Usability Testing

25+ UX Research Tools & Software to Help You Nail your Workflows in 2025!

Discover the top UX research tools that can help you streamline your process, from usability testing to data analysis & find the perfect match for your next project

Tanya Choudhary

Sr. Marketing Manager

Let’s face it—finding the right UX research tools can feel like hunting for a needle in a haystack. As a UX researcher, you know that the right tools can elevate your projects from good to great. 

But with so many options out there, it’s tough to know where to start.

Whether you’re just starting out or a seasoned pro looking for a little extra help, you want tools that make your life easier and give you solid results.

In this blog, we’ve simplified your search by organizing the best user research tools & software into easy-to-navigate categories. You’ll find everything from usability testing and survey tools to documentation and collaboration tools—all designed to make your life a little easier.

Remember, UX research isn’t just about gathering data; it’s about connecting with your users and enhancing their experiences. So let’s dive in and discover the best tools to help you do just that!

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Best Usability Testing Tools for Web, Mobile & Prototypes

Best Usability Testing Tools for Web, Mobile & Prototypes

Start with the essentials! Usability testing tools are the bread and butter of UX research. Whether you’re refining a website, mobile app, or prototype, these tools help you understand real user experiences and improve them with actionable insights.

From remote usability testing tools to the best free user research tools, we’ve got you covered.

UXArmy

UXArmy offers a full suite of remote unmoderated testing tools for testing mobile apps, websites, and prototypes. The platform simplifies gathering user feedback across different stages of design, development, and marketing. It’s flexible enough to meet the needs of designers, developers, and marketers alike.

Top Features

  • Versatile testing modes: Run unmoderated usability tests with video & screen recording for user reactions or straight from Figma prototype links for streamlined testing
  • Templates to kickstart: Get your test running faster with customizable user testing templates
  • One-click and 5-second tests: Quick ways to test first impressions or basic usability
  • AI Summaries and Sentiment Analysis: Automated summaries and emotional insights from your video recordings to keep analysis efficient
  • Multilingual transcription & translation: Conduct tests in any language! Transcription can be translated in 30+ languages, making global insights accessible
  • Team collaboration: Annotate and share highlight reels, letting teams stay connected without needing to join live
  • Access to region-specific user panel: UXArmy’s got you covered with a ready-to-go panel of participants from your target region, delivering the tailored insights you need—fast! With a strong base of users in Asia, we’re now expanding into other global markets to bring you insights from wherever you need it

Who Should Use It

Apart from UX researchers, this tool is perfect for UX designers who want real-time feedback from Figma files, developers eager to test app usability, marketers aiming to optimize website experience for users, as well as teams needing specific regional users for tailored feedback

Pricing

A free plan is available with custom pricing options tailored to your team’s specific testing needs

UserTesting

Top Features

  • Pre-built templates: Streamlined test creation for faster setup
  • Audience targeting: Choose from various demographics and psychographics to find the right users
  • Visual feedback: See where users click, tap, and scroll, even in unmoderated sessions
  • High-quality video recordings: Get a full picture of user interactions for precise analysis
  • Detailed reporting: Break down user behavior with advanced metrics for clearer insights

Who Should Use It

Best for companies who need tailored audience testing with robust analytics to back up findings.

Pricing:

Subscription-based, with enterprise options for in-depth user studies

Optimal Workshop

Known for its research-centric tools, Optimal Workshop offers unmoderated usability testing designed to reveal insights into how users navigate your site or app content.

Top Features

  • Tree testing: See how users find their way through your information structure
  • Card sorting: Test how users intuitively categorize content
  • First-click tests: Test out first impressions and navigation paths
  • Heatmap-style visualizations: Capture where users focus their attention
  • Survey feedback: Collect post-task insights for deeper understanding

Who Should Use It

Great for content strategists and UX researchers aiming to optimize website or app navigation.

Pricing

Offers flexible plans for individuals and teams, including a free trial

Lyssna (former UsabilityHub)

Lyssna is all about first impressions and quick feedback, helping you collect unmoderated insights fast. It’s ideal for iterating on design and testing usability in smaller, digestible bits.

Top Features

  • First-click tests: Quickly see where users go first and understand their initial impressions
  • Preference testing: Find out what design elements resonate most
  • Five-second tests: Gauge immediate reactions for top-of-mind insights
  • Global panel access: Tap into a diverse pool of users for well-rounded feedback
  • Visual reports: Easy-to-read reports make insights digestible

Who Should Use It

Best for UX researchers & designers needing rapid user feedback to refine visual elements and usability.

Pricing

Flexible options with pay-per-response or monthly subscriptions

Maze

Maze is a rapid-fire testing tool perfect for getting unmoderated usability insights directly from your design prototypes. Its integrations with design tools make setup a breeze

Top Features

  • Prototype testing: Direct imports from Figma, Sketch, and Adobe XD for a quick start
  • In-depth usability metrics: Track success rates, misclicks, and completion paths
  • Survey and polls: Custom questions add extra layers of insight
  • User journey analysis: Follow the entire flow of user interactions
  • Quick reporting: Share results with the team for fast iteration

Who Should Use It

Designed for product teams and designers needing quick, actionable feedback on prototypes.

Pricing

Varies by plan, including a free tier for smaller projects

Now that you’ve explored usability testing, let’s move on to gathering valuable feedback and insights from your users.

Top Survey Software and Feedback Collection Tools

Top Survey Software and Feedback Collection Tools

Surveys give you a direct line to user opinions. Survey tools help you ask the right questions and capture insights to refine your product, whether it’s live or still in the design phase.

SurveyMonkey

SurveyMonkey is a well-known survey tool that helps teams quickly gather structured feedback from audiences. It’s great for everything from product feedback to employee surveys.

Top Features

  • Customizable survey templates to fit any industry
  • Advanced question logic and branching for tailored responses
  • Analysis and reporting tools for real-time insights
  • Data export options to integrate with other platforms
  • Mobile-friendly surveys for convenient user participation

Who Should Use It

Perfect for companies needing a versatile survey tool with analytics to help refine products and understand user needs.

Pricing

SurveyMonkey offers a free plan with limited features and paid plans starting at $25 per month for enhanced capabilities.

Typeform

Typeform makes surveys feel more like friendly conversations, with a focus on design and user experience that encourages higher completion rates.

Top Features

  • Interactive and visually engaging survey formats
  • Conditional logic for personalized question paths
  • Integrations with major productivity and CRM tools
  • Customizable templates to align with brand identity
  • Embedded forms and pop-up options for websites

Who Should Use It

Best for brands looking to create visually appealing, conversational surveys that stand out.

Pricing

Typeform offers a free plan, and paid options start at $25 per month for additional features

Jotform

With Jotform, you can create detailed surveys with advanced form-building capabilities, suitable for both small teams and large enterprises.

Top Features

  • Drag-and-drop form builder with hundreds of customizable templates
  • Conditional logic and auto-responder emails
  • Payment processing and e-commerce options
  • Mobile forms that can be filled offline
  • Integrations with major software like Google Drive and Dropbox

Who Should Use It

Ideal for companies needing versatile form-building options for surveys, payments, and customer feedback.

Pricing

Jotform offers a free plan, and paid plans start at $34 per month for additional storage and functionality.

Qualtrics

Qualtrics is known for its advanced survey capabilities and is often used for large-scale research and customer experience initiatives.

Top Features

  • Sophisticated question logic, branching, and data analysis
  • Real-time reporting dashboards with customizable metrics
  • Text analytics to identify trends and sentiment in open responses
  • Automation workflows for personalized follow-ups
  • Integration with CRM tools like Salesforce

Who Should Use It

Perfect for enterprises needing detailed feedback tools and analytics for customer and employee experience.

Pricing

Pricing for Qualtrics is customized based on the organization’s needs. Contact Qualtrics directly for detailed pricing.

Google Forms

Google Forms is a free, straightforward tool perfect for quick feedback collection and smaller surveys.

Top Features

  • Simple form builder with multiple question types
  • Real-time response collection in Google Sheets
  • Collaboration options for teams
  • Customizable themes and branding options
  • Integration with Google Workspace tools

Who Should Use It

Best for small businesses, educators, and individuals who need a quick, no-cost survey option.

Pricing

Google Forms is free to use, with all features available to anyone with a Google account.

SurveySparrow

SurveySparrow offers conversational surveys and a user-friendly interface to gather feedback that feels more interactive.

Top Features

  • Multi-format surveys, including chat-like and NPS surveys
  • Recurring surveys for ongoing feedback collection
  • Integrations with Slack, HubSpot, and other platforms
  • 360-degree feedback tool for employee assessments
  • White-label options to match your brand’s look

Who Should Use It

Great for businesses that want to create engaging, ongoing surveys for customer or employee feedback.

Pricing

SurveySparrow offers a free trial, with paid plans starting at $19 per month.

With user feedback in hand, you’ll need platforms that make collaboration and remote research a breeze.

  • Note: UXArmy can also help you create quick, targeted surveys for gathering user insights alongside usability testing. Perfect for those moments when you need fast, focused feedback!

Remote Research and Collaboration Platforms

Research is a team effort, and these platforms ensure everyone’s on the same page, no matter where they’re located. Keep the ideas flowing, collaborate in real-time, and make remote teamwork effortless.

Miro

Miro is a powerful digital whiteboard built for visual collaboration, letting teams brainstorm, plan, and create together—even when they’re miles apart.

Top Features

  • Real-time brainstorming: Collaborate live with sticky notes, mind maps, and diagrams.
  • Template library: Pre-made templates to jumpstart sessions, from brainstorming to retrospectives.
  • Infinite canvas: No space constraints, perfect for big-picture projects.
  • Integrations galore: Works smoothly with tools like Slack, Google Drive, and Asana.
  • Visual collaboration tools: Create flowcharts, wireframes, and user journey maps to bring ideas to life.

Who Should Use It

Perfect for design, product, and remote teams looking for a dynamic, interactive way to collaborate.

Pricing

Free plan available; paid plans start at $8/user/month

Mural

Mural takes digital collaboration to the next level with an emphasis on creativity and problem-solving, helping remote teams brainstorm and innovate together.

Top Features

  • Customizable templates: Offers tons of templates for anything from project planning to design thinking.
  • Facilitation superpowers: Includes voting, timers, and guided methods to keep meetings focused.
  • Content libraries: Save images, sticky notes, and icons for faster collaboration.
  • Integrations: Seamlessly integrates with tools like Microsoft Teams, Dropbox, and Adobe.
  • Private mode: Allow team members to brainstorm independently before reviewing as a group.

Who Should Use It

Great for remote teams and facilitators in need of a collaborative space that supports brainstorming and innovation.

Pricing

Free trial available; paid plans start at $12/user/month

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LucidSpark

From the creators of Lucidchart, LucidSpark provides a virtual whiteboard designed to make team ideation and collaboration simple and effective.

Top Features

  • Sticky notes and freehand drawing: Capture ideas and sketch out concepts in real-time.
  • Easy voting and feedback: Let team members weigh in with emoji reactions, voting, and comments.
  • Organizational tools: Group ideas by theme or color for easy sorting and prioritization.
  • Breakout boards: Divide your whiteboard into smaller areas for focused discussions.
  • Seamless Lucidchart integration: Bring your Lucidchart diagrams into brainstorming sessions

Who Should Use It

Ideal for teams needing a collaborative, organized space to brainstorm and develop ideas together.

Pricing

Free trial available; paid plans start at $7.95/user/month

Stormboard

Stormboard is a versatile digital workspace that keeps ideas organized, making it easier for teams to brainstorm, prioritize, and act on insights.

Top Features

  • Smart sticky notes: Add multimedia-rich sticky notes with images, videos, and documents.
  • Built-in templates: Select from templates for strategic planning, design thinking, and more.
  • Dynamic reports: Export sessions into reports, making it easy to share insights.
  • Voting and prioritization: Team members can upvote ideas for easy prioritization.
  • Project tracking: Assign tasks and track project progress within the platform.

Who Should Use It

Great for project managers and teams who need a mix of brainstorming and project tracking.

Pricing

Free plan available; paid plans start at $5/user/month

Evernote

More than just a note-taking app, Evernote serves as a powerful organizational tool for teams looking to collect, share, and track ideas in one space.

Top Features

  • Organized notebooks: Keep ideas and notes neatly categorized by project or topic.
  • Web clipping: Capture and save web content directly to your notebooks.
  • Document scanning: Convert physical notes into digital records easily.
  • Task management: Add to-dos and deadlines to keep work organized.
  • Cross-device syncing: Access notes from any device, online or offline.

Who Should Use It

Perfect for teams looking for a reliable tool to organize research, brainstorm, and store information.

Pricing

Free basic plan; paid plans start at $7.99/month

Jamboard

Google’s Jamboard is a collaborative digital whiteboard made for quick, simple brainstorming sessions that work well within Google’s ecosystem.

Top Features

  • Intuitive drawing tools: Ideal for simple, visual brainstorming with pens, highlighters, and sticky notes.
  • Seamless Google integration: Works with Google Drive, making sharing and storing a breeze.
  • Infinite canvas: Move ideas around freely on an endless digital whiteboard.
  • Multi-user editing: Let multiple team members edit at once for real-time collaboration.
  • Video conferencing support: Built-in Google Meet integration makes remote collaboration easy.

Who Should Use It

Great for teams already using Google Workspace who want an intuitive way to brainstorm together.

Pricing

Free with Google Workspace; physical Jamboard device sold separately

As your team collaborates, organizing those insights is key. That’s where research repositories come in!

Essential Research Repositories for UX Teams

A research repository is like your UX treasure chest, where all insights are stored and easily accessible. With these tools, you’ll never lose track of an important finding again.

Dovetail

Dovetail is a go-to research repository for UX teams, making it a breeze to store, organize, and analyze user insights all in one place.

Top Features

  • Automatic tagging and categorization: Use AI to categorize notes and insights for fast retrieval.
  • Rich media storage: Keep interview recordings, notes, and visuals together in one project.
  • Sentiment analysis: Spot patterns and emotional trends in user feedback.
  • Flexible import options: Import data from other tools like Slack, Trello, and Asana.
  • Insight sharing: Create highlight reels and share findings with team members.

Who Should Use It

Perfect for UX and product teams needing an organized, visual way to manage their research findings.

Pricing

Free for small projects; paid plans start at $15/user/month

Airtable

Airtable combines the power of a database with the flexibility of a spreadsheet, making it a great option for storing and categorizing UX research.

Top Features

  • Customizable views: Switch between grid, calendar, and kanban views to see your data in different formats.
  • Rich fields: Attach files, notes, and links to each research entry for easy reference.
  • Tagging and filtering: Use tags to categorize research, making it easy to find relevant insights.
  • Integrations: Connect with tools like Slack, Google Workspace, and Zapier for a seamless workflow.
  • Collaboration: Share specific projects or tables with your team to work together on insights.

Who Should Use It

Ideal for UX teams looking for a flexible, highly customizable way to organize and access user insights.

Pricing

Free plan available; paid plans start at $10/user/month

Condens

Condens is a research repository that prioritizes UX-friendly features, helping teams organize, analyze, and share insights without the extra clutter.

Top Features

  • Automated transcription: Get fast, accurate transcripts of user interviews.
  • Data tagging and themes: Organize insights into themes for easy synthesis.
  • Highlight reels: Create and share video clips to showcase key user moments.
  • Multi-language support: Analyze data in multiple languages to meet global team needs.
  • Export options: Export insights and findings in different formats for presentations and reports.

Who Should Use It

Great for UX researchers who need a structured, yet flexible tool to organize qualitative data and share it across teams.

Pricing

Free trial available; paid plans start at €29/month

EnjoyHQ

EnjoyHQ helps teams centralize all research data into one repository, making it easy to store, find, and analyze insights from multiple sources.

Top Features

  • Centralized insights: Bring data from multiple sources like Google Drive, Slack, and Zendesk.
  • Automated sentiment analysis: Quickly gauge user sentiment from feedback and interviews.
  • Flexible tagging and categorization: Create your own tags and categories for easy data retrieval.
  • Data linking: Connect insights across studies to find overarching trends.
  • Collaboration features: Annotate and discuss insights with teammates within the platform.

Who Should Use It

Perfect for companies with large volumes of user research that need centralization and advanced analysis features.

Pricing

Free trial available; contact for pricing on enterprise plans

Confluence

Atlassian’s Confluence is a knowledge management tool that doubles as a solid research repository for UX teams, especially those already using Jira.

Top Features

  • Project-based organization: Organize insights and notes by project for easy access.
  • Template library: Use templates for user research, journey maps, and more.
  • Searchable database: Quickly find insights with robust search and tagging options.
  • Permissions and privacy: Control access to sensitive research findings.
  • Jira integration: Link research insights directly to Jira issues for streamlined workflows.

Who Should Use It

Ideal for teams that need a straightforward repository with seamless integration into their existing workflows, especially if using other Atlassian tools.

Pricing

Free plan available; paid plans start at $5.75/user/month

ResearchHub

ResearchHub is a repository designed specifically for UX and product research, helping teams keep all their insights in one well-organized place.

Top Features

  • Robust tagging and filtering: Organize research with tags and custom filters.
  • Customizable insights templates: Save time with templates tailored to common research tasks.
  • Data visualization: Create simple visualizations to help teams understand user insights.
  • Secure sharing: Share specific insights with stakeholders securely.
  • Centralized document storage: Keep all research docs, recordings, and notes in one platform.

Who Should Use It

Perfect for UX teams looking for a dedicated research repository with solid organizational features and sharing options

  • Note: UXArmy will soon launch its own research repository, designed to make storing and accessing insights even easier for UX teams!
With your research data organized, you’ll have all the insights you need at your fingertips to optimize your product’s information architecture.

Top Information Architecture Testing Tools

Creating intuitive structures is essential to guiding users through your product smoothly. With these tools, you’ll be well-equipped to craft a navigation experience that’s user-centered and frustration-free!

UXArmy’s Card Sorting & Tree Testing Tools

UXArmy offers robust card sorting tool and tree testing features that make it easy to gather user insights on your product’s structure, so you can optimize navigation and make content more discoverable.

Top Features

  • Card sorting (open, closed, hybrid): Engage users in organizing information intuitively.
  • Tree testing with real-time analysis: Validate your navigation structures and identify sticking points.
  • Regional user panel: Access local participants for relevant insights in your target markets.
  • In-platform collaboration: Team members can annotate and share findings to keep everyone aligned.

Who Should Use It

Ideal for designers, UX researchers, and product teams looking for an all-in-one tool to create and test IA structures, with localized user testing options.

Pricing

Free trial available, with custom pricing based on project needs

CardSort by UserTesting

CardSort by UserTesting allows you to gather insights into how users categorize and label content, helping you design intuitive information structures.

Top Features

  • Open and closed card sorting: Gain insights on both free-form and guided categorization.
  • Audience targeting: Test with specific demographics to match your user base.
  • Live task monitoring: Watch users sort content in real time.
  • Automated data visualization: View sorting results instantly with heatmaps and cluster diagrams.
  • Results filtering: Segment data by age, region, or other criteria for refined insights.

Who Should Use It

Perfect for teams looking to validate or refine the organization of content within their product.

Pricing

Available with UserTesting’s subscription plans, which vary based on project and user count

OptimalSort

OptimalSort by Optimal Workshop specializes in card sorting to help you understand how real users think about your product’s structure.

Top Features

  • Multiple card sorting types: Choose from open, closed, or hybrid card sorting.
  • Detailed analytics: Access clustering analysis to reveal common themes.
  • Heatmaps: Identify popular categories and common user paths visually.
  • Participant recruitment: Find users with specific criteria directly through the platform.
  • Cross-project comparisons: Track IA consistency across different projects.

Who Should Use It

Best for UX teams and designers looking for a dedicated, data-rich tool for card sorting.

Pricing

Free trial available; pricing starts at $199 per month for single-project access

Treejack

Treejack, also by Optimal Workshop, focuses on tree testing, helping you assess how easily users can navigate your product’s proposed structure.

Top Features

  • Path-based insights: See where users expect to find content and track their navigation paths.
  • Visual reports: Identify dead ends and successful paths with tree maps.
  • Customizable tasks: Tailor tasks to your product’s navigation challenges.
  • Participant sourcing: Recruit participants or bring your own for tailored testing.
  • Comparative testing: Run multiple tree tests to validate changes in IA over time.

Who Should Use It

Ideal for UX researchers and designers aiming to validate complex site or app structures.

Pricing

Starts at $166 per month, with volume discounts for larger teams

MindManager

MindManager is a versatile tool for creating mind maps and IA structures, enabling teams to visualize content hierarchies and plan intuitive navigation.

Top Features

  • Map-based organization: Visualize navigation flows and content clusters in a mind map.
  • Collaborative editing: Teams can work together to refine and adjust IA structures in real time.
  • Templates for IA planning: Start quickly with customizable information architecture templates.
  • Cross-platform sync: Access mind maps from any device, making remote work seamless.
  • Integration options: Connect with other tools like Microsoft Office and Google Workspace.

Who Should Use It

Perfect for teams that want a highly visual, collaborative tool to brainstorm and organize content structures.

Pricing

Starts at $99.99 per year, with a 30-day free trial available

SiteImprove

SiteImprove provides tools to evaluate your information architecture with accessibility and usability insights, helping you create more user-friendly structures.

Top Features

  • IA assessment: Identify areas where navigation may confuse or mislead users.
  • Accessibility checks: Ensure navigation is accessible for users with disabilities.
  • SEO analysis: Get insights into how your IA impacts search performance.
  • Heatmap tracking: See where users click the most within your navigation.
  • Benchmarking: Compare your site structure against industry standards.

Who Should Use It

Great for UX and SEO teams aiming to optimize their IA for both user experience and search engine visibility.

Pricing

Contact for a custom quote; SiteImprove offers modular pricing based on features

With these tools in hand, you’ll have everything you need to create a user-friendly architecture that’s intuitive, accessible, and ready to scale!

Best User Interview and Moderated User Testing Tools

Best User Interview and Moderated User Testing Tools
When real-time user feedback is essential, a solid interview tool can make all the difference. These platforms let you connect with users, ask follow-up questions, and gather in-depth insights to refine your designs and user experiences.

DeepDive® by UXArmy

UXArmy’s moderated research platform DeepDive® lets you conduct user interviews and focus groups remotely, with capabilities tailored for real-time engagement and collaboration.

Top Features

  • Full spectrum of user interviews – 1:1, dyad, and triad – ideal for any research format you need.
  • Dynamic focus groups (for up to 10 participants) enable remote roundtable discussions in real time.
  • Conduct research sessions for up to 3 hours to capture thorough, in-depth insights, available for both user interviews and focus groups.
  • Secure, one-link access for both participants and observers, with the option to reset links anytime for added security.
  • Pause and resume recordings as needed.
  • Invite stakeholders as Hidden Observers to your call.
  • Centralized project library with easy session imports.
  • Consolidated note taking for moderators & observers making it super easy to keep track of insights.
  • Transcription of live conversations, making it easier for all participants to grasp nuances and insights during the session.
  • Translations of the transcriptions into multiple languages for further clarification & inclusivity.
  • Quickly create video clips and highlight reels for key insights.

Who Should Use It

Ideal for UX researchers, product teams, marketing teams and designers seeking a fully remote, interactive research tool with full control

Pricing

Ideal for UX researchers, product teams, marketing teams and designers seeking a fully remote, interactive research tool with full control

Discuss.io

Discuss.io supports live moderated interviews and focus groups, tailored for real-time user insights and market research

Top Features

  • Interactive, live sessions with built-in video recording and transcription.
  • Global participant access to gather diverse insights.
  • Advanced audience targeting based on specific demographics and psychographics.
  • Customizable reporting and analytics for actionable data.

Who Should Use It

Ideal for UX researchers, product teams, and marketers aiming for deep qualitative insights and user-driven decisions.

Pricing

Customized subscription plans based on features and usage frequency

Lookback

Lookback.io is a dedicated platform for real-time user research, offering live and recorded interviews to capture user feedback directly.

Top Features

  • Conduct moderated interviews with screen sharing and participant camera views.
  • Real-time chat and observer mode to involve team members without intruding.
  • Session recording and timestamped notes to revisit key insights.
  • User behavior analysis through screen and audio capture.

Who Should Use It

Ideal for design and product teams seeking an interactive, collaborative research environment.

Pricing

Plans start at $99 per month, with discounts for teams

Maze

Maze lets teams validate product decisions with interactive prototype testing and live interviews, making it a versatile tool for UX and design research.

Top Features

  • Live interviews alongside prototype testing for richer, contextual insights.
  • Built-in recruitment panel for easy participant sourcing.
  • Real-time analytics for viewing user feedback as it’s captured.
  • Detailed reporting on user engagement with interactive content.

Who Should Use It

Perfect for product teams and UX researchers running both moderated and unmoderated studies.

Pricing

Starts at $75 per month, with custom plans based on project requirements

UserZoom

UserZoom is a versatile platform for both moderated and unmoderated studies, offering a range of tools for gathering user insights.

Top Features

  • Conduct live user interviews with access to UX analytics and reporting.
  • Multi-device testing across desktop and mobile for in-depth insights.
  • Customizable tasks to fit specific research questions.
  • Participant recruitment services for demographic-specific testing.

Who Should Use It

Great for UX and research teams needing a comprehensive platform for both live and self-guided studies.

Pricing

Custom pricing available; contact for more details

InVision

InVision’s LiveShare tool allows teams to conduct moderated interviews while simultaneously sharing prototypes, making it ideal for real-time design feedback.

Top Features

  • Share prototypes and collect feedback directly during live sessions.
  • In-session commenting and annotation for team collaboration.
  • Screen recording and session playback for detailed analysis.
  • Multi-platform compatibility with integration options for popular design tools.

Who Should Use It

Product designers and UX teams seeking to collaborate on prototypes and gather user insights in real time.

Pricing

Basic plans start at $7.95 per month; advanced features available in premium plans

UserTesting

UserTesting provides live moderated sessions, allowing teams to conduct real-time user interviews and get actionable insights.

Top Features

  • Live moderated sessions with instant transcription and video recording.
  • Access to a global participant panel for testing across different demographics.
  • Audience targeting to narrow down participants who fit specific criteria.
  • Automated visualizations of results, including heatmaps.

Who Should Use It

Best suited for product teams, UX researchers, and marketers who need feedback from diverse user groups.

Pricing

Subscription plans start at $49 per month, depending on features and project size

These tools help you connect with users in real-time, capturing valuable insights that shape your product’s user experience, navigation, and overall usability. With live feedback, you can ensure your design resonates with users’ needs and expectations.

Effective Participant Recruitment Platforms for UX Testing

The right participants make all the difference. These platforms help you reach the right audience, so you can test with users who represent your real-world customer base.

UXArmy: Strong Asian Panel, Now Expanding Globally

UXArmy leads in recruiting participants from Asian markets, offering a diverse, culturally attuned panel for UX research. Now, UXArmy is broadening its reach to offer participant insights in additional global markets, empowering research teams to connect with a more extensive, targeted audience.

Service Highlights

  • Robust participant panel across Asia for culturally relevant insights.
  • Expanding reach into new global markets to support research across diverse geographies.
  • Pre-screening of participants so that only perfectly matching respondents get invited to your user studies.
  • Customizable screening questions.
  • Flexible recruitment options for unmoderated and moderated studies.

Best Suited For

Ideal for UX researchers, product teams, and designers who need localized insights in Asia and beyond, with customizable options for specific demographics and regions.

Pricing

Custom pricing options are available for broader global and specialized participant requirements

Respondent

Respondent offers a robust platform for recruiting specialized professionals across various industries, making it perfect for B2B and industry-specific research.

Service Highlights

  • Access to participants across diverse sectors
  • Self-service options with audience targeting
  • Flexibility for recruiting professionals based on job roles and experience

Best Suited For

Perfect for teams targeting industry-specific participants.

Pricing

Fees start at 5% of the incentive per participant, with a minimum fee

Prolific

Prolific is known for its rigorous participant vetting, delivering high-quality responses ideal for academic and research-focused testing.

Best Suited For

  • Broad demographic filters
  • Transparent compensation policies for participants
  • Reliable participant quality for consistent data

Who Should Use It

Ideal for academic research and teams requiring high-quality, reliable data.

Pricing

Starting at $6.50 per participant with custom incentives

PlaybookUX

PlaybookUX combines recruitment with usability testing tools, creating a seamless solution for conducting studies from start to finish.

Service Highlights

  • Integrated usability testing features
  • Targeted participant demographics
  • Video and text response tools for a comprehensive testing experience

Best Suited For

Great for product teams looking for a combined platform for recruitment and usability testing.

Pricing

Starts at $49 per participant; fees vary for premium targeting options.

FocusGroup.com

FocusGroup.com specializes in connecting researchers with U.S.based participants for focus groups and in-depth interviews.

Service Highlights

  • Extensive participant reach across the U.S.
  • Ideal for in-depth interviews and focus groups
  • Tailored selection to match market research needs

Best Suited For

Perfect for companies in the U.S. needing participants for qualitative studies.

Pricing

Contact for pricing based on project requirements

ResearchMatch

ResearchMatch is a free tool primarily used by researchers in health and social sciences to recruit volunteers for studies.

Service Highlights

  • Focuses on health-related participant recruitment
  • Provides a large pool of vetted, interested participants
  • Ideal for academic and medical research studies

Best Suited For

Ideal for researchers conducting studies in healthcare or social sciences.

Pricing

Free for academic researchers; other pricing details depend on project requirements

With these platforms, you can easily connect with participants who reflect your target audience, ensuring that your UX tests are both relevant and insightful

Documentation Tools to Keep Your UX Research Organized

Keeping track of insights, feedback, and notes is crucial in UX research. These tools help you stay organized, collaborate with your team, and easily access project documentation whenever you need it. 

Notion

Notion is a powerhouse for organizing research. It combines databases, notes, and project management tools into one flexible platform, making it easy to create custom documentation systems that fit your needs. Use it to store notes, create tables for participant data, track project timelines, and even collaborate on feedback in real time.

Key Features

  • Highly customizable workspace with templates for research notes, tables, and timelines
  • Real-time collaboration and commenting for team input
  • Integration with other tools like Slack, Google Drive, and Trello
  • Easy-to-use web and mobile apps for accessing research on the go

Who Should Use It

Ideal for UX researchers, product teams, and designers who need localized insights in Asia and beyond, with customizable options for specific demographics and regions.

Pricing

  • Free for personal use
  • Team plans start at $8 per user/month

Trello

Trello’s visual board system is great for organizing tasks and tracking research progress in a structured way. Researchers can use it to create separate boards for different projects or phases of research, keeping tasks, notes, and feedback all in one easy-to-navigate location.

Key Features

  • Kanban-style boards for clear task organization
  • Easy labeling and tagging for categorizing tasks and insights
  • Power-Ups that integrate with tools like Google Drive and Slack
  • Checklists and due dates for each task, which helps in staying on track

Best Suited For

A strong choice for teams who prefer a visual, board-based way of organizing and tracking research tasks

Pricing

  • Free for basic features
  • Business plans start at $10 per user/month

Google Docs

Google Docs is a straightforward tool that’s widely used for collaborative documentation. It’s great for taking notes, writing detailed reports, and sharing files within the team or with stakeholders, offering a simple yet powerful platform for real-time editing.

Key Features

  • Real-time collaboration with comment and suggest modes
  • Cloud storage for easy access to research docs from any device
  • Integration with Google’s suite, including Sheets for data analysis and Drive for storage
  • Version history to track document changes over time

Who Should Use It

Perfect for teams that need a simple, reliable way to share notes and reports without a lot of extra features

Pricing

  • Free for basic features
  • Business plans start at $10 per user/month

MS OneNote

Microsoft OneNote is a digital notebook designed for detailed, organized notes. It’s especially useful for creating separate sections within notebooks, allowing researchers to keep each study or phase in its own organized space. Plus, it integrates well with other Microsoft Office tools.

Key Features

  • Digital notebooks with multiple sections for thorough organization
  • Tags for categorizing and finding notes quickly
  • Handwriting support, making it ideal for tablet users
  • Integration with Microsoft Office and OneDrive for seamless workflows

Who Should Use It

Great for researchers who prefer structured, sectioned notes with the option for handwriting and stylus support

Pricing

  • Free for personal use
  • Business plans start at $5 per user/month with Microsoft 365

EverNote

Evernote offers a user-friendly note-taking experience with the ability to clip web content, attach files, and create organized notebooks. It’s a versatile choice for researchers who want to gather and store a variety of content in one place.

Key Features

  • Web clipping, photo, and document attachment capabilities
  • Organizational tagging and notebooks for easy categorization
  • Task lists and reminders for tracking research progress
  • Syncing across all devices, making it accessible from anywhere

Who Should Use It

Ideal for individual researchers or small teams looking for a versatile note-taking app with web-clipping capabilities

Pricing

  • Free basic plan
  • Paid plans start at $10.83 per user/month for the Professional tier

More Tools

In addition to these five, there are several other effective options:

Key Features

  • Dropbox Paper: A simple tool for collaborative document editing, with real-time feedback and inline comments.
  • Asana: Known for task management but adaptable for research with custom fields for organizing feedback.
  • ClickUp: Combines task management with documentation features for an all-in-one research organization tool.
  • Wrike: Offers strong project management capabilities, along with document storage and collaboration tools.
  • Milanote: Provides a visual workspace for organizing ideas, great for brainstorming and early-stage research planning.

These tools ensure that every note, insight, and document stays organized and accessible, making your UX research process smoother and more productive.

Advanced UX Analytics and Heatmapping Software

Advanced UX Analytics and Heatmapping Software

Understanding user behavior is key to improving your website or app’s user experience. Advanced UX analytics and heatmapping tools provide insights into how users interact with your platform, enabling you to make data-driven decisions that enhance usability, optimize design, and reduce friction.

Essentially, these tools allow you to track where users click, how far they scroll, where they drop off, and more, offering a clear, visual representation of your UX performance.

Hotjar

Hotjar is one of the most popular tools for tracking user behavior through heatmaps, session recordings, and surveys. It allows you to see exactly where users click, scroll, and hover, and also lets you view recordings of actual user sessions to understand the journey and identify pain points.

Key Features

  • Heatmaps for clicks, movements, and scrolls
  • Session recordings to observe user behavior in real-time
  • Conversion funnels to track user drop-offs
  • Feedback polls and surveys to collect direct user insights

Who Should Use It

Ideal for product teams, marketers, and UX designers who want to understand user interaction and optimize user flows

Pricing

  • Free basic plan with limited features
  • Paid plans start at $39 per month

Crazy Egg

Crazy Egg provides tools to see exactly how visitors are interacting with your website using heatmaps, session recordings, and A/B testing tools. Their platform includes features like scrollmaps and confetti maps that give insight into user interactions in great detail.

Key Features

  • Heatmaps and scrollmaps to track where users click and how far they scroll.
  • Session recordings to see user behavior in action.
  • A/B testing and variations to optimize design and content.
  • List report and overlay tools for deeper analysis.

Best Suited For

Best for marketers and UX/UI designers who want granular insights into website performance and to run experiments to optimize user experience.

Pricing

  • Basic plan starts at $24 per month

UXArmy

UXArmy goes beyond traditional heatmapping by offering integrated features like video and screen recording, AI-generated summaries with sentiment analysis, and heatmaps, making it an all-in-one tool for comprehensive user experience research.

UXArmy’s AI Summary feature helps you get instant insights (with timestamps) from your usability testing sessions by analyzing sentiment and summarizing key user feedback, saving you time on manual analysis.

Key Features

  • Video and screen recordings for detailed user behavior insights.
  • Heatmaps to track where users click, scroll, and hover.
  • AI-driven summaries with sentiment analysis that offer quick insights from user sessions.
  • Figma full path tracking for deeper understanding of how users interact with designs.

Who Should Use It

Perfect for UX researchers, designers, and product teams looking for an advanced, AI-enhanced approach to usability testing and user feedback.

Pricing

Custom pricing based on user needs and project requirements

MouseFlow

MouseFlow offers heatmaps, session replay, and conversion tracking, allowing you to analyze user behavior in-depth. With its ability to capture and replay user sessions, MouseFlow helps to identify usability issues and track drop-off points in your customer journey.

Key Features

  • Click, scroll, and movement heatmaps.
  • Session replays for detailed behavior analysis.
  • Funnels and form analytics to track user flow.
  • User feedback collection tools.

Who Should Use It

Great for teams seeking detailed interaction tracking and form optimization tools.

Pricing

Plans start at $24 per month

Fullstory

FullStory offers powerful session replay and analytics tools to help you understand every aspect of user behavior. Its intuitive dashboard provides heatmaps, session replays, and automatic issue tracking, making it easy to pinpoint problem areas.

Key Features

  • Session replays to see user actions in real-time.
  • Heatmaps and click tracking for interaction insights.
  • Advanced search filters to drill into user behavior data.
  • Automatic detection of user frustration points.

Who Should Use It

Ideal for product managers, developers, and UX/UI designers looking for high-level insights into user behavior.

Pricing

  • Free for up to 1,000 sessions per month.
  • Paid plans start at $199 per month

Smartlook

Smartlook is a session replay and analytics tool that gives you a clear picture of how users interact with your website or app. It provides heatmaps and event tracking features to better understand users’ journeys.

Key Features

  • Session replay and heatmaps.
  • Event tracking to see how users interact with specific elements.
  • Customizable dashboards for in-depth analysis.

Who Should Use It

Best suited for UX teams who want an easy-to-use tool for tracking session data and understanding user behavior.

Pricing

  • Free plan available with limited features.
  • Paid plans start at $39 per month

Lucky Orange

Lucky Orange combines heatmaps, session replays, and form analytics to provide a full suite of tools for understanding user behavior. Its real-time monitoring capabilities allow you to see user interactions as they happen.

Key Features

  • Click, move, and scroll heatmaps.
  • Session recordings for observing user actions.
  • Form analytics to track form submissions and user engagement.

Who Should Use It

Best for marketers and UX teams looking for an all-in-one user experience optimization tool.

Pricing

  • Plans start at $10 per month

These tools are excellent for gaining valuable insights into user interactions on your platform. Whether you’re using heatmaps, session recordings, or behavior tracking, you’ll find that each tool brings unique capabilities to enhance your UX testing

Product Feedback Tools to Collect and Prioritize User Insight

Product Feedback Tools to Collect and Prioritize User Insights

These tools give you the ability to directly gather feedback from users on what’s working and what’s not, helping you shape future iterations and improvements based on real user experiences.

UserVoice

UserVoice allows you to collect, prioritize, and manage user feedback with ease. It’s a great way to build a more user-centric product by listening to your customers and getting them involved in the decision-making process.

Key Features

  • Customizable feedback forums.
  • In-app surveys to gather direct feedback.
  • Prioritization system to focus on the most requested features.

Pricing

Starts at $499/month with a free trial available

Canny

Canny helps you capture feedback in a simple, organized way. Users can submit ideas, and the team can track, prioritize, and communicate the status of those ideas all in one place.

Top Features

  • Feedback boards for transparent idea tracking.
  • Customizable categories and tags.
  • Public roadmap to show users what’s coming next.

Pricing

Plans start at $50/month

Qualaroo

Qualaroo lets you collect on-the-spot feedback from your users while they are engaging with your site. It uses intelligent survey prompts that adapt based on user behavior to capture relevant insights.

Key Features

  • Targeted surveys that trigger based on user behavior.
  • Multi-language support for global feedback.
  • Real-time data analytics for quick decision-making.

Pricing

Plans start at $80/month

ProductBoard

ProductBoard is designed to help you understand customer needs and prioritize what to build next. It organizes feedback into actionable insights, making it easy to align your product roadmap with user demand.

Top Features

  • Centralized feedback collection from multiple sources.
  • Visual roadmap planning and prioritization.
  • Integrations with tools like Jira, Slack, and Trello for streamlined workflows.

Pricing

Starts at $99/month with a free trial available

FeedbackHub

FeedbackHub is a simple and efficient tool that allows you to collect and track user feedback. It’s perfect for teams that want a straightforward platform for organizing and acting on user insights.

Top Features

  • Easy feedback collection through in-app prompts.
  • Rating system for user ideas and suggestions.
  • Feedback sorting and filtering for better prioritization.

Pricing

Contact for custom pricing

Beyond these top five, there are additional options like Survicate, Usabilla, and GetFeedback, each offering unique ways to capture and prioritize user insights through surveys, NPS tracking, and other customizable feedback methods. 

Whether you’re collecting on-site feedback, running surveys, or tracking feature requests, these tools can help you better understand your users and keep your product aligned with their needs

AI-Powered Research and Automation Tools

These tools bring AI into the mix, helping you automate repetitive tasks, analyze data, and even personalize user experiences. It’s like having an extra set of hands to boost your research efficiency!

UXArmy’s Sentiment Analysis Powered by AI

UXArmy lets you get the most out of unmoderated usability tests. Powered by AI, it analyzes user feedback and organizes it into easy-to-read insights. Here’s what it lets you do:

  • Overview Summary: A quick snapshot of the session’s key insights in just 2-3 lines.
  • Categorized Insights: AI organizes feedback into buckets, making it easier to identify recurring themes.
  • User Verbatim: User quotes are sorted by Positive, Neutral, and Negative sentiments, all with timestamps for context.

Availability:

Available for unmoderated usability tests in English

Control:

You can opt in or out of AI processing anytime via your account settings, giving you full control over your data.

Usetiful

Usetiful’s AI-driven features provide insights into user onboarding and interactions. It helps you identify issues in user flows, measure user engagement, and streamline the design process by improving touchpoints

Chalkmark

Chalkmark uses AI to analyze user clicks and attention, pinpointing exactly which parts of your design grab the most attention. This insight allows you to optimize elements that matter most to your users.

Zappi

Zappi simplifies market research by using AI to automate consumer feedback collection and analysis. It turns customer behavior data into actionable insights, helping you tailor your design based on user preferences.

Smaply

Smaply’s AI tools help visualize user journeys and segment feedback. AI makes it easier to track user touchpoints, identify pain points, and enhance the overall experience based on direct user feedback.

These tools bring AI to your research, helping you understand user behavior on a deeper level and make more informed design decisions.

Tools for Compliance and Accessibility Testing

Don’t leave anyone out! Accessibility tools help you ensure your designs are usable for everyone, regardless of their abilities, while staying compliant with important regulations.

WAVE (Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool)

  • Highlights accessibility issues directly on your webpage.
  • Finds missing alt text, broken links, and contrast issues.
  • Generates reports for easier compliance tracking.

AXE Accessibility Checker

  • Browser-integrated tool that scans for accessibility violations.
  • Offers recommendations for fixing issues.
  • Provides automated testing to ensure WCAG compliance.

Lighthouse

  • Developed by Google for performance, accessibility, and SEO audits.
  • Provides accessibility scores and suggestions for improvements.
  • Open-source and part of Chrome DevTools.

UserWay

  • AI-powered accessibility widget that auto-adjusts sites for WCAG compliance.
  • Features like text resizing, contrast adjustments, and screen reader support.
  • Easy-to-implement solution for boosting accessibility.

Accessibility Checker by Tenon

  • Comprehensive tool for performing accessibility audits.
  • Offers detailed reports and actionable recommendations.
  • Focuses on WCAG compliance and usability.

These tools make it easier to ensure your design meets accessibility standards and is usable by everyone, helping you create a more inclusive user experience while staying compliant with regulations!

How to Choose Right UX Research Platforms

Choosing the right UX research platform isn’t about picking the latest tool that everyone is raving about – it’s about finding the perfect fit for your team’s needs and research goals. 

Here’s how to go about it in a simple, step-by-step way that makes it feel less like a daunting task and more like an exciting decision.

How to Choose Right UX Research Platforms

Start by asking yourself: What do I need to learn?

  • Usability testing? You’ll need a platform that supports user testing with screen recordings, heatmaps, and sentiment analysis.
  • Interviews? Look for something that offers video call support with note-taking features and easy sharing.
  • Feedback collection? Choose a platform that makes gathering, analyzing, and organizing user insights simple.

Your goal will shape what features are non-negotiable, so don’t rush this step. The clearer you are on your research needs, the easier it’ll be to narrow down your choices.

Scalability: Will It Grow With You?

You want a platform that can scale as your team grows, and your research needs evolve.

  • Start small? Go for something user-friendly with basic features, but make sure it has the potential to add on more advanced tools.
  • Rapid growth? Choose a platform with team collaboration features, easy management, and the ability to handle large-scale studies as you expand.

A scalable tool saves you the hassle of switching platforms down the road.

Pricing That Makes Sense for Your Budget

No one wants to get bogged down with a complicated platform when you’re trying to get insights fast. Go for tools that:

  • Have intuitive user interfaces.
  • Offer easy onboarding and tutorials.
  • Support collaboration with team members, clients, or stakeholders.

If the platform is too complex or requires long learning curves, it might just be more of a headache than a help.

Usability: Is It Easy to Use?

No one wants to get bogged down with a complicated platform when you’re trying to get insights fast. Go for tools that:

  • Have intuitive user interfaces.
  • Offer easy onboarding and tutorials.
  • Support collaboration with team members, clients, or stakeholders.

If the platform is too complex or requires long learning curves, it might just be more of a headache than a help.

Features That Matter (And don’t overwhelm you)

Look for the key features that are essential to your workflow. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

  • Reporting tools: Make sure you can generate insights easily, whether through dashboards, data exports, or in-depth analysis tools.
  • Automation: AI-powered features like sentiment analysis or automatic summaries (like UXArmy’s AI Summary) can save tons of time.
  • Collaboration options: Need to bring in external stakeholders? Make sure there’s an easy way to share data and get feedback.

Pick the platform that has what you need now—but don’t get sidetracked by every shiny new feature!

Support and Resources

Great customer support can make or break your experience. Look for platforms that:

  • Offer 24/7 support or at least responsive business hours.
  • Provide self-help resources like knowledge bases, tutorials, and forums.
  • Offer live chat or an option to schedule a call with customer service if you run into trouble.

You don’t want to get stuck mid-research with no one to help out.

Integration with Other Tools

You likely already use some tools for project management, communication, or analytics. Make sure the platform you choose integrates well with the ones you already rely on, like:

  • Slack for communication.
  • Trello or Asana for project management.
  • Google Analytics or Tableau for data insights.

Having everything connected means less time toggling between apps and more time focused on your research.

Bottom line: Choose a UX research platform that meets your current needs, scales with your team, stays within your budget, and offers the support and features that’ll keep your research running smoothly. 

The right platform makes it easier to get the insights you need without getting bogged down by complexity. So take your time, test out a few options, and soon you’ll have the perfect match for your UX research goals!

Elevate Your UX Research with UXArmy

Join countless professionals in simplifying your user research process and delivering results that matter

Maximize Your UX Research Potential with UXArmy

Ready to take your UX research to the next level? UXArmy makes it faster and easier with intuitive tools for usability testing, AI-driven insights, heatmaps, and sentiment analysis. Whether you’re running unmoderated tests or analyzing data with AI summaries, our platform simplifies the process.

With UXArmy, you get access to a diverse user base, especially in Asia markets, and flexible pricing plans to suit businesses of any size. Streamline your research, get valuable insights, and make decisions faster.

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