Hotjar vs Semrush

Which one do AI engines recommend, and how do they differ on price, fit and features?

The short answer

Hotjar is the stronger AI pick in Web Analytics: it has a visibility score of 4.9 versus 2.4 for Semrush, and ranks ahead in 100% of the answers that name both.

Choose Hotjar if…

You want the brand AI engines rank higher (4.9 vs 2.4)
You want a lower entry price ($39 vs $139)
You need ISO 27001 or ISO 27017 or ISO 27018 or ISO 27701 or SOC 2 Type 2 coverage
Usage-based pricing suits your budget better than flat tiers

Choose Semrush if…

AI answers describe it more positively (49% vs 6% positive)
Flat tiers pricing suits your budget better than usage-based
Widely recommended as a top-tier all-in-one platform for broad suites
Strong keyword research, competitor analysis, and site auditing

AI visibility side by side

Latest weekly run · Nov 2

Metric	Hotjar	Semrush
Visibility score	4.9%	2.4%
Change vs last week	New	New
Rank in Web Analytics	#15	#24
Share of voice	1.9%	0.8%
Mentions this run	10	4
Positive in AI answers	6%	49%

The stronger value in each row is marked with a ✓.

Visibility score trend

Weekly runs over the last 60 days

Hotjar 0pp · Semrush 0pp over 0 weekly runs.

Engine by engine

Hotjar leads on 3 of 3 engines

ChatGPT

4.6%

AI Mode

2.6%

Perplexity

5.2%

4.4%

HotjarSemrush

Head to head in AI answers

2 engine answers name both brands

2Hotjar ranked higher

0Semrush ranked higher

Prompt	Engine	Hotjar	Semrush
What are the best Web Analytics tools in 2026?	Perplexity	#10	#17
Official website of the top web analytics tool vendors	Perplexity	#7	#15

Features, pricing & fit

Dimension	Hotjar	Semrush
Pricing model	Usage-based	Flat tiers
Entry price	Free; paid from $39 / mo	Free; paid from $139 / mo
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Integrations	10+	—
Compliance	ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, ISO 27701, SOC 2 Type 2	—
Support	AI-powered support on the free plan, Priority support on Pro and Enterprise, Community, Education	Help Center and Basic Onboarding, Enterprise SLA and 24/7 support, Dedicated account manager
Founded	—	2008
Headquarters	—	Boston, MA
Employees	—	1,001–5,000
Funding	—	IPO
Best for	Midsize and SMB businesses that want heatmaps, session recordings and surveys in one product experience platform.	Freelancers and small businesses through to agencies and enterprises managing multiple brands, regions and teams.