Hotjar vs OpenReplay:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Hotjar had more branded searches than OpenReplay among session replay tools worldwide. Hotjar had about 115,000 branded searches, while OpenReplay had 6,600. Hotjar made up 19.8% of all session replay tool searches we track, and OpenReplay accounted for 1.1%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about session replay tools, OpenReplay appeared in three of the five answers and Hotjar in one. OpenReplay was mentioned before Hotjar in two out of three answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Hotjar, about 17 searches for every 1 for OpenReplay
Who does AI mention more?
OpenReplay, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Hotjar in 1
Who does AI recommend more?
OpenReplay, named ahead of Hotjar in 2 of 3 answers
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Top session replay tools in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, OpenReplay was mentioned in three out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Hotjar was mentioned in one out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. OpenReplay was listed before Hotjar in two out of three answers that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Fullstory1st
PostHog2nd
LogRocket3rd
Microsoft Clarity4th
Contentsquare5th
OpenReplay6th
Hotjar7th
Smartlook–
Glassbox–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
PostHog5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Fullstory5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Microsoft Clarity4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
LogRocket4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Contentsquare3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
OpenReplay3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Hotjar1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Smartlook0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Glassbox0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about session replay tools
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which session replay tool should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best session replay tools?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best session replay tool for support team insights?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“session replay tool”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“user session recording”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is Hotjar or OpenReplay more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Hotjar and OpenReplay by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine session replay tools we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Hotjar, OpenReplay. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | PostHog | Microsoft Clarity | Hotjar | Contentsquare | Smartlook | Fullstory | LogRocket | OpenReplay | Glassbox |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 25.2% | 25.2% | 31.6% | 5.1% | 4.2% | 4.2% | 3.4% | 1% | 0.01% |
| Nov 2025 | 27.5% | 27.5% | 28.2% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 3% | 0.9% | <0.01% |
| Dec 2025 | 29.4% | 29.4% | 25% | 4% | 4.8% | 3.3% | 3.2% | 0.96% | <0.01% |
| Jan 2026 | 29.9% | 29.9% | 25.1% | 4.9% | 4% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 0.8% | <0.01% |
| Feb 2026 | 24.7% | 36.9% | 21.4% | 6.1% | 4.9% | 2.8% | 2.2% | 0.98% | <0.01% |
| Mar 2026 | 38.4% | 31.4% | 15.1% | 5.2% | 4.2% | 2.4% | 2.3% | 1% | <0.01% |
| Apr 2026 | 29.2% | 35.8% | 17.5% | 5.9% | 4.8% | 3.3% | 2.6% | 0.95% | <0.01% |
| May 2026 | 33.1% | 40.5% | 13.8% | 4.4% | 3.6% | 2.1% | 1.6% | 0.88% | <0.01% |
| Jun 2026 | 39.3% | 32.2% | 15.5% | 3.5% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 0.7% | <0.01% |
| Jul 2026 | 42.4% | 34.8% | 11.1% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 2.1% | 1.7% | 0.93% | <0.01% |
| Aug 2026 | 41.7% | 34.3% | 10.9% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 2.5% | 1.4% | <0.01% |
| Sep 2026 | 42.2% | 28.3% | 19.8% | 3.1% | 2.5% | 1.7% | 1.1% | 1.1% | <0.01% |
How has the Hotjar and OpenReplay comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Hotjar was ahead of OpenReplay in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hotjar’s share of searches among session replay tools worldwide moved from 31.6% to 19.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 138K to 115K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, OpenReplay’s share of searches among session replay tools worldwide moved from 1% to 1.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 4.4K to 6.6K.
How did search popularity change for session replay tools worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes

In September 2026, Hotjar gained share of searches among session replay tools worldwide, from 10.9% to 19.8%.

Estimated monthly branded searches for OpenReplay worldwide rose 50% over 12 measured months, from 4.4K to 6.6K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Hotjar’s and OpenReplay’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Hotjar
2 branded search terms
- hotjar
- hotjar heatmap
OpenReplay
1 branded search term
- openreplay
Other head-to-heads among session replay tools

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