Best UX research tools

Are you looking to enhance your user experience (UX) research and testing capabilities? In this article, we’ll introduce you to a range of powerful UX tools that can streamline and strengthen your research efforts. 

We'll explore the key features, functionalities, and pricing of each tool, helping you make an informed decision about which ones best suit your needs. Whether you're seeking video-based interviews, remote usability testing, card sorting, tree testing, or participant recruitment, this article has got you covered.

Discover the tools that will take your UX research to the next level and unlock valuable insights into user behavior and preferences.

‍Please note: All pricing mentioned in this article is displayed in USD.

A quick glance at the 10 best UX research tools

Lyssna

Lyssna is an online platform that offers a comprehensive suite of tools and services for UX research and usability testing. It allows researchers, designers, marketers, product teams, and others to gather feedback and insights from their own network or Lyssna's research panel.

Key features 

1. Participant recruitment

Finding the right participants is one of the biggest challenges in UX research. Lyssna makes it easy by offering access to 690,000+ vetted research participants across 395+ demographic and psychographic attributes. You can also self-recruit your own users and manage everything from screening to scheduling in one platform.

2. Prototype testing

Test interactive prototypes built in Figma and capture real user feedback. Participants can navigate your designs while you gather insights on usability, engagement, and friction points, helping you refine your product before launch.

3. Card Sorting

Optimize your website’s navigation and information architecture with card sorting. Users group content in a way that makes sense to them, helping you structure menus, categories, and labels based on real user behavior.

Other features

• Interviews: Plan, recruit, and manage online interviews from your Lyssna dashboard. Set up your moderated study criteria – including screener questions – recruit participants, and track sessions, incentives, and no-shows, with built-in automated email reminders. Multi-language support is also available, allowing you to deliver the participant experience (emails, calendar invites, and the interview interface) in various languages.

• Live website testing: Evaluate any live website, capture authentic user interactions via webcam, screen, and audio recording, and gather both qualitative and quantitative data.

• Tree testing: Assess and refine your information architecture. Understand how users expect to navigate and find the information they're looking for, and why.

• First click testing: Gauge the effectiveness of your website's navigation and information hierarchy by asking users to complete a task and see where they click first. This can identify confusion or usability issues related to findability and discoverability.

• Five second testing: Gather quick and immediate impressions from users by showing them a design or interface for – you guessed it – five seconds (although it could be up to 20 seconds). You can then ask participants to provide feedback on what they recall and their initial impressions. This can be particularly helpful for capturing initial visual impact and understanding messaging effectiveness.

• Preference testing: Present users with two or more design variations and ask them to choose their preferred option. Preference testing helps gauge user preferences and understand which design elements or concepts resonate best with your target audience.

• Surveys: Want opinions or feedback? Running text-based and design surveys (where the participant can see an image or video while they're completing the survey) allows you to ask users questions related to your product or user experience, generating invaluable qualitative and quantitative data. 

• Recordings: Record audio, screen, webcam (or a combo of all three) to capture users’ think-aloud moments during unmoderated tests.

Plans and pricing

How Lyssna shines

• Full-service participant recruitment: Access a research panel of 690,000+ participants across 395+ demographic and psychographic attributes. Users can also self-recruit, giving full control over participant selection.

• Comprehensive UX research suite: Includes user interviews, prototype testing, card sorting, tree testing, first-click testing, surveys, and more – all within one platform. A template library is also available.

• Cost-effective pricing: Paid plans offer unlimited self-recruited responses, making it an accessible option for teams conducting frequent research. Lyssna panel is priced separately – you can pay to recruit from the panel as you go or you can purchase bulk panel credits at a discount to use as you need.

How Lyssna falls short

• No AI-powered insights: Research findings require manual synthesis, as automated sentiment analysis is not currently available.

Customer reviews

G2 rating: 4.5/5

“I love that Lyssna allows us to bring our own audience, this way we can make use of our list of "engaged users" that have opted-in to collaborating with us, giving us feedback & input on solutions we're testing, or our existing app & its usability today. It's VERY easy to use & implement the test. The customer support is very attentive. We use Lysnna relatively infrequently, but will definitely be leaning on it more & more as our UX team ramps up.” - Chris C., via G2 

Best for

Teams looking for an all-in-one UX research platform with strong participant recruitment options and a full range of usability testing and research tools.

Unlock better UX insights today

Ready to elevate your UX research? Try Lyssna for free and see how easy it is to gather meaningful user feedback that transforms your design decisions.

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Optimal Workshop

Optimal Workshop offers a suite of specialized UX research tools that make information architecture testing accessible for researchers at any experience level.

Key features

• Tree testing: Refine your information architecture by testing the findability and organization of content. A straightforward testing interface lets users navigate through a text-based outline to complete tasks.

• Card sorting: Generate feedback about how users categorize and organize information. 

• First click testing: Collect click-based heatmaps to assess the effectiveness of specific design elements or layouts. 

• Qualitative insights: This tool collects all note-taking, observations, and interviews into a single interface, allowing you to identify patterns in user feedback.

• Surveys: Create and distribute surveys to gather data and feedback from users.

Plans and pricing

How Optimal Workshop shines

• Comprehensive information architecture tools: Offers both card sorting and tree testing, making it a solid choice for teams focused on organizing and validating site structures.

• Tools for qualitative research: A built-in note-taking and analysis tool that helps researchers organize findings from user interviews and observational studies.

• Simple and intuitive interface: Designed for researchers of all experience levels, making it easy to run studies without a steep learning curve.

How Optimal Workshop falls short

• Missing testing features on the Individual plan: Prototype testing, first click testing, surveys, and session replays require an additional $70/month upgrade on the Individual plan.

• Strict study limits on lower plans: The Individual plan ($107/month) is capped at two live studies unless you upgrade, making it restrictive for ongoing research needs.

• Scales quickly in cost for teams: The Teams and Enterprise plans require direct sales contact for pricing, and each user needs a separate license, making it a pricier option for larger teams.

Customer reviews

G2 rating: 4.5/5

“Really powerful tool for collecting user data but with some annoying niggles” - Richard S., via G2

Best for

Teams focused on information architecture research, including card sorting and tree testing, who don’t need advanced usability testing tools in their base plan.

dscout

If you know you’re focused on mobile, dscout is a great option. It offers a mobile-centric approach to qualitative research, allowing you to capture rich, real-time feedback from participants in their natural environments. 

Key features

• Mobile ethnography: You can engage participants in real-life contexts by assigning them missions or tasks to complete using their smartphones. Participants capture and share photos, videos, and written responses, providing rich qualitative data.

• Diary studies: Ask participants to document their experiences, behaviors, and thoughts over a period of time. 

• Live video interviews: Remote video interviews with participants allow you to observe facial expressions and gather in-depth qualitative data.

Plans and pricing

dscout doesn’t publicly disclose their pricing. 

How dscout shines

• Flexible qualitative research methods: dscout offers versatile tools for conducting diary studies, live interviews, and in-the-moment feedback collection, enabling you to capture rich, contextual insights from participants. 

• Robust participant management: With access to a diverse pool of over 100,000 participants, dscout facilitates efficient recruitment, screening, and management, ensuring high-quality data collection. ​

• Comprehensive data analysis features: The platform provides automatic transcriptions, multimedia data support, and collaborative analysis tools, streamlining the process of deriving actionable insights from qualitative data. ​

How dscout falls short

• Premium pricing: dscout's pricing structure is tailored for larger organizations, which may be a barrier for freelancers or small teams with limited budgets. ​

• Participant onboarding requirements: Participants are required to download and install the dscout app to engage in studies, which could deter some individuals from participating. 

Customer reviews

G2 rating: 4.5/5

“The best part of dscout is its abiity to help our team screen participants. It's so helpful to have a clear view of all your potential participants and be able to rate their fit for studies as we go. It's a complicated platform. Each time our team runs our quarterly study, we end up with questions or problems we need to reach out to customer support on.” - verified G2 user

Best for

Mid to large-sized organizations seeking comprehensive qualitative research solutions, particularly those aiming to capture in-context user insights through multimedia feedback and longitudinal studies.

UserTesting

UserTesting streamlines the process of remote user testing, using ready-made templates and a vast pool of pre-approved participants. It has a heavy emphasis on video recordings, providing rich qualitative user feedback. 

Key features

• Video-first thinking: Participants complete assigned tasks while their screens and audio are recorded, providing valuable insights into usability issues.

• Automated insights: Analysis is streamlined thanks to automated transcripts, timestamped notes, and auto-generated heatmaps. 

• Highlight reels: Create highlight reels or clips of significant user interactions to share with stakeholders or team members. This feature helps communicate research findings effectively.

Plans and pricing

UserTesting doesn’t disclose their pricing. There is no free plan.

How UserTesting shines

• Real-time user interaction: UserTesting allows organizations to observe real-time reactions from actual users interacting with their products, providing critical information that can validate design solutions before full development.

• Efficient test deployment: The platform is quick and simple to use for publishing tests on prototypes and receiving responses promptly, enhancing the speed of development and decision-making processes. ​

• User-friendly interface: UserTesting's straightforward interface enables even beginners to set up tests quickly and efficiently, reducing the learning curve and operational delays

How UserTesting falls short

• High cost: UserTesting's robust features come at a cost. While no pricing is shared on the UserTesting website, research suggests that more than $1,250 per month is a starting point, which may be prohibitive for smaller research teams or those with limited budgets.

• Integration issues: Some users have reported challenges with integrating UserTesting into their existing workflows and tools, which can hinder the efficiency of the research process.

• Limited customization: Users have noted that the platform may lack certain customization options, potentially limiting the ability to tailor tests to specific research needs.

Customer reviews

G2 rating: 4.5/5

“Good participant access but pricing and scalability are a challenge.”- verified G2 user

Best for

UserTesting is best suited for enterprise organizations seeking to observe real-time user interactions to validate design solutions early in the development process.

UserZoom

Now part of UserTesting, UserZoom offers a combination of unmoderated and moderated testing options, alongside diary studies and advanced analytics, providing you with flexibility in gathering both qualitative and quantitative data. 

Key features

• Moderated and unmoderated testing: Conduct unmoderated usability tests remotely, allowing for flexibility and scalability, or engage in real-time, moderated user testing sessions through video conferencing tools. 

• Diary studies: Capture in-depth insights by having participants record their experiences, behaviors, and thoughts over an extended period, adding valuable longitudinal perspective.

• ML-powered recruiting: Research participants are sourced from over 40 partner panels, with a ML-powered distribution engine to find the right fit. 

• In-house UX consultancy: UserZoom’s in-house consultancy provides additional analytical muscle throughout the process. 

Plans and pricing

UserZoom doesn’t provide pricing. 

How UserZoom shines

• Comprehensive mixed-method research capabilities: UserZoom provides a suite of advanced UX research tools, including video-based usability tests, click tests, tree tests, and card sorts, enabling teams to gather both qualitative and quantitative insights.

• Enterprise-level security and compliance: The platform ensures studies are filled quickly through its global participant network and machine learning-powered distribution, while providing enterprise-level security for customer data with its SOC 2 Type 2 certification.

• Global participant network: UserZoom facilitates efficient recruitment, screening, and management of participants. ​

How UserZoom falls short

• Outdated user interface: Users have reported that UserZoom's interface feels outdated and clunky, which can hinder the overall user experience and efficiency.

• Inflexibility in study design: The platform requires separate studies for testing across different devices, limiting the ability to combine device testing into a single study. Editing studies often requires contacting customer service, adding to the complexity. ​

Customer reviews

UserZoom has no ratings on G2 but has 4.4/5 on Capterra.

“A comprehensive but expensive option” - Alex, Capterra reviewer

Best for

Best for organizations that prioritize security compliance (SOC2 Type 2) and require global participant sourcing at scale.

Loop11

Loop11 focuses on remote, unmoderated usability testing, providing a streamlined and scalable way to gather user feedback. It positions itself as “the easiest” tool of its type, making it a solid choice for small teams that still want access to UX research tools like heatmaps, click testing, and first click testing.

Key features

• Unmoderated testing: Participants complete tasks and provide feedback independently without real-time guidance. This approach offers scalability, as multiple participants can participate simultaneously without the need for direct oversight.

• GPT-4 enabled: Loop11 incorporates generative AI technology in its delivery of key findings and design recommendations. 

• Scalability: Loop11 is built to accommodate small-scale research initiatives of just a few users all the way up to much larger projects.

Plans and pricing

How Loop11 shines

• Advanced quantitative analytics: Loop11 offers sophisticated reporting on metrics such as time on task, clickstream analysis, heatmaps, System Usability Scale (SUS), and Net Promoter Score (NPS), providing comprehensive insights into user behavior. ​

• AI-powered project creation: The platform's AI project creator simplifies test setup by generating detailed tasks and activities within seconds, streamlining the research process.

• Cross-device testing capabilities: Loop11 enables usability testing across various devices, including desktops, tablets, and mobile devices, ensuring a seamless and responsive user experience. ​

How Loop11 falls short

• Limited customization options: Users have reported that the platform's usability tests and surveys lack flexibility, hindering the ability to tailor studies to specific research needs.

• Cumbersome user interface: Some users find Loop11's interface to be less intuitive, leading to a more challenging user experience during test setup and execution.

• Absence of certain testing features: The platform lacks functionalities such as accessibility analysis and responsiveness testing for web applications, limiting its comprehensiveness in usability evaluation.

Customer reviews

G2 rating: 3.6/5

“Initial familiarity with the platform might require some time for team members less experienced in user testing software. Though valuable, the pricing structure might be slightly steep for smaller organisations or projects. At times, the platform experienced minor lags, affecting real-time test execution and result gerneration.” - Moin S., via G2

Best for

Loop11 is ideal for UX researchers who require detailed analytics like heatmaps and clickstream data to inform design decisions.

Userlytics

Userlytics offers a robust user research platform with an emphasis on collaborative analysis and international scope. Insights can be viewed by unlimited viewers, and admin seats and participants are similarly large-scale. It also strives to support multinational corporations through a variety of features.  

Key features

• Wide-ranging panel: Personas can be mapped to a global panel of almost 2 million testers spread across 150 countries. 

• Global appeal: With projects in 79 countries and support for multilingual studies, transcriptions, and reports, Userlytics is a good option for multinational corporations. 

• VR testing: If your UX testing has needs in the VR space, Userlytics can run prototypes on Oculus to determine usability and likelihood to purchase. 

Plans and pricing

Userlytics also offers panel-based pricing on a project, enterprise, and limitless basis.

How Userlytics shines

• Global participant pool: Userlytics offers access to over 2 million testers across 150 countries, facilitating diverse and comprehensive user feedback.

• Multilingual support: The platform supports in-platform translation for more than 20 languages, making it ideal for global research initiatives.

• AI-powered qualitative analysis: Userlytics incorporates AI and machine learning tools to enhance qualitative data analysis, providing deeper insights into user behavior. ​

How Userlytics falls short

• Limited integrations: The platform offers fewer integration options with other tools, which may require additional manual processes for some teams.

• Complex pricing structure: Some users find Userlytics' pricing model to be intricate and not as straightforward as they’d like.

• Audio transcription inaccuracies: Users have reported occasional inaccuracies in automated audio transcriptions, potentially affecting data analysis. ​

Customer reviews

G2 rating: 4.4/5

“The ability to organize by teams and projects is very useful for our complex organizations. Test setup is simple and straightforward. Results are available quickly, and our reps are always there to help out. The pricing model can be very confusing, I still need reminders for how our credits work and what each test will cost.” - Lauren H., via G2

Best for

Userlytics is best for organizations conducting global UX research requiring multilingual support and AI-enhanced qualitative analysis.

Maze

Maze specializes in rapid, data-driven design testing, making it a good option for teams focused on iterative design processes. Its intuitive interface enables quick team collaboration and feedback collection, and interactive prototyping capabilities allow for realistic and immersive user testing experiences. 

Key features

• Design testing: Test interactive prototypes, wireframes, and designs created in various design tools, including Adobe XD, Figma, InVision, and Sketch. This lets you validate design decisions and identify usability issues before development, saving time and resources.

• Quick, automated reporting: Well-designed, presentation-ready reporting produces actionable heatmaps, design metrics, and path analysis, further streamlining the iteration process. 

• Video recording: Remote tests provide videos that let you follow participants’ behaviors in real time.

Plans and pricing

How Maze shines

• Rapid prototype testing: Maze enables swift prototype testing, allowing teams to gather actionable feedback quickly and iterate designs based on real user feedback. ​

• Seamless integration with design tools: The platform integrates effortlessly with popular design tools like Figma, Adobe XD, and Sketch, streamlining the workflow for design and research teams. ​Automated reporting: Maze provides automated, customizable reports that consolidate quantitative and qualitative data, facilitating efficient analysis and decision-making.

How Maze falls short

• Limited qualitative data collection: While Maze excels at quantitative testing, it offers fewer options for collecting in-depth qualitative insights, which may necessitate supplementary research methods. ​

• Occasional prototype compatibility issues: Some users have reported challenges with loading complex prototypes, particularly as designs become more intricate, potentially affecting the reliability of test results.

• Restricted functionality in lower-tier plans: Key features like tree testing and open card sorting are only available in higher-tier plans, which may limit the tool's utility for smaller teams or those with budget constraints.

Customer reviews

G2 rating: 4.5/5 

“Great when it works for lightweight tests and needs thats supported, but has many limitations and bugs” - verified G2 user

Best for

Maze is ideal for enterprise product teams seeking rapid, iterative prototype testing.

Read more in our Lyssna vs Maze comparison.

Hotjar

Hotjar’s emphasis is on its user behavior analytics, particularly heatmaps. An easy-to-use interface, generous free plan, and recruitment capabilities make it a strong choice for teams just starting out. 

Key features

• Heatmaps: Heatmaps visualize large quantities of user interactions as color-coded screenshots. Click, move, and scroll heatmaps identify areas of high engagement, providing a visual representation of user attention and behavior on your website.

• AI surveys: A unique AI-powered survey generator whips together a survey quickly for folks who can use the assistance. 

• Feedback polls: Collect targeted feedback from website visitors through customizable feedback polls. Ask specific questions to understand user needs, preferences, or pain points. 

Plans and pricing

How Hotjar shines

• Powerful heatmaps for behavior insights: Hotjar’s heatmaps give a clear visual breakdown of where users click, scroll, and move on your site, helping you spot patterns and optimize layouts.

• Session recordings for real-user journeys: Watch real users interact with your site to uncover friction points, navigation issues, and areas where visitors drop off.

• Quick user feedback tools: Run on-page surveys and feedback widgets to collect direct user opinions without interrupting the experience.

How Hotjar falls short

• Potential impact on site speed: Running frequent session recordings can add some load time, especially for high-traffic sites with many active recordings.

• Higher costs for scaling teams: Pricing increases based on daily session limits, making it more expensive for sites with heavy traffic compared to some alternatives.

Customer reviews

G2 rating: 4.3/ 5 

“The interface is very good as well as the loading speed. The price is too high, and the support is not very good either” - Filipe C., via G2

Best for

Teams that need heatmaps, session recordings, and fast user feedback to improve website UX – without the complexity of enterprise tools.

Dovetail

Dovetail is a user research platform designed to help teams analyze and extract insights from qualitative data. It centralizes user research data, such as interviews, surveys, and usability tests, making it easy to analyze, annotate, and collaborate on findings. 

Key features

• Data organization: Import and organize various types of user research data, including interview transcripts, survey responses, and usability test recordings. Keeping your research data in one centralized location supports cross-functional collaboration and analysis. 

• Annotation and insights: Interviews and research notes become richer with annotation and tags that highlight key findings, themes, and patterns. Qualitative data can be categorized and coded, too, allowing common trends and insights to emerge.

Plans and pricing

How Dovetail shines

• AI-powered insights: Dovetail leverages artificial intelligence to automatically analyze customer conversations, documents, and feedback, transforming them into actionable insights.

• Centralized research repository: The platform serves as a unified hub for storing and organizing qualitative research data, including user interviews, usability tests, and feedback sessions. This helps teams easily access and manage their research materials, fostering collaboration and consistency. ​

• Robust tagging and analysis tools: Dovetail offers a comprehensive tagging system that allows researchers to code transcripts, identify patterns, and create structured analyses.

How Dovetail falls short

• Steep learning curve: Some users have reported that Dovetail's extensive features can be overwhelming initially, requiring a significant investment of time to master. This complexity may pose challenges for teams seeking quick implementation. ​

• Limited AI integration: While Dovetail incorporates AI capabilities, users have noted that these features may not be as seamlessly integrated or advanced as those in some competing platforms, potentially limiting their effectiveness in streamlining research workflows.

Customer reviews

G2 rating: 4.5/5 

“The platform allows for seamless collaboration across teams, offering a centralized hub for qualitative data. I love how easy it is to tag, categorize, and visualize insights, which helps us quickly spot trends and make data-driven decisions. While Dovetail is excellent for research analysis, there’s a bit of a learning curve” - verified G2 user. 

Best for

Dovetail is ideal for research teams and organizations that require a centralized platform for managing qualitative data, especially those that value robust tagging systems and are prepared to invest time in learning the platform's extensive features.​

Choosing the right UX research tool

A well-structured UX research process helps teams make informed decisions, and the right tool should support that by making research seamless and efficient. Here’s what to prioritize when you’re making your choice: 

• Comprehensive research methods: Does the tool support multiple research methods, like user interviews, card sorting, tree testing, first click testing, prototype validation, and surveys? A well-rounded platform lets you collect a mix of qualitative and quantitative data in one place, strengthening your user experience research.

• Participant recruitment flexibility: Can you source participants easily through an integrated research panel, or do you need to rely on external recruitment? Look for a tool that supports both panel recruitment and self-recruitment to give you full control over your research.

• Ease of use: UX research tools should streamline your process, not slow it down. A clean, intuitive interface helps teams set up tests quickly without a steep learning curve.

• Actionable reporting: Collecting data is one thing, but does the tool help you analyze and share findings effectively? Look for features like automated summaries, visual reporting, and easy export options to make sense of your discovery research faster.

• Scalability and pricing: Some tools charge per test or participant, while others offer unlimited testing options. Choose a tool that allows you to scale research affordably as your needs grow.

A well-chosen UX research tool should help you move faster, test more frequently, and make deeper insights without complexity or hidden costs.

Ready to take your UX research to the next level?

Look no further than Lyssna. With its comprehensive suite of tools, including first click testing, preference testing, prototype testing, and more, Lyssna empowers you to gather valuable feedback and insights from a vast pool of research participants. 

Start optimizing your user experience and making data-driven design decisions today. Sign up for a free Lyssna plan and unlock unlimited testing possibilities.

Start researching with confidence

Don't let guesswork drive your UX decisions. Join thousands of researchers using Lyssna to test designs, gather user feedback, and create experiences users truly love.

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FAQs

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