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GhostlyX vs Hotjar

Hotjar and GhostlyX serve overlapping purposes but with different philosophies. GhostlyX is a privacy-first web analytics tool that is cookie-free by default, includes built-in session replay and heatmaps, and requires no consent banner. Hotjar is a behaviour analytics tool built around session recordings, heatmaps, and user feedback surveys. GhostlyX adds uptime monitoring, funnel analysis, UTM tracking, and A/B testing that Hotjar does not offer, while Hotjar focuses on richer qualitative research tools like user surveys and rage-click detection.

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At a glance

Feature GhostlyX Hotjar
Privacy & compliance
Cookie-free
GDPR compliant
No data sampling
Respects DNT header
Respects GPC header
Data sold or shared with third parties
Features
Real-time visitors
Uptime monitoring
Traffic spike alerts
Funnel analysis
Goal tracking
REST API
Scheduled email reports
CSV export
TV / big-screen mode
Session replay
Heatmaps
A/B testing
AI insights
Server-side tracking
Shareable dashboards
Global geo reporting
MCP server
Open-source
Pricing & ownership
Script size Under 2 kB ~60 kB
Starting price Free plan available Free (35 sessions/day) / from $32/mo
Owned by Independent Contentsquare (France)
Data location EU servers EU servers (Ireland)

Why teams switch to GhostlyX

GhostlyX advantages

  • Cookie-free by default. No consent banner required.
  • Session replay and heatmaps without collecting personal data.
  • Script under 1.5 kB vs Hotjar's roughly 60 kB bundle.
  • UTM campaign tracking and referrer analysis.
  • Built-in uptime monitoring with email alerts.
  • Funnel analysis and goal conversion tracking.
  • Traffic spike notifications and scheduled email reports.
  • Designed for traffic analytics, not session recording.
  • A/B testing with Bayesian statistics, no cookies required.
  • AI-powered insights and analyst chat included.
  • MCP server for AI agent integrations.

Hotjar advantages

  • Session recordings to watch individual visitor journeys.
  • Click, scroll, and move heatmaps.
  • User feedback surveys and polls.
  • Rage-click and frustration signal detection.
  • Free plan covering 35 recorded sessions per day.
  • Owned by Contentsquare: enterprise-grade reliability.

Common questions

Not entirely. GhostlyX covers web analytics, session replay, heatmaps, uptime monitoring, funnels, and A/B testing without cookies. Hotjar adds user feedback surveys and poll features that GhostlyX does not currently offer.
Yes. Hotjar sets cookies and records personal data including user sessions, so a GDPR consent banner is required for EU and UK visitors. GhostlyX sets no cookies and requires no consent banner.
For most use cases, yes. GhostlyX includes session replay, heatmaps, funnel analysis, and A/B testing, all cookie-free and GDPR-compliant by default. If you need user feedback surveys or polls, Hotjar still offers capabilities that GhostlyX does not currently include.

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