Head-to-head · September 2026 snapshot

Hotjar vs Microsoft Clarity

Hotjar leads overall; Microsoft Clarity owns Gemini and first-pick instinct. Hotjar carries the category with a Visibility Score of 71 against Microsoft Clarity's 65, driven by a commanding Claude advantage of 79 versus 60 and consistent top-of-list placement across ChatGPT and Claude. Microsoft Clarity punches back on two specific dimensions: Gemini favors it with a score of 71 versus Hotjar's 65, and buyers who see it listed first choose it 33% of the time compared to Hotjar's 26%, suggesting stronger conviction among a narrower audience. The separation is almost entirely a Claude story, and any brand targeting Claude-influenced buyers should treat Hotjar as the reference to beat.

	Hotjar	Microsoft Clarity
Visibility Score	71	65
Rank in category	#1	#2
Mention rate	82%	78%
#1 pick rate	26%	33%
Avg. position when named	2.3	2.6

Who each model prefers

ChatGPT

Hotjar

Microsoft Clarity

Claude

Hotjar

Microsoft Clarity

Gemini

Hotjar

Microsoft Clarity

The models split: ChatGPT prefers Hotjar, Claude prefers Hotjar, Gemini prefers Microsoft Clarity.

The shape of the fight

Each axis is one of the 8 measured buyer questions; the further out, the more of that question's answers name the brand. Hover an axis for the raw counts. Single-axis gaps ride on 9 answers each, so read the overall shape, not one spike.

HotjarMicrosoft Clarity

The fight, question by question

Mentions out of 9 answers per question. Click any question for the full transcripts.

Question	Hotjar	Microsoft Clarity	Edge
Best overallWhat's the best session replay and heatmap tool for a website?	9	9	even
Use-case fitWe want to watch recordings of how users move through our signup flow. What should we use?	9	9	even
Top tools in 2026What are the top behavior analytics tools in 2026?	6	6	even
Startup & small teamWhich heatmap tool is best for a startup on a budget?	9	9	even
Enterprise pickWhich behavior analytics tool should a large enterprise standardize on, considering security, compliance, and scale?	0	0	even
Feature-led askI want heatmaps, recordings, and on-site surveys in one tool. What do you recommend?	9	9	even
If you could pick oneIf you could only pick one session replay tool, which one and why?	8	5	Hotjar
Budget & alternativesWhat's a good free or cheap way to get session recordings on our site?	9	9	even

Open this matchup in the compare tool → · Hotjar brand report · Microsoft Clarity brand report

Measured from 72 fresh answers collected from the models' production APIs in September 2026; rankings change monthly. Neither brand can pay to appear here or to move the numbers. Full recipe on the methodology page.