Brandwave

How popular isHotjar?

In September 2026, people searched for Hotjar by name about 115,000 times worldwide, a 16.3% decrease from the previous year. These searches made up 20.5% of all global UX research tool searches, placing Hotjar third out of nine tools. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about UX research tools, Hotjar appeared in four of the five answers and was the seventh most recommended of the nine.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

Hotjar is the third most searched of 9 competitors and the seventh most recommended in AI answers.

  1. QualtricsShare of searches 45.8%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 8th
  2. User InterviewsShare of searches 30.7%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th
  3. HotjarShare of searches 20.5%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 7th
  4. LyssnaShare of searches 1.6%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
  5. Optimal WorkshopShare of searches 0.67%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 9th

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Top UX research tools in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Hotjar was mentioned in four out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Hotjar is the seventh most recommended of the nine.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Maze1st
  2. UserTesting2nd
  3. Dovetail3rd
  4. Lyssna4th
  5. User Interviews5th
  6. UXtweak6th
  7. Hotjar7th
  8. Qualtrics8th
  9. Optimal Workshop9th

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • User Interviews5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Maze5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Dovetail5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • UserTesting5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Hotjar4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Qualtrics3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Lyssna3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Optimal Workshop2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • UXtweak2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about UX research tools

5 answers

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.

Which UX research tools compete with Hotjar?

Hotjar against UX research tools worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for Qualtrics, User Interviews, Hotjar. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthQualtricsUser InterviewsHotjarLyssnaOptimal WorkshopUXtweakMazeDovetailUserTesting
Oct 202561.3%12.3%22.5%1.7%0.9%0.9%0.26%0.12%0.03%
Nov 202557.7%17.3%21.1%1.6%1%0.84%0.3%0.11%0.05%
Dec 202557.4%17.3%21.1%1.9%0.84%0.84%0.36%0.13%0.05%
Jan 202652.6%19.3%23.5%2.2%0.94%0.94%0.31%0.17%0.04%
Feb 202664.4%15.8%15.8%1.8%0.94%0.77%0.29%0.12%0.08%
Mar 202665.6%19.6%10.8%1.8%0.96%0.64%0.29%0.13%0.17%
Apr 202662.9%23.1%10.3%1.7%0.75%0.62%0.28%0.1%0.15%
May 202659.6%26.7%9.8%1.6%0.71%0.71%0.32%0.12%0.32%
Jun 202651.9%28.5%15.6%1.8%0.76%0.61%0.26%0.13%0.4%
Jul 202653.3%29.2%13.1%2.2%0.77%0.64%0.33%0.14%0.24%
Aug 202650.2%33.7%12.4%2.1%0.72%0.47%0.25%0.15%0.08%
Sep 202645.8%30.7%20.5%1.6%0.67%0.45%0.26%0.12%0.02%

  1. 1.Qualtrics

    45.8%

    Held 1st. 246K estimated branded searches, +22.4% vs prior month. Share -4.4 points.

  2. 2.User Interviews

    30.7%

    Held 2nd. 165K estimated branded searches, +22.2% vs prior month. Share -3 points.

  3. 3.Hotjar

    20.5%

    Held 3rd. 110K estimated branded searches, +122.2% vs prior month. Share +8.1 points.

  4. 4.Lyssna

    1.6%

    Held 4th. 8.5K estimated branded searches, +0.83% vs prior month. Share -0.5 points.

  5. 5.Optimal Workshop

    0.67%

    Held 5th. 3.6K estimated branded searches, +24.1% vs prior month. Share -0.1 points.

  6. 6.UXtweak

    0.45%

    Held 6th. 2.4K estimated branded searches, +26.3% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  7. 7.Maze

    0.26%

    Held 7th. 1.4K estimated branded searches, +38% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  8. 8.Dovetail

    0.12%

    Held 8th. 630 estimated branded searches, +3.3% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  9. 9.UserTesting

    0.02%

    Held 9th. 100 estimated branded searches, -69.7% vs prior month. Share -0.1 points.

Compare popularity between Hotjar and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Hotjar

48 comparisons

How has branded search demand for Hotjar changed worldwide over the last 12 months?

4 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Hotjar worldwide fell from 138K to 115K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hotjar’s share of searches among UX research tools worldwide decreased from 22.5% to 20.5%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hotjar’s share of searches among UX research tools worldwide peaked at 23.5% in January 2026 and was lowest at 9.8% in May 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hotjar fell from 2nd to 3rd among UX research tools worldwide.

How did search popularity change for UX research tools worldwide in September 2026?

6 changes

  1. In September 2026, Hotjar gained share of searches among UX research tools worldwide, from 12.4% to 20.5%.

  2. In September 2026, Qualtrics lost share of searches among UX research tools worldwide, from 50.2% to 45.8%.

  3. In September 2026, User Interviews lost share of searches among UX research tools worldwide, from 33.7% to 30.7%.

  4. In September 2026, Lyssna lost share of searches among UX research tools worldwide, from 2.1% to 1.6%.

  5. Estimated monthly branded searches for UXtweak worldwide fell 55.6% over 12 measured months, from 5.4K to 2.4K in September 2026.

  6. Estimated monthly branded searches for UserTesting worldwide fell 41.2% over 12 measured months, from 170 to 100 in September 2026.

How are Hotjar’s branded searches counted?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Hotjar’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

  • hotjar
  • hotjar heatmap

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Who owns Hotjar?

Hotjar is owned by Contentsquare. Brandwave also tracks Contentsquare and Heap, owned by the same company, worldwide.

Do you work for Hotjar? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.

Where does Hotjar compete?

Hotjar is ranked in seven competitor sets. Each share is worked out among that set's brands, so it differs from set to set.
Competitor setRankShare of searchesRanking
Web analytics tools4th of 113.1%Show ranking
Customer feedback software4th of 1110.7%Show ranking
Conversion rate optimisation tools3rd of 1018%Show ranking
Heatmap tools3rd of 919.6%Show ranking
Session replay tools3rd of 919.8%Show ranking
UX research tools3rd of 920.5%Shown above
Website feedback platforms1st of 889.2%Show ranking
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