is now part of Contentsquare

According to Contentsquare’s support article, Hotjar merged into the Contentsquare Group on 1 July 2025, and Hotjar’s heatmaps, recordings and surveys now live inside Contentsquare. The Hotjar page on contentsquare.com states that “it’s no longer possible to create a new account on Hotjar”; new users start on Contentsquare’s free plan instead. Existing Hotjar accounts keep working, and that page lists 35 sessions a day on Hotjar’s free plan.

Contentsquare’s free plan is generous: up to 200,000 sessions a month, 10,000 session replay captures, unlimited heatmaps and basic funnels, with one month of data retention. Longer retention and advanced features need a paid plan.

Cookies and consent

Hotjar’s privacy FAQ says that “Hotjar stores first-party cookies on your browser”. It also says Hotjar chose not to collect user IP addresses. On the Contentsquare side, the tag’s cookie list includes _cs_id (13 months) and _cs_s (30 minutes). Contentsquare also offers a cookieless mode, in which the tag stores the same values in sessionStorage or localStorage instead of cookies.

GhostStat stores nothing on the visitor’s device: no cookies, no localStorage, no sessionStorage and no fingerprinting. The IP address is used in memory to look up the location, then dropped; it is never written to disk. Visitors are counted with an identifier that is salted per site and rotates daily, and the data is stored in Dronten, the Netherlands. Our privacy policy lists exactly what is collected. Because nothing is stored on the device, GhostStat’s analytics do not need a consent banner.

Heatmaps and session recordings

Both tools show you what visitors do on a page. Hotjar built its name on heatmaps and recordings, and Contentsquare adds more advanced analysis on its paid plans.

In GhostStat, heatmaps and session recordings are plugins available on every plan, including Free:

• Heatmaps for clicks, scrolling and mouse movement, filtered by device.
• Session recordings with every form input masked by default, so typed text never leaves the browser.
• Visitor intelligence that scores intent, friction and attention per visit, so you know which recordings are worth watching.

On the Free plan each plugin has a monthly view allowance; paid plans remove it. The live numbers are on the pricing page.

One tool or two

Hotjar was designed to sit next to your traffic analytics. Contentsquare’s Hotjar page describes Hotjar’s tools as heatmaps, recordings and surveys, so for page views, sources and campaigns you need a second tool. That means two scripts and two privacy reviews.

GhostStat combines both jobs. The core dashboard covers pages, referrers, campaigns, countries, devices and real-time visitors; heatmaps, recordings, funnels, goals, form analytics, A/B tests and ecommerce run as plugins in the same dashboard. The core tracker is about 3 KB compressed, and plugins add code only on the sites where you switch them on.

Where Hotjar is stronger

Hotjar and Contentsquare include on-site surveys and feedback widgets; GhostStat does not offer surveys. If asking visitors questions directly is central to your research, Hotjar’s tools in Contentsquare cover that. Contentsquare’s paid plans also add longer data retention (13 months) and advanced funnels and journeys.

Moving from Hotjar to GhostStat

If you have an existing Hotjar account and want to try GhostStat, the switch takes an afternoon rather than a project:

1. Add the GhostStat snippet next to your Hotjar code. Both can run at the same time, so nothing is lost while you compare.
2. Switch on the Heatmaps and Session Recordings plugins for the pages you study most, such as your pricing page, sign-up form or checkout.
3. Re-create your funnels and goals in GhostStat, so you can see where visitors drop out as well as how they behave on a single page.
4. Export anything you want to keep from Hotjar. Recordings and heatmaps there are kept for a limited time, so save the ones that matter before you remove the code.
5. Review your cookie banner. If Hotjar was one of the reasons for it, and GhostStat replaces it, you may be able to simplify the banner. Check with whoever owns privacy at your organisation.

Watch a handful of recordings in both tools during the overlap. You will quickly see whether GhostStat answers the same questions for your site.

Hotjar or GhostStat: how to choose

Choose Hotjar / Contentsquare if you need surveys and feedback widgets, if you already run a consent banner, or if your company is moving to Contentsquare’s enterprise platform.

Choose GhostStat if you want heatmaps and recordings without cookies, traffic analytics in the same dashboard, data stored in the Netherlands, and a Free plan with every plugin. Start free and run it next to Hotjar while you compare.

Also compare GhostStat with Microsoft Clarity, the free heatmap tool, or read the best Google Analytics alternatives.

Sources

• Contentsquare: Hotjar is now part of Contentsquare
• Contentsquare: Hotjar page and free plan
• Contentsquare: Cookies set by the tag
• Hotjar: Privacy FAQs and Security FAQs