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Hotjar VS Substack

Compare Hotjar VS Substack and see what are their differences

Hotjar

The #1 Leader in Heatmaps, Recordings, Surveys & More. Sign up for a 15-day free trial and start learning from real user behavior today!

Rating
2.3 · 8 reviews
Pricing
Freemium Free trial €39 / Monthly (Starting at: 3,000 Recordings per month with unlimited Heatmaps)
Alternatives Is it good?
Substack

With Substack, anyone can start a publication that combines a personal website, blog, and email newsletter or podcast. It's quick and simple.

Rating
0 reviews
Alternatives Is it good?
mbuzz.co
Multi-touch attribution that shows the model behind the number. 8 models compared side-by-side, a SQL-like DSL to write your own, and open-source SDKs for Ruby, Node, Python, and PHP. Runs server-side. Your data, not theirs. sponsored
Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, Substack should be more popular than Hotjar. It has been mentioned 109 times since March 2021.

social mentions
13 vs 109
Web Analytics popularity
100% vs 0%

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

Hotjar
Substack
Website hotjar.com substack.com
Pricing
Freemium Free trial €39 / Monthly (Starting at: 3,000 Recordings per month with unlimited Heatmaps) Official pricing
—
Company Startup from Malta · 2014 Startup from the United States
Listed in
Marketing Marketing Analytics Web Analytics User Monitoring Heatmaps User Experience Customer Feedback Surveys +5
Creators Blogging Paid Newsletters CMS +1

About Hotjar and Substack

In their own words, as submitted to SaaSHub.

Hotjar
Substack

Hotjar's product experience insights make it easy to understand what users are really doing on your site. Visualize behavior on your site with Heatmaps Eliminate guesswork with user Recordings Understand the reasons behind behavior with Surveys and Incoming Feedback

Read more about Hotjar

No description of Substack yet.

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

Hotjar 4 features
Substack 6 features
  • Heatmaps
    Visually represent where users click, move, and scroll on your site. With this context, you'll learn how users really behave.
  • Recordings
    Live playbacks of users on your site.
  • Surveys
    Bring the voice-of-customer to your decision making.
  • Incoming Feedback
    A real-time suggestion box on your site, that lets users express frustration or delight about individual parts of your site.
  • Ease of Use
    Substack offers a user-friendly interface that makes it easy for writers to publish and monetize their newsletters.
  • Built-in Monetization
    Writers can easily charge readers for subscriptions, allowing for straightforward monetization.
  • Direct Audience Connection
    Substack allows writers to build a direct relationship with their audience via email, which can lead to a more engaged readership.
  • Discovery and Community
    Features like staff picks and recommendations help writers get discovered by new readers.
  • No Upfront Costs
    Substack does not charge upfront fees; instead, it takes a percentage of subscription revenues, making it easier to start.
  • Content Ownership
    Writers retain full ownership of their content, giving them more control over their work.

Possible disadvantages

  • Revenue Share
    Substack takes a 10% cut of subscription revenues, which can add up for writers with a large subscriber base.
  • Limited Customization
    The platform has limited customization options compared to building a custom website or using more flexible CMS options.
  • Dependency on Platform
    Relying on Substack means depending on its policies and infrastructure, which could pose risks if the platform changes its terms or features.
  • Competition
    As more writers join Substack, it can become challenging to stand out amidst the growing competition.
  • Email Deliverability
    Writers may face issues with email deliverability, as some newsletters may end up in spam folders.
  • Payment Processing Fees
    Besides Substack's fee, payment processors like Stripe also take a percentage, further reducing net earnings for writers.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

Hotjar
Substack

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Hotjar is considered a good tool for businesses looking to gain deeper insights into user behavior and enhance their websites based on real user data. It offers a combination of qualitative and quantitative analytics which adds a significant advantage for understanding key user interaction points.

Why this product is good

  • Hotjar is a popular analytics tool that provides heatmaps, session recordings, and surveys to help businesses understand user behavior on their websites. It is praised for its ease of use, intuitive interface, and comprehensive features that offer valuable insights into how users interact with a site. Additionally, it enables businesses to collect direct feedback from users, helping to identify areas for improvement and optimize user experience.

Recommended for

    Hotjar is recommended for small to medium-sized businesses, eCommerce sites, and startups looking to improve their website's user experience. It is also suitable for UX/UI designers and product managers who want detailed analytics without the complexity of larger enterprise-level tools. However, larger organizations may want to consider more robust analytics platforms that can handle and analyze larger volumes of data.

Overall verdict

  • Substack is a good choice for writers seeking autonomy and a straightforward way to monetize their content. However, it may not be the best fit for those who prefer working within the framework of a larger publication or those unfamiliar with the challenges of building and maintaining a subscriber base.

Why this product is good

  • Substack is a platform that allows writers, journalists, and content creators to publish and monetize their newsletters. It is praised for its ease of use, built-in subscription system, and direct-to-consumer model which enables writers to retain control over their audience and content. The platform has attracted both independent writers and established journalists seeking the freedom to monetize their work without traditional media constraints.

Recommended for

  • Independent writers and journalists
  • Content creators looking to monetize their work
  • Individuals seeking a direct relationship with their audience
  • Those who appreciate simplicity in publishing

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

Hotjar 4 videos + Add
Substack 5 videos + Add

What is Hotjar?

More videos

  • - Invision prize Hotjar's straightforward, shareable insights
  • - Why you should be using Hotjar Analytics
  • - Google Analytics vs. Hotjar - Which one should you use?

Monetizing Podcasts and Newsletters - Chris Best of Substack and Jonathan Gill of Backtracks

More videos

  • - E1016 Substack CEO Chris Best empowers writers via email newsletter platform, raised $15M from a16z
  • - Why EVERYONE should be on Substack | What it is, How it Works, $$$
  • - Beehiiv vs Substack (2024) - Which is Better?
  • - My Experience with SUBSTACK: An Honest Review of Substack

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
Hotjar
Substack
100% 100%
Web Analytics
0% 0%
0% 0%
Blogging
100% 100%
100% 100%
Heatmaps
0% 0%
0% 0%
CMS
100% 100%

User comments

Share your experience with using Hotjar and Substack. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

Hotjar 2.3 · 8 reviews
Substack no reviews yet
  • 7 Best Product Discovery Tools for High-Growth B2B SaaS Teams (2026)
    www.laneapp.co · Jan 2026

    Hotjar is a behavioral analytics tool that provides heatmaps and session recordings. In the discovery process, it acts as the "eyes," showing where users get stuck, click out of frustration, or ignore a new feature...

  • 10 Best Mixpanel Alternatives for Product Analytics in 2024
    clickup.com · Oct 2024

    Hotjar is an all-in-one feedback and analytics software suite to optimize your website and make data-driven decisions. Hotjar Observe is the suite’s most popular Mixpanel alternative—pair it with Hotjar Ask, Hotjar...

  • Love it
    SaaSHub review
    · Oct 2024

    I've been using Hotjar for a few months, and it's been a perfect tool for understanding how users interact with my website. The heatmaps and session recordings are especially helpful for identifying problem areas, and...

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Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

Hotjar 13 mentions
Substack 109 mentions

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