Lyssna vs Optimal Workshop
Compare Lyssna vs Optimal Workshop features, ease of use, and support. Find the best user research platform with faster recruitment and modern interface.
What users rate Lyssna vs Optimal Workshop
Here’s how customers review Lyssna and Optimal Workshop on G2.com.
Rating | Lyssna | Optimal Workshop |
Overall rating | 4.5/5 | 4.4/5 🏅 |
Meets requirements | 8.5/10 🏅 | 8.3/10 |
Ease of use | 9.2/10 🏅 | 8.8/10 |
Ease of setup | 9.3/10 🏅 | 8.8/10 |
Ease of admin | 9.0/10 🏅 | 8.5/10 |
Quality of support | 9.2/10 🏅 | 8.5/10 |
Partner in doing business | 9.1/10 🏅 | 8.8/10 |
Product direction | 9.3/10 🏅 | 8.2/10 |
Why companies choose Lyssna over Optimal Workshop
Teams evaluating user research platforms consistently cite three key factors that lead them to choose Lyssna over Optimal Workshop:
More intuitive and modern interface. Users consistently rate Lyssna higher for ease of use (9.2 vs 8.8) and ease of setup (9.3 vs 8.8). Reviewers describe Lyssna as being quick to learn, with an interface that's “easy to understand” with minimal training. While Optimal Workshop provides solid functionality, teams find that Lyssna's modern design makes it easier for both researchers and non-researchers to navigate, set up studies, and analyze results quickly.
Excellent customer support and partnership. Lyssna scores higher in quality of support (9.2 vs 8.5) and demonstrates a strong commitment to customer success. Users praise Lyssna’s responsive support team and their ability to provide quick feedback when questions come up. This difference is important for teams scaling their research efforts who need reliable assistance.
Strong product direction and continuous improvement. With a higher product direction score (9.3 vs 8.2), Lyssna shows strong momentum in developing features that users need. Reviewers highlight that Lyssna excels in ease of setup, making it a preferred choice for businesses looking for quick implementation. Teams appreciate that Lyssna actively incorporates user feedback into their product roadmap and regularly releases features and updates.
This shows up clearly in how teams rate the platforms on G2:
Lyssna scores better at meeting requirements (8.5 vs 8.3).
Lyssna receives higher ease of use ratings (9.2 vs 8.8).
Lyssna shows stronger product direction (9.3 vs 8.2).
Lyssna provides better quality of support (9.2 vs 8.5).
What sets Lyssna apart is the overall user experience and value proposition. Teams choosing between the two platforms consistently find that Lyssna's combination of intuitive design, responsive support, and continuous innovation makes it a strong choice for organizations looking to build and scale their research practice efficiently.
Lyssna vs Optimal Workshop: Key differences
Pricing flexibility
Lyssna provides transparent pricing with Starter (starting at $82/month), Growth (starting at $165/month), and Enterprise options that offer clear scaling paths. Optimal Workshop jumps directly from their Starter plan ($199/month with 5 studies per year) to custom enterprise pricing, with limited flexibility for growing teams.
Research method variety
Lyssna offers a comprehensive suite of research methods including live website testing, five second testing, prototype testing with Figma integration, and built-in interview management. Optimal Workshop focuses primarily on information architecture methods (card sorting, tree testing, first click testing) and surveys. Teams looking for diverse research capabilities across the entire design process will find more options with Lyssna.
Study volume limitations
While Lyssna's paid plans have study limits (12/year for Starter, 36/year for Growth), they outpace Optimal Workshop's restrictions. At the $165/month price point (on an annual plan), Lyssna's Growth tier offers 36 annual studies at a lower price compared to Optimal Workshop's 5 studies. This 7x difference in research capacity makes Lyssna substantially more cost-effective for teams that need to validate decisions regularly. Optimal Workshop's limitations require enterprise pricing for teams doing monthly research.
Panel quality and access
Lyssna owns and operates its research panel of 690,000+ participants with 395+ demographic targeting options and instant self-service access. Optimal Workshop uses third-party panels through a managed recruitment service that typically takes 3-5 business days. This means Lyssna users get faster results with direct control over participant selection, while Optimal Workshop users must work through their recruitment team for each study.
Lyssna vs Optimal Workshop: Feature comparison
Feature | Lyssna | Optimal Workshop |
|---|---|---|
Free plan features | ||
Seats included |  |  |
Pay-per-use panel credits | | |
Research | ||
Card sorting | | |
Conditional logic | | |
First click testing | | |
Five second testing | | |
Live website testing | | |
Prototype testing with Figma | | |
Surveys | | |
Tree testing | | |
User interviews | | |
Participant recruitment | ||
Research panel access | | |
Advanced panel targeting criteria | | |
Panel credits | Pay-per-use | Pay-per-use |
Panel credit cost | US$1 per credit | US$10 per credit (1 credit = 1 participant) |
Custom screening | | |
Self recruitment | |
|
AI-powered features | ||
AI generated summaries | | |
AI follow-up questions | | |
Analysis and reporting | ||
Heatmaps | | |
Video recordings | | |
CSV exports | | |
Interviews | ||
Microsoft integration | | |
Google Calendar integration | | |
Zoom integration | | |
Video transcription | | |
Support | ||
Email support | | |
Live chat | | |
Help center | | |
Pricing flexibility | ||
Free plan | | |
Entry-level plan | | |
Mid-level plan | | |
Enterprise plan | | |
Security | ||
SOC 2 compliant | | |
GDPR compliant | | |
SSO | | |
FAQs about Lyssna vs Optimal Workshop
