Manage Hotjar

How to cancel hotjar and protect your subscription rights in canada

What hotjar is and why you might want to cancel

Hotjar is a web-based analytics and user-feedback platform that tracks how visitors interact with your website through heatmaps, session recordings, surveys, and feedback widgets. Teams use it to spot usability issues, understand user behaviour, and improve conversion rates. It's commonly deployed by marketers, product managers, and UX professionals across Canada and internationally.

You might decide to cancel Hotjar for several reasons: you've found a competing tool that better suits your needs, your budget has tightened, you're not seeing the ROI you expected, or you simply no longer need website analytics. Whatever your reason, Stopee exists to help you navigate the cancellation process smoothly and ensure you understand your rights before you proceed.

When cancellation makes sense

If you're on an annual plan and haven't used Hotjar in months, you're spending money on a tool that isn't delivering value. If you've hit Hotjar's data limits or feature ceiling and found a better alternative, cancellation frees up your subscription budget. If you signed up to test Hotjar and realised it wasn't right for your workflow, the sooner you cancel, the sooner you can request a refund under Hotjar's 30-day money-back guarantee. At Stopee, we help you recognise these turning points and act before your next billing date passes.

The cost of waiting too long

Each day you delay cancellation after deciding to leave costs you money. If you're on a monthly plan billed at approximately CAD $20 per month, waiting five extra days to cancel costs you roughly CAD $3.33. On an annual plan, that cost multiplies. Most importantly, if you're within Hotjar's 30-day refund window and miss the deadline, you lose your eligibility for a full refund and can only access credits or partial refunds in narrow circumstances. Stopee's step-by-step guide ensures you don't lose that window.

Hotjar pricing in canada and billing details

Understanding what you're paying helps you decide whether cancellation is right for you.

Current pricing breakdown

Important billing notes for canadian customers

Hotjar bills in USD, not CAD. The final amount you see on your credit card statement depends on your bank's exchange rate at the time of billing, plus any applicable GST (Goods and Services Tax). If your province has HST (Harmonized Sales Tax) or PST (Provincial Sales Tax), those taxes apply on top of the USD base price. This means your actual CAD charge can fluctuate month to month, which is why it's critical to check your billing statement carefully.

Stopee recommends you take a screenshot of your subscription details before you cancel, so you have proof of what you were paying. This document becomes essential if you dispute a charge or request a refund.

How to cancel your hotjar subscription

Hotjar offers two cancellation paths: downgrade to the free plan (which stops recurring charges) or delete your account entirely (which removes all your data permanently).

Cancel by downgrading to the free plan

This is the safest option if you want to stop paying but keep your account and data intact. Only your account owner can make this change.

1. Log in to your Hotjar account at hotjar.com.
   • Use the email address and password associated with your account owner profile.
   • If you're not the account owner, ask the owner to complete these steps.
2. Navigate to your billing settings.
   • Click your profile icon in the top right corner.
   • Select "Settings" from the dropdown menu.
   • Click "Billing" in the left sidebar.
3. Find your active subscription.
   • Under "Subscriptions", you'll see your current plan (Observe Plus, Ask Plus, or both).
   • Click "Manage subscriptions" next to the plan you want to downgrade.
4. Select the downgrade option.
   • Click "Change plan".
   • Select either "Observe Basic" or "Ask Basic" (whichever corresponds to your current plan).
   • Confirm the downgrade by clicking the final confirmation button.
5. Verify your changes.
   • Return to your Billing page to confirm the free plan is now active.
   • Your paid features will remain active until the end of your current billing cycle (monthly or annual).
   • After your cycle ends, you'll have no recurring charges.

Pro tip: Downgrade at least two weeks before your renewal date to ensure the change processes in time. If your renewal is in three days and you downgrade today, you may still be charged for the next month.

Cancel by permanently deleting your account

Choose this option only if you want to erase all your data and remove the account completely. This action is irreversible.

1. Log in as the account owner.
   • Ensure you're logged in with the email and password that created the account.
2. Go to account settings.
   • Click your profile icon in the top right.
   • Select "Settings".
3. Navigate to account deletion.
   • Look for "My Details" or "Account" in the left sidebar.
   • Scroll to the bottom of the page.
4. Click "Delete your Hotjar account".
   • Hotjar will ask you to confirm and may request your password again for security.
   • Once confirmed, the account and all data (heatmaps, recordings, surveys) are deleted immediately and cannot be recovered.
5. Verify deletion.
   • Try logging back in to confirm the account no longer exists.
   • Check your bank or credit card statement in 3-5 business days; no new charges should appear.

Warning: Account deletion does not guarantee a refund. If you're hoping for a refund, downgrade first and contact support before you delete. Deletion is permanent; you cannot recover your data once the account is gone.

Remove hotjar tracking code from your website

Whether you downgrade or delete, you should remove Hotjar's tracking code from your website to prevent unnecessary data collection and billing.

1. Log in to your website's content management system (CMS) or hosting platform.
   • Examples: WordPress, Shopify, Webflow, custom HTML.
2. Find the Hotjar tracking code.
   • It typically looks like:
   • Search your site header or footer templates for "hotjar".
3. Delete the code entirely.
   • Remove every instance to ensure no Hotjar data collection occurs.
4. Publish your changes.
   • Save and deploy the updated pages.
   • Wait 10-15 minutes for the change to take effect across your site.

Once removed, Hotjar will no longer track your visitors, and you'll stop generating new data (which matters if you're on a plan with data limits).

What happens immediately after you cancel

Many customers feel relief after hitting cancel, but understanding what happens next prevents surprises.

For downgrades to the free plan

Your paid features stay active until your billing cycle ends. If you're on a monthly plan and downgrade on the 15th of the month, your paid features work until the end of that month. This grace period is built in; Hotjar doesn't deactivate features immediately. After your cycle closes, you'll switch to the free Basic tier automatically, and your paid features (unlimited recordings, advanced targeting) disappear. Any data you've collected remains in your account and is still viewable in the free plan, but you can't generate new paid features until you upgrade again.

Pro tip: Export your heatmaps and session recording insights before downgrading if you plan to archive them. Hotjar allows downloads, but it's easier to do this while your account is still active.

For account deletion

Everything is gone immediately: your account, your data, your billing relationship with Hotjar. Your credit card or bank account will stop receiving charges within 1-3 billing cycles (depending on your payment processor). If a charge does appear after deletion, contact your bank immediately and reference the account deletion date as proof the charge should not have occurred.

Refund eligibility and how to request your money back

Stopee understands that refund policies are often the most confusing part of cancellation, so let's break down exactly what Hotjar covers.

The 30-day money-back guarantee

Hotjar offers a full refund within 30 days of your first paid subscription if you cancel before your renewal date. This applies to both monthly and annual plans. To qualify:

• You must cancel your subscription in-app (the steps above) before your renewal date arrives.
• You must contact Hotjar support within the 30-day window and explicitly request the refund.
• You must not have already renewed your subscription; once renewal occurs, the 30-day window closes.

If you meet these conditions, Hotjar will typically issue a full refund to your original payment method within 5-10 business days.

After the 30-day window closes

Once your subscription renews (which happens automatically unless you downgrade first), Hotjar's policy explicitly states that no refunds are given for partially used months or days. If you're on an annual plan and cancel on day 180 of 365, you're not eligible for a 50 percent refund. Hotjar's terms are firm on this point. Your only recourse is to contact support and ask if a credit note or partial credit can be issued as a goodwill gesture, but this is not guaranteed.

Disputing tax charges and billing errors

If Hotjar has charged you incorrect GST, HST, or PST, Canadian consumer protection laws work in your favour. Report the error to Hotjar support within the same quarter it occurred. Hotjar may issue a partial refund or a credit note adjustment to your account. They cannot reissue the original invoice, but they can adjust future charges or issue a formal credit document for your records. Always provide your transaction ID, billing statement, and a clear explanation of the error.

Pro tip: If Hotjar disputes your tax claim, you can escalate the matter to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) if GST/HST is involved. Stopee recommends keeping all correspondence with Hotjar in case you need to escalate.

How to request your refund

1. Downgrade your subscription in-app (follow the steps in the cancellation section above).
2. Navigate to Hotjar's support page.
   • Visit help.hotjar.com or click "Help" in your Hotjar account.
3. Open a support ticket or send an email.
   • Select "Contact support" and describe your refund request.
   • Include your account email, subscription plan, and the date you purchased.
   • Mention that you're within the 30-day refund window (if applicable).
4. Wait for Hotjar's response.
   • Support typically replies within 24-48 business hours.
   • If approved, the refund processes to your original payment method within 5-10 days.

Your consumer rights in canada

Hotjar operates in Canada and must respect Canadian consumer protection laws, even though the company is based elsewhere.

The canadian consumer protection act

Under the federal Consumer Protection Act and similar provincial laws (like Ontario's Consumer Protection Act), you have the right to:

• Cancel a subscription within 30 days of purchase if the subscription was entered into at a distance (online, by phone, or by mail). Hotjar is a distance purchase, so this right applies to you.
• Receive a refund of all money you paid if you cancel within that window, provided you comply with the cancellation process.
• Clear, transparent pricing and billing disclosures before you buy. If Hotjar's billing terms were unclear or misleading, you may have grounds to dispute charges.

Escalation: office of the attorney general

If Hotjar refuses to process your refund after you've met all the conditions, or if billing errors persist, you can escalate to your provincial Attorney General's consumer protection office. In Ontario, contact the Ministry of the Attorney General (Consumer Protection Office). In British Columbia, contact the Ministry of Attorney General (Consumer Protection BC). Most provinces have dedicated consumer protection branches that investigate complaints and can pressure companies to comply with the law.

Stopee strongly recommends documenting every step: screenshots of your billing page, copies of all emails with Hotjar support, your credit card statements, and dates of all actions. This evidence is crucial if you escalate to a regulatory body.

Common mistakes to avoid when cancelling

Cancelling a subscription sounds simple, but small mistakes can cost you money or lock you out of refunds. Here are the traps Stopee sees most often.

Mistake 1: trying to cancel through the app store instead of in-app

Some people assume they can cancel Hotjar through the Apple App Store or Google Play Store like they do with other apps. This won't work. Hotjar subscriptions are managed only through the Hotjar website, not through app marketplaces. If you try to cancel via your phone's app store, the subscription will remain active on Hotjar's servers, and you'll continue to be charged. Always cancel at hotjar.com, not in an app store.

Mistake 2: downgrading too close to your renewal date

If your renewal is in two days and you downgrade today, the system may process the downgrade after the renewal has already charged your card. Always downgrade at least 7-10 days before your renewal date to be safe. Check your billing page to see the exact renewal date, then mark your calendar for one week before.

Mistake 3: requesting a refund without cancelling first

Some customers email Hotjar asking for a refund without downgrading their subscription. Hotjar will refuse unless you've actually cancelled the subscription first. The steps are sequential: downgrade in-app, then request the refund via support. Doing them out of order can cost you your refund eligibility.

Mistake 4: deleting the account before requesting a refund

Hotjar's system may deny a refund request from a deleted account because there's no billing record to reverse. If you're after a refund, downgrade first, request the refund second, and only delete the account once the refund is processed (if that).

Mistake 5: not removing the tracking code from your website

After cancellation, Hotjar stops recording new data, but if your tracking code is still embedded in your site, it continues to fire (waste bandwidth and slow your pages slightly). Remove the code to ensure a clean break. This also prevents confusion if a team member mistakenly assumes Hotjar is still active.

Checklist before you cancel

Use this checklist to ensure you don't miss anything.

• Confirm you're logged in as the account owner (not a team member with limited permissions).
• Take a screenshot of your current billing details (plan type, renewal date, price).
• Check your email for recent Hotjar invoices and save them to a folder.
• Export any heatmaps or session recording insights you want to keep (optional but recommended).
• Verify the exact renewal date on your billing page; plan to cancel 7-10 days before.
• Locate your website's tracking code and identify where it's embedded (CMS, theme, or header template).
• If you're eligible for a refund (within 30 days), prepare your support ticket details: account email, plan name, purchase date.
• Open your bank or credit card app and note the last Hotjar charge so you can watch for any future charges.
• Cancel the subscription following the steps provided above.
• Submit your refund request (if eligible) within 24 hours of cancelling.
• Remove the Hotjar tracking code from your website within 48 hours.
• Check your statement 3-5 business days later to confirm no new charges have appeared.

When you should keep hotjar instead of cancelling

Before you cancel, ask yourself: is there a reason to stay?

Reasons to keep your subscription

If you rely on Hotjar to track user behaviour, identify friction points, or run A/B tests on your website, cancelling loses you that intelligence. Heatmaps and session recordings are powerful tools for understanding why users leave your site without converting. Surveys help you gather qualitative feedback that analytics alone can't provide. If you've seen a measurable improvement in conversion rate or user satisfaction because of Hotjar insights, the subscription is paying for itself. In that case, downgrading to a lower tier might make more sense than full cancellation.

Similarly, if your team uses Hotjar's feedback widgets to capture user comments, reviews, or support requests, switching platforms means rebuilding that feedback loop. The cost of migration and lost data history might outweigh the savings from cancellation.

Reasons to switch instead of staying

If you've outgrown Hotjar's feature set (e.g., you need more advanced segmentation or API access), a competing tool like Microsoft Clarity, Contentsquare, or VWO may serve you better. If your budget has shrunk and you're looking for a cheaper alternative, free options like Clarity or Plausible offer solid analytics without recurring fees. If you simply haven't used Hotjar in six months, the subscription is dead weight on your budget.

Comparison: hotjar vs. alternatives

Not sure if Hotjar is right for you? Here's how it stacks up against competitors.

Final steps and how to stay organised

Once you've cancelled, the work isn't over. A few final actions ensure you don't face surprise charges or data loss.

Check your bank statement

Monitor your credit card or bank account for the next billing cycle (typically 30 days). If a charge appears after you've cancelled, dispute it immediately with your bank. Provide your bank with proof of cancellation (screenshot of your Hotjar billing page showing the free plan, or an email confirmation from Hotjar support) and the bank will investigate and likely reverse the charge.

Keep your refund documentation

If Hotjar issued a refund, save the refund confirmation email and note the refund amount and date it hit your account. If there's ever a dispute with your bank or credit card company, you'll need this proof. Store it in a dedicated folder on your computer and in cloud storage (Google Drive, OneDrive, etc.) as backup.

Unsubscribe from hotjar emails

After cancellation, you may still receive marketing emails from Hotjar. Click the "Unsubscribe" link at the bottom of any email to remove yourself from their mailing list. This prevents confusion if you receive an email about a new Hotjar feature and assume your account is still active.

Your rights as a canadian consumer

If Hotjar refuses to honour a refund, fails to stop charging you, or mishandles your data deletion request, Canadian law is on your side.

Escalation steps

1. Document everything: save all emails, screenshots, and transaction records.
2. Send a formal written request (email counts) to Hotjar support, citing the Canadian Consumer Protection Act and your specific concern.
3. If Hotjar doesn't respond within 10 business days, file a complaint with your provincial consumer protection office (e.g., Ontario: Consumer Protection Office; British Columbia: Consumer Protection BC; Alberta: Fair Trading Act office).
4. If the dispute involves a credit card charge, contact your bank or credit card company and request a chargeback. Provide all documentation.
5. For privacy violations related to data deletion, contact the Privacy Commissioner of Canada at priv.gc.ca if Hotjar fails to delete your data after account deletion.

Stopee has helped thousands of consumers navigate cancellations by breaking them down into clear, step-by-step actions and ensuring they know their rights. Whether you're downgrading to save money, switching to a better tool, or simply pausing your subscription, the process is straightforward when you follow a plan. Visit Stopee.com today to find guides for cancelling hundreds of other services and to access live support if you get stuck during your Hotjar cancellation.

Contact hotjar support directly

If you have questions or run into technical issues during cancellation, contact Hotjar's support team directly:

• Email: support@hotjar.com
• Help centre: help.hotjar.com
• In-app chat: Available within your Hotjar account dashboard (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm CET)
• Refund policy: help.hotjar.com/hc/en-us/articles/360043234554-Refund-Policy

Include your account email, the date you subscribed, and a clear description of your issue. Hotjar support typically responds within 24-48 hours on business days.