Head-to-head · July 2026 snapshot

Hotjar vs Microsoft Clarity

Hotjar leads overall; Microsoft Clarity owns the single-pick moment. Hotjar's edge comes almost entirely from Claude, where it scores 81 against Microsoft Clarity's 71, and from dominating the top-tools and feature-led questions that signal category authority. Microsoft Clarity actually gets named in more answers (82% versus 78%) and wins when buyers ask about use-case fit or force a single recommendation, which suggests it reads as more practical when a buyer is close to a decision. The gap in visibility score is only 2 points, so Hotjar leads but does not dominate.

	Hotjar	Microsoft Clarity
Visibility Score	70	68
Rank in category	#1	#2
Mention rate	78%	82%
#1 pick rate	33%	31%
Avg. position when named	2	3

Who each model prefers

ChatGPT

Hotjar 64

Microsoft Clarity 62

Claude

Hotjar 81

Microsoft Clarity 71

Gemini

Hotjar 64

Microsoft Clarity 70

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?	8	9	Microsoft Clarity
Top tools in 2026What are the top behavior analytics tools in 2026?	8	7	Hotjar
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	8	Hotjar
If you could pick oneIf you could only pick one session replay tool, which one and why?	4	8	Microsoft Clarity
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 July 2026; rankings change monthly. Neither brand can pay to appear here or to move the numbers. Full recipe on the methodology page.