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MonsterInsights alternative
MonsterInsights vs Hitsteps for WordPress
MonsterInsights is a good fit when your main job is connecting Google Analytics to WordPress and reading its reports there. Its paid offers add a real-time dashboard, purchase journeys, and, in the Elite bundle, heatmaps. Hitsteps takes a different route: a hosted visitor workspace linked to WordPress, where you can follow a live page path and use chat or click heatmaps when your plan includes them.
The choice depends on what you need to do with the data. If you mainly review Google Analytics reports, MonsterInsights gives you a familiar WordPress dashboard. If you need to respond while a visit is in progress, Hitsteps puts the current visitor path closer to that decision.
Product proof
Understand your visitors. Take action with confidence.
Use it when you need live visitor context, practical installation routes, and action tools around the traffic you already have.
Works where your site already lives
WordPress, Shopify, Wix, Google Tag Manager, HTML, CMS, commerce, browser, and desktop setup paths are documented from one hub.
From tracking hit to next action
Live dashboard, visitor profiles, heatmaps, chat, Segments, uptime, reports, and alerts stay connected after tracking is installed.
What MonsterInsights does with Google Analytics in WordPress
MonsterInsights connects your WordPress site to Google Analytics and shows reports in WordPress admin. Its Lite plugin is free on WordPress.org, with paid licenses for more reporting and tracking features. That setup makes sense if Google Analytics is already where you measure traffic and you want those reports available to your WordPress team.
Hitsteps uses a hosted account. Install the Hitsteps WordPress plugin, connect it with your website API key, and the plugin adds tracking without a theme edit. It also offers WordPress dashboard widgets; the live visitor workspace sits in Hitsteps. Explore WordPress analytics and live visitor paths to see how that setup works. Hitsteps Free includes the live visitor view for 1 site, up to 2,000 pageviews a month, and 14 days of history.
Real-time reports, purchase journeys, and heatmaps: what each offer includes
MonsterInsights lists a Realtime Analytics Dashboard in Plus, described as an overview of current analytics. Its Pro plan lists User Journeys (a per-visit timeline): pages a customer visited and time spent before a purchase, including WooCommerce purchases. The Elite license bundles UserFeedback Elite, whose No Code Heatmaps show clicks and scrolling. These are useful reporting options if your team investigates traffic and sales from WordPress.
Hitsteps Free lets you open a live visitor and follow the observed page path. See real-time visitor tracking for that view. Click heatmaps start on Growth, and Hitsteps Commerce starts on Pro at $21.99/month and is available during the 7-day Pro trial. Commerce links shopping steps with verified orders from Shopify, WooCommerce or your own store server. Its order view has a different job from a page path alone.
| Question | MonsterInsights | Hitsteps |
|---|---|---|
| Where is the main workspace? | Google Analytics reports inside WordPress. | A hosted Hitsteps account, plus WordPress dashboard widgets. |
| What can I check during a visit? | Plus lists a Realtime Analytics Dashboard. | Free includes a live visitor view and observed page paths within Free limits. |
| How do I review a purchase journey? | Pro User Journeys (a per-visit timeline) lists pages and time before a purchase. | Pro Hitsteps Commerce links shopping steps with verified store orders; it is also available during the Pro trial. |
| Where are heatmaps listed? | No Code Heatmaps for clicks and scrolling are in the bundled UserFeedback Elite offer. | Click heatmaps start on Growth. |
| Can I send custom events? | The WordPress.org listing mentions custom conversions in Google Analytics and "detailed event tracking reports". | Send custom events through JavaScript Actions. |
When live visitor paths and visitor chat change the workflow
Suppose someone arrives on a product page, opens a shipping page, and returns to the product. In Hitsteps, the observed page path can show that sequence while the visit is active. You can decide whether a visitor chat invitation would help, then use a click heatmap to see which page elements draw clicks over time. Chat starts on Starter at $4.99/month; click heatmaps start on Growth at $9.99/month. An anonymous visit does not automatically tell you the person's identity.
MonsterInsights also offers AI questions about analytics reports using credits. That is a way to ask about report data. Visitor-facing live chat is not listed on MonsterInsights' public pages (checked 19 Oct 2026).
MonsterInsights yearly licenses and Hitsteps monthly plans
MonsterInsights' pricing page shows the following USD introductory prices billed yearly. Each one is shown next to a higher normal price, and the page says: "Special introductory pricing, all renewals are at full price." The page lists unlimited pageviews for the paid licenses and a 14-day refund guarantee.
| MonsterInsights, USD billed yearly | Hitsteps, USD billed monthly |
|---|---|
| Lite plugin: free on WordPress.org. Plus: introductory $99.50/year, normally $199.00/year, 1 site. Pro: introductory $199.50/year, normally $399.00/year, 5 sites. Elite: introductory $299.50/year, normally $599.00/year, 5 sites, with the UserFeedback Elite heatmap bundle. Agency: introductory $399.50/year, normally $799.00/year, 25 sites. MonsterInsights pricing. | Free: $0, up to 2,000 pageviews a month, 1 site, 14 days of history. Starter: $4.99/month. Growth: $9.99/month. Pro: $21.99/month. Business: $49.99/month. Scale: $99.99/month. Enterprise: $449.99/month. Hitsteps plans. |
Each column shows its own product and billing period. The prices do not pair equivalent plans. Hitsteps' USD billed monthly allowances are:
| Hitsteps plan | Price per month, USD | Pageviews per month | Sites | History | Selected plan features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | up to 2,000 | 1 | 14 days | Live visitor view |
| Starter | $4.99 | 10,000 | 2 | 30 days | 1 chat agent, 3 goals |
| Growth | $9.99 | 50,000 | 5 | 60 days | Click heatmaps, 3 chat agents |
| Pro | $21.99 | 500,000 | 30 | 180 days | Funnels, uptime monitoring, Hitsteps Commerce |
| Business | $49.99 | 1,000,000 | 100 | 360 days | Higher allowances |
| Scale | $99.99 | 12,000,000 | 400 | 360 days | Higher allowances |
| Enterprise | $449.99 | 60,000,000 | 1,000 | 360 days | Higher allowances |
Review current plans and trial terms. New Hitsteps accounts get a 7-day Pro trial with no card and no automatic charges.
Which WordPress analytics setup fits your site?
MonsterInsights fits when you want Google Analytics connected to WordPress and want its reports in the WordPress dashboard. Its Plus real-time overview, Pro purchase journeys, and Elite bundle heatmaps offer a clear paid path for teams working from those reports. Its paid licenses also list unlimited pageviews, which may matter to a high-traffic site.
Hitsteps fits when the question starts with a current visitor: what pages have they opened, and would a chat invitation help now? You can begin with the live view on Free if eligible, add chat on Starter, or use click heatmaps on Growth. Pro brings funnels, uptime monitoring, and Commerce. Create a Hitsteps account to try Pro for 7 days without a card.
Frequently asked questions
Is MonsterInsights free?
Yes. The Lite plugin is free on WordPress.org. Paid MonsterInsights licenses have introductory yearly prices on its pricing page, with renewals at full price.
Does MonsterInsights show real-time analytics?
Yes. Its pricing page lists a Realtime Analytics Dashboard in Plus. Hitsteps Free includes a live visitor view and observed page paths within its stated limits; the two views answer related questions but are not identical.
Does MonsterInsights include heatmaps?
Its pricing page lists No Code Heatmaps for clicks and scrolling in Elite's bundled UserFeedback Elite offer. Hitsteps click heatmaps start on Growth at $9.99/month, per the Hitsteps plans.
Can MonsterInsights chat with visitors?
MonsterInsights describes AI questions about analytics reports using credits. Visitor-facing live chat is not listed on MonsterInsights' public pages (checked 19 Oct 2026) or its WordPress.org listing. Hitsteps visitor chat starts on Starter at $4.99/month.
Can I try Hitsteps with WordPress before paying?
Yes. Connect the Hitsteps WordPress plugin to a hosted Hitsteps account with a website API key. New accounts get a 7-day Pro trial with no card. After the trial you can stay on Free, which includes the live visitor view, as long as your email is verified and your site fits Free's limits (up to 2,000 pageviews a month, 1 site), or choose a paid plan.