Brandwave

Hotjar vs Optimal Workshop:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Hotjar had more branded searches than Optimal Workshop among UX research tools worldwide. Hotjar had about 110,000 branded searches, while Optimal Workshop had 3,600. Hotjar made up 20.5% of all UX research tool searches we track, and Optimal Workshop accounted for 0.67%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about UX research tools, Hotjar appeared in four of the five answers and Optimal Workshop in two. Hotjar was mentioned before Optimal Workshop in three out of five answers.

Among UX research tools worldwide in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Hotjar, about 31 searches for every 1 for Optimal Workshop

Hotjar 110K searchesOptimal Workshop 3.6K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Hotjar, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, Optimal Workshop in 2

Hotjar in 4 of 5Optimal Workshop in 2 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Hotjar, named ahead of Optimal Workshop in 3 of 5 answers

Hotjar first in 3Optimal Workshop first in 2

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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. Optimal Workshop was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Hotjar was listed before Optimal Workshop in three out of five answers.

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.

Is Hotjar or Optimal Workshop more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Hotjar and Optimal Workshop by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine UX research tools we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.

Hotjar and Optimal Workshop among UX research tools worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for Hotjar, Optimal Workshop. 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%

How has the Hotjar and Optimal Workshop comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Hotjar was ahead of Optimal Workshop in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hotjar’s share of searches among UX research tools worldwide moved from 22.5% to 20.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 135K to 110K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Optimal Workshop’s share of searches among UX research tools worldwide moved from 0.9% to 0.67%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 5.4K to 3.6K.

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

2 changes

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

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for Optimal Workshop worldwide fell 33.3% over 12 measured months, from 5.4K to 3.6K in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Hotjar’s and Optimal Workshop’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

1 branded search term

  • hotjar

Optimal Workshop

1 branded search term

  • optimal workshop

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among UX research tools

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