Head-to-head · 2026

OpenReplay vs Hotjar

OpenReplay is a European alternative to Hotjar: same web analytics use case, headquartered in France and governed by EU GDPR, while Hotjar (Contentsquare) is based in France.

By the EU Alternatives team Last updated

European alternative
OpenReplay logo
OpenReplay
France
Jurisdiction
EU / EEA
Primary privacy law
EU GDPR
US CLOUD Act exposure
No
Open source
No
Free tier
No
The incumbent
Hotjar logo
Hotjar
Contentsquare · France

Heatmaps, session recordings and feedback widgets that made behavior analytics mainstream; since July 2025 the product lives inside the Contentsquare platform. A free plan still exists, and paid plans start at 49 euros a month under Contentsquare's pricing. Contentsquare bought it in 2021 and is based in Paris, so this one is already European.

Jurisdiction
EU / EEA
GDPR by default
Yes
US CLOUD Act exposure
No
All European alternatives to Hotjar

OpenReplay vs Hotjar at a glance

OpenReplay Hotjar
Headquarters France France
Data jurisdiction EU / EEA EU / EEA
Primary privacy law EU GDPR EU GDPR
US CLOUD Act exposure No No
Best for Teams looking for a different web analytics trade-off on price, openness and features Teams already invested in the Contentsquare ecosystem

Choose OpenReplay if…

  • You'd rather back the European tech ecosystem

Stick with Hotjar if…

  • You depend on integrations only available in the Contentsquare ecosystem
  • Migration costs outweigh the feature and pricing gains for now

Why choose OpenReplay over Hotjar?

Jurisdiction is not the argument here: Hotjar is headquartered in France, so both products answer to European data-protection law. What separates them is pricing, openness, feature depth and how much of the European ecosystem you want to back.

OpenReplay sits on the same side of that line. As a France-based provider, it operates under EU GDPR, and data stays inside the EU/EEA by default. For regulated sectors such as health, public administration, and finance, that's not a nice-to-have but a requirement. For everyone else, it's concentration-risk insurance: you avoid depending on a single jurisdiction that can change the rules without warning.

Frequently asked questions

Is OpenReplay a good alternative to Hotjar?
Yes. OpenReplay is one of the top-ranked European alternatives to Hotjar in our directory, covering the same web analytics use case. It is headquartered in France, where EU GDPR applies.
What's the main difference between OpenReplay and Hotjar?
Both are European: OpenReplay is based in France and Hotjar in France, so jurisdiction does not separate them. The differences that do are pricing, openness, feature depth and company size, which the sections above compare.
Is OpenReplay GDPR-compliant?
OpenReplay is based in France, where EU GDPR applies. The same level of jurisdictional scrutiny should be applied to Hotjar, so the comparison between them turns mainly on features and pricing.
How do I migrate from Hotjar to OpenReplay?
Start by exporting your data from Hotjar (most providers offer an export in their settings). Then import into OpenReplay using its native import tool or migration guide. Running both in parallel for a week catches any feature or workflow gaps before you fully switch.

Other European alternatives to Hotjar