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Hotjar vs OpenReplay: The GDPR Compliance Comparison

Discover how France's OpenReplay offers a privacy-focused alternative to US-based Hotjar, ensuring your web analytics align with strict GDPR standards.

Last updated: February 19, 2026Reviewed by Built in EU Team

Should You Switch to OpenReplay?

What You Gain

Gain GDPR compliance, open-source flexibility, EU hosting

Privacy advantage
Trade-offs

Potential loss of advanced features like conversion funnels

Hotjar has more features
Bottom Line

Switch if privacy is priority; stay if advanced features are needed

At a Glance

Data Location
🇺🇸US

US data laws

🇫🇷FR

GDPR protected

Pricing

Hotjar

Contact

OpenReplay

freemium

Migration
Medium difficulty~2-4 hours

Privacy & Compliance Comparison

Critical data sovereignty factors at a glance

CriteriaHotjarOpenReplay
Server Location
US (AWS), EU (optional)EU
GDPR Compliance
Partial (SCCs)Full
Open Source
E2E Encryption
OptionalOptional
Data Portability
PartialFull export

CLOUD Act Notice

Hotjar is a US company and must comply with CLOUD Act data requests, even for data stored in EU data centers. OpenReplay is not subject to US jurisdiction.

Switching from
Hotjar logo

Hotjar

🇺🇸

Contentsquare

VS
Switching to
OpenReplay logo

OpenReplay

🇫🇷

OpenReplay

US Data Storage

Data subject to US CLOUD Act and may be accessed by US authorities

EU Data Protection

Data protected under GDPR with EU-only data residency

Certifications & Compliance

No certifications listed

SOC 2
EU-Based
SOC 2 Type II
Open Source
Self-Hostable
EU-hosted

Reasons to Switch

  • Self-hosted option for full data control
  • GDPR compliance with EU-based servers
  • Open-source platform allows customization
  • Role-based access control enhances security

Things to Consider

  • !Migration from Hotjar could be complex
  • !Potential learning curve for new users
  • !Lacks some Hotjar integrations
Migration difficulty:
Medium
~2-4 hours

Migration Overview

Full guide
Difficulty
Medium
Time Estimate
~2-4 hours

Depends on data size and complexity

Quick Steps

1

Create OpenReplay account and configure settings

2

Export and prepare data from Hotjar

3

Import data, test integrations, and migrate users

Other alternatives to Hotjar

Ready to make the switch?

Start using OpenReplay today and take control of your data privacy.