Switch to Contentsquare Free to get 190x more data, new features like Attention Heatmaps and Error Monitoring, all the tools you rely on, and still completely free.
This article explains what Contentsquare Free offers and how to get started.
What we've built
Hotjar is now part of Contentsquare, and the Contentsquare Free plan brings together the best of Hotjar and Contentsquare into one Free plan. Contentsquare Free is a different platform than Hotjar Free, but the interface, navigation, and core tools will feel familiar.
What's similar
- Setup process is the same: install a tag to start collecting data
- Core tools like Recordings (called Session Replays in Contentsquare), Heatmaps, and Surveys are all available
- Free to use, no credit card needed
What's new
- 190x more data: 200,000 sessions per month with 100% data capture
- New features: Attention Maps, Error monitoring, Performance monitoring
- New integrations: Jira, Slack (Voice of Customer), Convert, Unbounce, Omniconvert, Microsoft Teams (Voice of Customer), Kameleoon, Google Analytics 4 Events, Mixpanel, HubSpot (Voice of Customer)
- All the tools you loved: Heatmaps, Recordings, and Surveys - now with more power
A 15-day free trial of Contentsquare Growth is included when signing up
You start with a 15-day free trial of our Growth plan, which includes advanced features like Contentsquare AI, Zone-based Heatmaps, and Journey Analysis. After 15 days, you automatically switch to the Contentsquare Free plan. No action required.
Good to know: Your account will be created automatically. When you activate Contentsquare Free, we will create your account, and all associated users will receive an invite to it. However, you still need to install the Contentsquare tag on your site to start collecting data. The tag installation process is similar to what you are used to with Hotjar.
Activate your Contentsquare Free account →
Want to see Contentsquare in action first?
Check out this demo that shows what you get when you start on the 15 day growth trial with your free account.
Some of the features shown require a Growth plan. You’ll get a 15 day free trial of Growth when you activate your account, then automatically go back to the Free (200k sessions/month) plan unless you choose to upgrade.
FAQs
I don't see where to activate my Contentsquare free account. Where can I do this?
We're rolling out access in waves, so you might not see the activation option just yet. Keep an eye out for an email and the banner at the top of your Hotjar account. We'll let you know as soon as it's your turn to activate.
Do I need a credit card to sign up for Contentsquare Free?
No, Contentsquare Free doesn't require a credit card to sign up. It remains free with no payment information needed.
Will my Contentsquare account be created automatically?
Yes, your Contentsquare Free account will be created for you automatically. However, you still need to install the Contentsquare tracking tag.
What happens after the 15-day Growth plan trial ends?
After 15 days, your account automatically switches to the Contentsquare Free plan. You don't need to do anything. You can also upgrade your Contentsquare Free plan to a Contentsquare paid plan at any time to keep access to advanced features. You can do this in your Contentsquare subscription settings.
Can I use the same tracking code from Hotjar on Contentsquare?
No, you need to install a new Contentsquare tracking tag on your website. The setup process is similar to Hotjar, but you'll be implementing a different code snippet. Although you can run both the Hotjar tracking code and Contentsquare tag on the same page, we recommend removing the Hotjar script once you are comfortable with your Contentsquare setup.
Do I need to update my Content Security Policy (CSP settings) for Contentsquare?
Yes, if your website uses a Content Security Policy (CSP), you'll need to add Contentsquare's domains to your list of trusted sources. Your existing Hotjar CSP settings won't carry over automatically, as Contentsquare uses different domains that need to be allowlisted.
How do I set up my data masking settings in Contentsquare?
By default, your Contentsquare account is set to mask all text and numbers across pages. This means that in Session Replay, for example, text content will appear as “AAAA”. This differs from Hotjar’s suppression settings, so we recommend you review and adjust them. You can find guidance in our guide.
Can I keep using Hotjar Free?
Yes, you can continue using your Hotjar Free account. However, we encourage you to explore Contentsquare Free to take advantage of the increased data and new features.
Does Contentsquare use data sampling?
This works differently to Hotjar. On the Free plan, 100% of your sessions are tracked for analytics (up to 200,000 sessions/month), so your heatmaps, funnels, and metrics always reflect your real traffic, unlike Hotjar Free, which samples down to around 35 sessions/day.
Session Replays are collected for a smaller subset of sessions (up to 10,000/month). This is a separate quota and doesn't impact your analytics data.
In short: you get full analytics data on all your sessions. Replays are just captured for a portion of them.
Is 200,000 sessions per month really more data than Hotjar Free?
Yes, significantly more. Hotjar Free captures 35 sessions per day (sampling) which is around 1,050 sessions per month. Contentsquare Free gives you 200,000 sessions per month with 100% data capture (no sampling). That's 190x more data.
Your free plan includes up to 200,000 analytics sessions per month, but Session Replay captures 5% of those sessions, up to a maximum of 10,000 replays per month.
Think of it this way: your analytics data (heatmaps, journey analysis, etc.) covers all your sessions, while replays give you a focused sample to dive deeper into individual user experiences.
What's the difference between Hotjar's sampling and Contentsquare's 100% data collection?
Hotjar Free uses dynamic sampling, typically reducing session capture automatically based on your traffic to stay within plan limits. Contentsquare Free collects 100% of your data without sampling (up to 200,000 sessions per month).
With Contentsquare Free you get more accurate insights and can analyze more specific user segments that might be missed with sampling. You see the complete picture of user behavior, not just a representative sample.
Are Recordings in Contentsquare the same as Recordings in Hotjar?
Yes, they work the same way. In Contentsquare, they're called Session Replays, but the functionality is similar - you can watch recordings of user sessions to understand behavior.
From all the sessions tracked, only a percentage is captured and used for Session Replay. This varies based on your plan and how many sessions you have.
What new features does Contentsquare Free include that aren't in Hotjar Free?
Contentsquare Free includes several features that aren't available in Hotjar Free.
- Attention Maps: See which parts of your page grab user attention the longest, helping you understand what users notice first and improve your layouts.
- Error Monitoring: Automatically spot JavaScript errors and broken elements. See which errors affect the most users and view them in Session Replays and Dashboards to prioritize fixes.
- Performance Monitoring: Track core web vitals and page load times to find slow pages that frustrate users and hurt conversions.
- Connect with LLMs (MCP): Connect with your favorite AI tool like ChatGPT, Claude, and Copilot to query Contentsquare in natural language.
What's the data retention period with Contentsquare Free?
Contentsquare Free retains Session Replays (Recordings at Hotjar) for 30 days, compared to 365 days with Hotjar Free.
Can I migrate my existing Hotjar data to Contentsquare Free?
No, data migration isn't available. You need to manually activate a new Contentsquare Free account and set it up from scratch. We recommend exporting any important data from your Hotjar account before switching.
What integrations are available with Contentsquare Free?
Contentsquare Free includes integrations for team collaboration (Slack, Microsoft Teams, Jira), analytics (Google Analytics 4, Mixpanel), A/B testing (Convert, Kameleoon, Unbounce), and marketing automation (HubSpot). See the Integrations category on the Contentsquare Help Center for details on each integration.
Where can I learn more about Contentsquare Free features?
Visit the Contentsquare pricing page to see a listing of features available on Contentsquare Free.
How can I contact support if I need help?
Support is available through our Help Center to help with any questions. Click the Get help button below to get started.