Free Google Analytics 4 Heatmap Tool in 2026
Looking for a heatmap that works with Google Analytics? Google's own Page Analytics extension was deprecated in 2017 and doesn't work with GA4. Here's how to add click visualization to your existing GA setup.
Updated: April 2026 | Reading time: 14 minutes
⚠️ The Problem: GA4 Has No Native Heatmaps
In 2017, Google deprecated its "Page Analytics" Chrome extension that provided basic click overlays. It stopped receiving updates in 2019 and is not compatible with GA4.
Google has not announced plans to add native heatmap functionality to GA4, leaving users to find third-party solutions. The good news? There are options that keep your data in your GA account.
🔍 Your Options for GA4 Heatmaps
| Solution | GA Integration | Data Location | Free Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| ⭐ clickmap.app | Native - uses GA4 data | Your GA account | 3 sites, 1K clicks |
| Hotjar | Separate tracking | Hotjar servers | 35 sessions/day |
| Microsoft Clarity | Separate tracking | Microsoft servers | Unlimited (free) |
| Crazy Egg | Separate tracking | Crazy Egg servers | No free tier |
| DIY (GTM + Looker) | Manual setup | Your GA account | Free but complex |
💡 Why Keep Click Data in Google Analytics?
Single Source of Truth
Click data lives alongside your other metrics. Segment by traffic source, device, demographics - all in one place.
No Additional Privacy Concerns
No extra tracking script means no new privacy policy disclosures or GDPR data processors to manage.
No Vendor Lock-In
Cancel anytime - your historical click data remains in your GA property forever.
Use GA's Analysis Tools
Export to BigQuery, build Looker Studio dashboards, use exploration reports with your click data.
🚀 How clickmap.app Works with GA4
⚡ Setup Process (5 minutes)
👁️ What You See
With the clickmap.app widget embedded, you see click counts overlaid on each clickable element directly on your live website. Unlike traditional heatmaps that show a screenshot with colored blobs, clickmap.app shows data on your actual pages - so you always see accurate, up-to-date information.
📋 Step-by-Step: Setting Up GA4 Click Heatmaps
Ready to add heatmap visualization to your Google Analytics 4 property? Follow this detailed walkthrough to go from zero to your first click heatmap in under ten minutes. No coding experience is required, though you will need the ability to add a small JavaScript snippet to your website.
Prerequisites
- An active Google Analytics 4 property with data collection enabled on your website
- Edit access to your website's HTML (or access to your tag manager)
- A modern browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari)
⚡ Detailed Setup Walkthrough
Head to app.clickmap.app and sign up with your Google account. During onboarding, you will be asked to authorize read access to your GA4 property. This allows clickmap.app to pull your click event data for visualization.
The authorization uses Google's standard OAuth flow. clickmap.app requests only the minimum permissions needed: read access to your Analytics data. You can revoke this access at any time from your Google Account settings.
After connecting your GA4 property, clickmap.app generates a lightweight tracking snippet for your site. Add this script to the <head> section of every page you want to track:
This script captures click coordinates and element identifiers, then sends them as custom events to your existing GA4 property. The data never leaves Google's infrastructure — clickmap.app acts as a bridge, not a data store. The script is under 5 KB gzipped and loads asynchronously, so it will not affect your page speed scores.
The reporting widget is what turns raw GA4 click data into a visual overlay on your live pages. You can embed it site-wide or limit it to specific pages. When activated, it overlays click counts on every interactive element — buttons, links, navigation items, form fields, and more.
The widget is only visible to authenticated users with access to your clickmap.app account. Your regular visitors will never see the overlay, so there is no impact on the user experience.
Once the tracking script has been live for a few hours (or even minutes on higher-traffic sites), navigate to any tracked page while logged in to clickmap.app. You will see real-time click data overlaid directly on your page elements.
From the clickmap.app dashboard, you can:
- Filter click data by date range, traffic source, device type, or geographic location
- Compare click patterns between different time periods
- Export click data for deeper analysis in GA4 Explorations or BigQuery
- Identify underperforming CTAs and high-engagement areas at a glance
📊 Comparison: All GA4 Heatmap Tools in 2026
The market for heatmap and click analytics tools has grown significantly. Below is a comprehensive comparison of every major tool that can provide heatmap-style insights for websites using Google Analytics 4. We evaluated each on GA4 integration depth, free tier generosity, pricing, and ideal use cases.
| Tool | GA4 Integration | Free Tier | Starting Price | Key Feature | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ⭐ clickmap.app | Native (data stays in GA4) | 3 sites, 1K clicks/mo | Free | Live click overlay on actual pages | GA4 users who want click heatmaps without extra tracking |
| Microsoft Clarity | Separate (GA4 link available) | Unlimited (fully free) | Free | Session recordings + heatmaps | Budget-conscious teams needing session replays |
| Hotjar | Separate tracking | 35 sessions/day | $32/mo | Heatmaps + surveys + feedback | Product teams wanting qualitative + quantitative data |
| Crazy Egg | Separate tracking | No free tier | $29/mo | Scroll maps + confetti reports | Marketers focused on landing page optimization |
| Contentsquare | Separate tracking | Limited free plan | Custom pricing | Enterprise experience analytics | Large enterprises with complex digital experiences |
| PostHog | Separate (self-hostable) | 1M events/mo | Free (usage-based after) | Product analytics + heatmaps + feature flags | Developer-first teams wanting an all-in-one platform |
| VWO | Separate tracking | Limited free plan | $99/mo | A/B testing + heatmaps + personalization | CRO teams running extensive A/B tests |
Key takeaway: If your primary goal is adding a click heatmap to Google Analytics 4 without introducing a separate data silo, clickmap.app is the only tool that stores click data directly in your GA4 property. Microsoft Clarity is the best completely free option if you do not mind a separate tracking system. For enterprises that need A/B testing and deep experience analytics alongside heatmaps, Contentsquare and VWO are the most comprehensive (but also the most expensive) solutions.
🔧 DIY Alternative: Building Your Own GA4 Heatmap
Complex setup required
Building your own solution with GTM and Looker Studio is possible but has significant drawbacks.
It's technically possible to build your own click tracking system using Google Tag Manager and Looker Studio. However, this approach has significant drawbacks:
- ❌ Complex GTM setup: You need custom triggers for every clickable element type
- ❌ No visual overlay: You can only see click data in reports, not on the actual page
- ❌ Ongoing maintenance: As your site changes, you need to update tracking configuration
- ❌ Limited click identification: Generic selectors often capture the wrong elements
clickmap.app handles all of this automatically, with smart element identification that works even when your site design changes.
⚖️ When to Consider Other Tools
clickmap.app focuses specifically on click analytics. If you need these features, you may want to look at other tools:
- 🎥 Session recordings: Hotjar and Microsoft Clarity offer video playback of user sessions
- 📜 Scroll depth heatmaps: Some tools visualize how far users scroll down each page
- 📝 User surveys: Tools like Hotjar include on-page feedback widgets
However, many teams find that click data alone provides the clearest signal of user intent - without the complexity and cost of full session recording tools.
Add Click Visualization to Your GA4 Setup
Keep your data in Google Analytics. See clicks directly on your website. Free to start.
Get Started Free →❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Does Google Analytics 4 have built-in heatmaps?
No. GA4 does not include heatmap functionality. Google has not announced plans to add this feature. You need a third-party tool to visualize click data.
Can I still use the Page Analytics Chrome extension?
The Page Analytics extension was deprecated in 2017 and stopped working with Universal Analytics. It is not compatible with GA4. Even if you can still install it, it won't provide any functionality.
Will clickmap.app affect my GA4 quotas?
clickmap.app sends click data as custom events to your GA4 property. For most websites, this stays well within GA4's free tier limits. High-traffic sites should review GA4's event collection limits.
Can I try clickmap.app for free?
Yes. clickmap.app offers a free tier that includes 3 websites and 1,000 clicks per month. No credit card required to sign up.
📚 Related articles: clickmap.app vs Hotjar Comparison | Why Click Analytics Beats Session Recordings