Best Heatmap Tools for WordPress [2026]

Compare the 8 best heatmap tools for WordPress sites. Covers native plugins, easy integrations, free and paid options, with installation difficulty ratings.

UXHeat Team15 min read

Best Heatmap Tools for WordPress [2026]

WordPress powers over 40% of all websites, making it the most common platform for heatmap tool installations. But not all heatmap tools play nicely with WordPress—some have native plugins that install in seconds, while others require manual code insertion or theme editing. New to heatmaps? Start with our beginner's guide to what heatmaps are.

This guide covers the 8 best heatmap tools for WordPress, ranked by ease of installation, features, and value. Whether you want a free solution or need enterprise-grade analytics, there's an option that fits your WordPress site.

Quick Comparison: WordPress Heatmap Tools

| Tool | Installation | Free Plan | Starting Price | Best For | |------|--------------|-----------|----------------|----------| | Microsoft Clarity | Plugin (1-click) | Unlimited | Free | Free unlimited analytics | | Hotjar | Plugin (1-click) | 35 sessions/day | $32/month | Surveys + heatmaps | | Lucky Orange | Plugin (1-click) | 100 sessions/month | $32/month | Live chat + analytics | | Aurora Heatmap | Plugin (native) | Unlimited | Free | WordPress-only solution | | Crazy Egg | Plugin (1-click) | None | $29/month | Visual reports | | Mouseflow | Plugin (1-click) | 500 sessions/month | $31/month | Form analytics | | Plerdy | Plugin available | 2,000 pageviews/day | $21/month | Budget all-in-one | | UserFeedback | Plugin (native) | None | $149.50/year | Dashboard integration |

1. Microsoft Clarity (Best Free Option)

Installation difficulty: Very Easy Free plan: Unlimited heatmaps and recordings Plugin: Official WordPress plugin

Microsoft Clarity is the clear winner for WordPress sites that want powerful analytics without spending a penny. The combination of unlimited usage and simple installation makes it the default recommendation for most WordPress users. See our full Microsoft Clarity review and Mouseflow review for alternatives.

WordPress Installation

Clarity offers a dedicated WordPress plugin that installs with one click:

  1. Navigate to Plugins > Add New in WordPress admin
  2. Search for "Microsoft Clarity"
  3. Click Install Now, then Activate
  4. Connect your Clarity account or create a new one
  5. Select your Clarity project
  6. Done—data starts flowing within 2 hours

Alternative methods:

  • Add tracking code via theme header
  • Use Google Tag Manager
  • Use WPCode plugin for header scripts

Key Features

  • Click, scroll, and attention heatmaps
  • Unlimited session recordings
  • Automatic frustration detection (rage clicks, dead clicks)
  • Copilot AI for automated session summaries
  • Google Analytics 4 integration
  • Mobile app tracking

WordPress-Specific Benefits

  • View Clarity insights directly inside WordPress dashboard
  • No external accounts required after initial setup
  • Browser extension for viewing heatmaps on live site
  • Works with most caching plugins (clear cache after installation)

Limitations

  • 30-day data retention
  • No surveys or feedback tools
  • Cannot be used on healthcare, financial, or government sites

Verdict: Start here. If Clarity meets your needs, you never need to pay for heatmaps.


2. Hotjar (Best for Surveys + Heatmaps)

Installation difficulty: Very Easy Free plan: 35 sessions/day Plugin: Official WordPress plugin

Hotjar is the industry standard for behavior analytics, combining heatmaps with comprehensive survey and feedback tools. The WordPress plugin makes installation straightforward. For more details, see our Hotjar pricing guide and how to analyze heatmap data.

WordPress Installation

  1. Go to Plugins > Add New
  2. Search for "Hotjar"
  3. Install and activate the official Hotjar plugin
  4. Navigate to Settings > Hotjar
  5. Enter your Hotjar Site ID (from your Hotjar dashboard)
  6. Save changes

Requirements:

  • WordPress 4.6 or higher
  • Self-hosted WordPress (wordpress.org)
  • WordPress.com sites need Business plan or higher

Post-installation:

  • Clear any caching plugin caches
  • Wait a few minutes for verification
  • Visit your site to trigger tracking

Key Features

  • Click, scroll, and move heatmaps
  • Session recordings
  • On-site surveys and feedback widgets
  • User interviews (paid plans)
  • Conversion funnels
  • Feedback polls

Pricing

| Plan | Price | Sessions | |------|-------|----------| | Free | $0 | 35/day | | Plus | $32/month | 100/day | | Business | $80/month | 500/day | | Scale | $171+/month | Unlimited |

WordPress-Specific Benefits

  • Official plugin maintained by Hotjar team
  • Works with WooCommerce for e-commerce tracking
  • Compatible with most WordPress themes and page builders

Limitations

  • Free plan is very restrictive (35 sessions/day)
  • No mobile app tracking
  • AI features are basic compared to Clarity's Copilot

Verdict: Choose Hotjar if you need surveys and qualitative feedback alongside heatmaps. The free plan is enough to evaluate, but real usage requires paid plans.


3. Lucky Orange (Best for Live Chat + Analytics)

Installation difficulty: Very Easy Free plan: 100 sessions/month Plugin: Official WordPress plugin

Lucky Orange combines behavior analytics with live chat and real-time visitor monitoring. If you want to see who's on your site right now and chat with them, Lucky Orange is the answer.

WordPress Installation

The Lucky Orange WordPress plugin claims "one-click install":

  1. Go to Plugins > Add New
  2. Search for "Lucky Orange"
  3. Install and activate
  4. Connect your Lucky Orange account
  5. Select your site

Alternative: Add tracking code manually via theme or Google Tag Manager.

Key Features

  • Click, scroll, and movement heatmaps
  • Session recordings
  • Live chat (unique among heatmap tools)
  • Real-time visitor dashboard
  • Form analytics
  • Conversion funnels
  • Surveys and polls

Pricing

| Plan | Price | Sessions | |------|-------|----------| | Free | $0 | 100/month | | Build | $32/month | 5,000/month | | Grow | $64/month | 10,000/month | | Expand | $128/month | 25,000/month | | Scale | Custom | 50,000+/month |

Annual billing saves 10%; 2-year contracts save 30%

WordPress-Specific Benefits

  • One-click installation
  • Real-time view of WordPress visitors
  • Segment heatmaps by browser, device, location
  • Live chat directly with site visitors

Limitations

  • Maximum 60-day data retention
  • Limited dashboard customization
  • Higher-traffic sites get expensive quickly

Verdict: Choose Lucky Orange if live chat and real-time monitoring matter. The combination of behavior analytics with visitor engagement tools is unique.


4. Aurora Heatmap (Best WordPress-Native Solution)

Installation difficulty: Easiest Free plan: Unlimited sites and pageviews Plugin: Native WordPress plugin (no external service)

Aurora Heatmap is unique—it runs entirely within WordPress without connecting to any external service. No account registration, no third-party data sharing, no ongoing fees for basic features.

WordPress Installation

The simplest installation of any heatmap tool:

  1. Go to Plugins > Add New
  2. Search for "Aurora Heatmap"
  3. Install and activate
  4. Done—no external accounts needed

No Site ID. No tracking codes. No account creation. The plugin works immediately after activation.

Key Features (Free Version)

  • Click heatmaps for desktop and mobile
  • Unlimited sites and pageviews
  • Separate desktop/mobile views
  • No external data sharing
  • No registration required

Key Features (Premium Version)

  • Scroll heatmaps
  • Attention heatmaps
  • Extended data retention
  • Advanced URL discrimination
  • Breakaway location analysis

Pricing

| Version | Price | Features | |---------|-------|----------| | Free | $0 | Click heatmaps, unlimited pages | | Premium | $19.90-$462/month | Scroll, attention, extended retention |

WordPress-Specific Benefits

  • 100% WordPress-native: No external services, accounts, or data sharing
  • Minimal performance impact: Memory usage under average plugin + 200KB
  • Minimal PageSpeed impact: Less than average plugin + 1000ms
  • Works offline: Data stored in your WordPress database

Limitations

  • Free version only includes click heatmaps (no scroll or attention)
  • No session recordings
  • Premium version pricing can be confusing
  • Less mature than established tools
  • No AI features

Verdict: Choose Aurora Heatmap if privacy matters and you want everything contained within WordPress. The free version handles click tracking without any external dependencies.


5. Crazy Egg (Best Visual Reports)

Installation difficulty: Easy Free plan: None (30-day trial) Plugin: Official WordPress plugin

Crazy Egg has been in the heatmap business since 2005, trusted by over 430,000 websites. Its strength lies in visual reporting options beyond standard heatmaps.

WordPress Installation

  1. Go to Plugins > Add New
  2. Search for "Crazy Egg"
  3. Install and activate the plugin
  4. Enter your Crazy Egg account credentials
  5. The plugin adds tracking code automatically

Requirements:

  • Self-hosted WordPress only (wordpress.org, not wordpress.com)
  • Active Crazy Egg subscription (free trial available)

Key Features

  • Click heatmaps
  • Scroll heatmaps
  • Confetti reports (individual clicks with source data)
  • Overlay reports (click percentages on elements)
  • List reports (tabular click data)
  • Session recordings
  • A/B testing
  • Traffic analysis

The Confetti report is unique to Crazy Egg—it shows individual clicks color-coded by traffic source, referrer, or other dimensions. Instead of aggregated heat blobs, you see exactly where each click came from.

Pricing

| Plan | Price | Pageviews | Recordings | |------|-------|-----------|------------| | Standard | $29/month | 30,000 | 100/month | | Plus | $49/month | 75,000 | 1,000/month | | Pro | $99/month | 150,000 | 5,000/month | | Enterprise | $249/month | 500,000 | 50,000/month |

Prices for annual billing. Monthly billing approximately 20% higher.

WordPress-Specific Benefits

  • Official plugin maintained
  • Unlimited team members on all plans
  • Unlimited websites per subscription
  • 30-day free trial to test fully

Limitations

  • No free plan (only 30-day trial)
  • No surveys or feedback tools
  • Fewer integrations than some competitors
  • No AI-powered features

Verdict: Choose Crazy Egg for detailed visual reports, especially the unique Confetti and Overlay views. The lack of free plan means you're committing to a subscription.


6. Mouseflow (Best Form Analytics)

Installation difficulty: Easy Free plan: 500 sessions/month Plugin: Official WordPress plugin

Mouseflow excels at form analytics and its proprietary Friction Score—a quantified measure of user frustration. For WordPress sites with important forms (leads, checkout, registration), Mouseflow provides insights others miss.

WordPress Installation

  1. Go to Plugins > Add New
  2. Search for "Mouseflow"
  3. Install and activate
  4. Enter your Mouseflow credentials or create account
  5. Tracking begins automatically

Key Features

  • 6 heatmap types (click, scroll, movement, attention, geo, live)
  • Session recordings
  • Friction Score (quantified frustration metric)
  • Form analytics (field-level drop-off analysis)
  • JavaScript error tracking
  • Conversion funnels
  • Feedback campaigns

Pricing

| Plan | Price | Sessions | |------|-------|----------| | Free | $0 | 500/month | | Starter | $31/month | 5,000/month | | Growth | $109/month | 15,000/month | | Business | $219/month | 50,000/month | | Pro | $399/month | 150,000/month |

WordPress-Specific Benefits

  • Official plugin for simple setup
  • Works with WooCommerce checkout forms
  • Form analytics for Contact Form 7, Gravity Forms, etc.
  • Friction detection for WordPress-specific issues

Limitations

  • Session limits feel restrictive
  • No AI session summaries
  • Enterprise pricing requires sales contact

Verdict: Choose Mouseflow if forms are critical to your WordPress site. The Friction Score and form analytics exceed what other tools offer.


7. Plerdy (Best Budget All-in-One)

Installation difficulty: Easy Free plan: 2,000 pageviews/day Plugin: Available for WordPress

Plerdy bundles heatmaps with SEO auditing, popup forms, and e-commerce tracking—more features than any competitor at its price point.

WordPress Installation

  1. Go to Plugins > Add New
  2. Search for "Plerdy"
  3. Install and activate
  4. Connect your Plerdy account
  5. Verify installation

Key Features

  • Click and scroll heatmaps
  • Click sequence tracking
  • Session recordings
  • SEO checker (daily automated audits)
  • Popup form builder (25+ targeting conditions)
  • E-commerce tracking
  • A/B testing

Pricing

| Plan | Price | Features | |------|-------|----------| | Free | $0 | 2,000 pageviews/day, limited features | | Startup | $21/month | Full features, higher limits | | Scale | $42/month | More sessions and storage | | Thrive | $70/month | Maximum limits |

WordPress-Specific Benefits

  • SEO checker audits WordPress technical issues
  • Popup builder competes with OptinMonster
  • Works with WooCommerce for sales tracking
  • Budget-friendly for small WordPress sites

Limitations

  • Individual features less deep than specialized tools
  • Smaller user community
  • Recording limits can be restrictive
  • Less WordPress-specific documentation

Verdict: Choose Plerdy if you want heatmaps + SEO + popups in one affordable package. No other tool offers this combination at $21/month.


8. UserFeedback (Best Dashboard Integration)

Installation difficulty: Easiest (Native) Free plan: None (heatmaps require Elite plan) Plugin: Native WordPress plugin

UserFeedback is the only heatmap plugin that runs entirely inside your WordPress dashboard—no external platforms, no jumping between tools. Everything happens within WordPress admin.

WordPress Installation

  1. Go to Plugins > Add New
  2. Search for "UserFeedback"
  3. Install and activate
  4. Enter license key
  5. Activate Heatmaps addon

The entire workflow—viewing heatmaps, analyzing data, making decisions—happens within WordPress admin.

Key Features

  • Click and scroll heatmaps
  • 100% WordPress dashboard integration
  • User feedback surveys
  • No external accounts
  • No data leaving WordPress

Pricing

| Plan | Price | Heatmaps | |------|-------|----------| | Plus | $49.50/year | No | | Pro | $99.50/year | No | | Elite | $149.50/year | Yes |

Heatmaps are only available on the Elite plan at $149.50/year.

WordPress-Specific Benefits

  • Never leave WordPress: View all data in admin dashboard
  • No external dependencies: Privacy-friendly
  • Fast setup: 5-minute installation claimed
  • Designed for WordPress: Not a port of external tool

Limitations

  • Heatmaps require $149.50/year Elite plan
  • Fewer features than dedicated heatmap tools
  • No session recordings
  • Smaller user base and community
  • Less mature than established tools

Verdict: Choose UserFeedback if staying 100% within WordPress matters and you're willing to pay for the Elite plan. The dashboard integration is genuinely convenient.


Installation Difficulty Comparison

| Tool | Method | Time | Technical Skill | |------|--------|------|-----------------| | Aurora Heatmap | Plugin only | 2 minutes | None | | UserFeedback | Plugin only | 5 minutes | None | | Microsoft Clarity | Plugin | 5 minutes | Basic | | Hotjar | Plugin | 5 minutes | Basic | | Lucky Orange | Plugin | 5 minutes | Basic | | Crazy Egg | Plugin | 5 minutes | Basic | | Mouseflow | Plugin | 5 minutes | Basic | | Plerdy | Plugin | 5 minutes | Basic |

All tools have official WordPress plugins. The difference is whether they require external accounts (most do) or run natively within WordPress (Aurora, UserFeedback).

Free vs. Paid: Which WordPress Heatmap Tool?

Best Free Options

  1. Microsoft Clarity - Unlimited everything, AI features, best free tool overall
  2. Aurora Heatmap - WordPress-native, no external accounts, privacy-focused
  3. Mouseflow Free - 500 sessions/month with full features
  4. Plerdy Free - 2,000 pageviews/day with SEO and popups included
  5. Lucky Orange Free - 100 sessions/month with live chat

When to Pay

Upgrade from free when you need:

  • More sessions: High-traffic sites outgrow free limits
  • Longer data retention: Clarity's 30-day limit doesn't work for seasonal analysis
  • Surveys and feedback: Hotjar's qualitative tools require paid plans
  • Advanced form analytics: Mouseflow's field-level analysis needs paid tiers
  • Enterprise features: Support SLAs, compliance certifications, custom integrations
  1. Start with Microsoft Clarity (free, unlimited, powerful)
  2. Add specific tools for gaps: Hotjar for surveys, Mouseflow for forms, Plerdy for SEO
  3. Upgrade only when free limits are actually hit

Most WordPress sites never need to spend money on heatmaps. Clarity handles 80% of use cases at zero cost.


Frequently Asked Questions

Which free heatmap plugin is best for WordPress?

Microsoft Clarity is the best free option—unlimited heatmaps and recordings with AI-powered insights. Aurora Heatmap is second best if you want everything contained within WordPress with no external services.

Do heatmap plugins slow down WordPress?

Impact is minimal for all major tools. Scripts load asynchronously and typically add less than 100ms to page load times. Aurora Heatmap claims less than 1 second PageSpeed impact. Always clear your cache after installation and test Core Web Vitals.

Can I use multiple heatmap tools on WordPress?

Yes, but not recommended. Multiple tracking scripts add up, and you'll get conflicting data. Start with one tool (preferably Clarity since it's free) and only add others for specific capabilities you need.

Do WordPress heatmap plugins work with page builders?

Yes. Elementor, Divi, Beaver Builder, and other page builders work with all major heatmap tools. The plugins track rendered HTML regardless of how it's built. Dynamic elements may require live heatmap features (available in Mouseflow and some others).

Are WordPress heatmap plugins GDPR compliant?

Most tools provide GDPR compliance features, but you're responsible for consent collection. Microsoft Clarity doesn't respect Do Not Track signals. Aurora Heatmap stores data locally (more privacy-friendly). Add a cookie consent plugin and configure heatmap loading based on user consent.

Can I see heatmaps for my WooCommerce checkout?

Yes. All tools track WooCommerce pages. Mouseflow and Plerdy offer specific e-commerce features. Microsoft Clarity has Shopify-specific features but works with WooCommerce through standard tracking.


Last updated: February 2026. Features and pricing may change. Visit each tool's website for current information.


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