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If you’re looking for a robust UX testing tool, you’ve probably heard of UserZoom. This SaaS solution helps design and run high-quality usability tests, allowing you to assess your product’s strength.
While UserZoom is a popular option, it may not always meet your needs. Today, multiple alternatives can easily replace this solution and give you more efficient usability insights.
Let’s take a closer look at UserZoom and its most popular alternatives in the market.
UserZoom (formerly Validately) is a tool for testing digital products. It helps businesses understand how real users interact with their digital experiences. With this tool, you can gather real user feedback on your product’s design and usability.
It allows you to conduct user tests, surveys, and research to find out what works well and what doesn’t. You gain a variety of valuable insights into your digital solution’s potential success.
Comprehensive user research (live interviews, benchmarking, surveys, card sort, and usability testing)
Flexible testing options
Global B2B and B2C participant pool
Detailed analytics and reporting
Steep learning curve
Higher cost
Limited mobile testing features
In April 2023, UserZoom was acquired by a similar platform called UserTesting. They complement each other with multiple features. However, you can still use each one of them separately.
While UserZoom benefited from the merger, it may still not be as suitable for certain companies as some of the alternatives listed below.
UserZoom offers multiple features that can transform your usability testing process. However, some disadvantages may keep it away from your top-choice list. If UserZoom seems out of your price range and lacks the features your business needs, you may want to start shopping around.
Here are some of the common issues that customers experience with UserZoom:
The main reason why business owners consider other options is the solution’s pricing. Besides having a high price tag, UserZoom’s pricing isn’t transparent. Users report struggling to understand how pricing works and experiencing difficulties with getting the necessary features without extra payment.
UserZoom’s interface is another reason why some companies decide to consider alternatives. This product has a steep learning curve, which can hardly be called intuitive. As a result, teams spend too much time figuring out how to use the solution. This slows down the testing process and also causes users to miss important features.
UserZoom has excellent features, especially after the UserTesting merger. However, some of them are still not in their best shape. For example, some alternatives have better mobile testing options, quicker turnaround times, and flexible integration options.
To choose the best UserZoom alternative, you need to make a list of the requirements you have for a UX testing solution.
Pay attention to the alternative’s cost and pricing structure. Look for a solution that fits your budget while offering the features you need.
Check if the platform provides flexible pricing plans, such as pay-per-use or tiered subscriptions. These setups enable you to avoid paying for unnecessary features, and spoiler: these solutions can have many of them.
Ease of use is what UserZoom lacks. It’s usually one of the main reasons why companies look at the competition.
A user-friendly interface can save time and reduce frustration for your team. Look for alternatives with intuitive navigation, simple setup processes, and minimal training requirements.
Different research methods provide different insights. Check that the alternative offers various testing options, such as:
Usability testing
Surveys
Heatmaps
A/B testing
Mobile testing
More isn’t always better. Consider what your business needs and choose the solution that offers these testing options. Ideally, it should allow you to add features as you need them.
Access to the right participants is usually the most important part of UX solutions like UserZoom. Look for platforms that offer robust participant recruitment tools and access to a diverse pool of users. This way, you’ll be able to leverage advanced targeting options based on demographics, behavior, or location.
Strong analytics and reporting features help make sense of the data collected during tests. Choose a platform that provides:
Detailed, easy-to-understand reports
Customizable dashboards
Insights that help inform decision-making and drive improvements
Screening enables you to find the most suitable participants for your research—those who fit your target audience profile. But not all tools offer this.
Check if the alternative integrates with your current project management, design, and analytics tools. While UX testing tools can be standalone solutions, seamless integration with your tech stack can maximize their efficiency.
Responsive customer support and helpful resources, like tutorials or a knowledge base, can be invaluable. UserZoom has excellent support—but so do many other solutions. Find out if your choice of alternative provides multiple support options.
UserTesting is a user experience research tool that provides real-time feedback from real users. It offers a wide range of testing methods to evaluate usability at different stages of product design.
The two companies merged in April 2023. However, there are several differences (as well as similarities) between the two tools that are worth exploring.
Real-time video feedback
Fast participant recruitment
Wide range of testing options
AI-driven insights and analysis
Fast turnaround time
Intuitive and easy-to-use interface
Robust video and audio feedback
Higher cost for larger teams (non-transparent pricing structure)
Has fewer integration and prototyping tools than UserZoom
UserTesting offers quicker participant recruitment and more intuitive video feedback. This can help you gather faster and more actionable insights than UserZoom.
UserTesting pricing plans start at $30,000 a year.
Lookback is a user research tool designed to conduct moderated and unmoderated usability tests, interviews, and diary studies.
Live unmoderated and face-to-face moderated sessions
Participant screen sharing
Observer mode
Time-stamped notes
Supports remote moderated sessions
Integrates with other tools
Allows real-time observation
Doesn’t have a pool of users (you need to invite your own)
Connection drop issues during sessions
Lookback offers more flexibility in live moderated sessions and real-time collaboration than UserZoom. It’s ideal for teams who prioritize direct user interaction.
Pricing starts at $25 per month for the basic plan, with 10 sessions per year. The tool has a free 60-day trial available for all types of plans.
Optimal Workshop provides a suite of usability testing tools to help understand user navigation and decision-making. Unlike many other UserZoom competitors on this list, it has a limited focus. The tool mostly targets website architecture.
Tree testing
Card sorting
First-click testing
Qualitative tagging
Specialized tools for information architecture
Affordable plans
Easy to use
Ability to screen participants
Limited capabilities for qualitative research
High recruitment costs and inflexible pricing
Unresponsive customer support
Optimal Workshop excels in tools like card sorting and tree testing, which UserZoom lacks. It’s an excellent option for the early stages of website design and development.
The basic plan starts at $107 per month (if paid annually). Features like first-click testing, surveys, and prototype testing are only available when you pay an extra fee.
Lyssna is a remote user testing platform for gathering quick insights through moderated and unmoderated studies. The instrument has a pool of around 530,000 participants.
Five-second tests
Click tests
Preference tests
Design surveys
Open and closed card sorting
“Screeners” feature, which helps you target the right participants
Gives you fast results
Easy to set up
Affordable for small teams
Great for sharing tests with other companies
Limited in-depth testing options
No mobile app testing
Lyssna offers simpler and faster tests than UserZoom. It’s great for teams needing quick insights without complex setups.
The basic plan starts at $75 per month. There is a free plan for small companies. However, it has highly limited features.
Hotjar is a behavior analytics tool that can help you understand how users interact with your website or website-based app. Unlike some other tools on this list, it doesn’t create advanced tests or offer access to a participant tool.
Heatmaps
Session recordings
Conversion funnels
User interview automation
On-site and external surveys
Visualizes user behavior
Easy to install
Affordable pricing
Limited to web-based platforms
Limited to live products
Lacks advanced user testing options
Hotjar can provide you with a more immediate understanding of user behavior than UserZoom. However, it lacks advanced testing options.
Hotjar offers four payment tiers for its Observe product:
The “Basic” plan with 35 daily sessions is free.
The “Plus” plan, marketed at smaller teams, costs from $39 per month. It offers up to 100 daily sessions and more advanced features.
The “Business” plan for growing companies and websites is priced at $99 per month. With this plan, you get 500 daily sessions.
The “Scale” plan for large companies and websites costs $213 per month. It offers a large range of features and 500 daily sessions.
Maze is an online UX research tool that excels in usability testing and other qualitative and quantitative research.
Unmoderated usability testing
Survey management
Prototype testing
Card sorting
Tree testing
Screening is supported when you have the “Organization” plan
Rapid testing cycles
High-quality support
Limited testing options
High learning curve
Not possible to randomize the presentation of testing blocks, which can introduce bias, as users may follow predictable patterns during testing
Integration with Figma is possible, but the prototypes should be kept simple with a clear beginning and end, as crashes are common, especially with mobile prototypes
Unlike UserZoom, Maze allows for rapid testing directly from design tools. It’s a great choice for agile teams that need quick validation.
The basic plan begins at $99 per month. You can also check out a free version but note that this has limited capabilities.
Fullstory is a digital experience analytics platform that records user sessions and provides insights into behavior.
Session replay
Heatmaps
Conversion funnels
Error monitoring
Detailed session insights
Strong analytics (both website and app)
Real-time user monitoring
High cost for larger teams and hard-to-understand pricing tiers
Steep learning curve for non-technical users—some features may require technical knowledge
Limited customization of dashboards, making it harder to tailor insights for specific needs
Overwhelming data, causing analysis paralysis
Privacy concerns, especially with sensitive user interactions
No built-in survey functionality or user feedback tools, meaning teams need to rely on third-party integrations for qualitative insights
Fullstory offers more advanced session replay and behavior analytics. It’s great for teams focused on in-depth user experience analysis. However, it doesn’t offer surveys, participant pools, or advanced testing.
The cost of a beginner plan is around $2,000 a year. To get more details, you need to contact the vendor. You can take advantage of a free 14-day trial.
Trymata is a usability testing platform that provides video recordings of real users interacting with your website or app.
Video feedback
Screener surveys
First impression testing
Moderated and unmoderated studies
Immediate feedback
Easy to use
Qualitative and quantitative testing
Poor customer support
Outdated interface that appears tricky to use
Technical issues
The basic plan starts from $399 per month. You could also opt for an enterprise plan, which will set you back $1,667 per month, or the unlimited plan, which costs $3,333 per month.
Crazy Egg provides tools to visualize user behavior through heatmaps, scroll maps, and A/B testing. It’s a comprehensive UX testing tool with many interesting features.
Heatmaps
Scroll maps
Overlay tool
Conversion testing
A/B testing
Easy to set up
Provides visual insights
Affordable
Training is available (for “Enterprise” plans)
Only offers a limited number of screen recordings
Lacks qualitative research features
Overall, Crazy Egg is easy to set up and use. It also provides highly intelligent analytics. However, it has fewer research features than UserZoom, which may be important for some users.
The basic “Plus” plan starts at $99 per month. You can begin with a 30-day free trial.
There are two more tiers: “Pro” for $249 per month and “Enterprise” for $499 per month.
Qualtrics is an experience management platform with robust survey tools for gathering user feedback and analyzing user experiences.
Pre-built survey templates designed by industry experts
AI-powered statistical analysis
Enterprise-grade security
Extensive survey capabilities
Flexible customization
In-depth analytics
Steep learning curve
High pricing for advanced features
Qualtrics offers more sophisticated survey options and data analysis. Compared to UserZoom, it’s better suited for deep research needs.
The price of Qualtrics’ “CoreXM” plan is not provided on the brand’s website. Businesses need to input their details to access pricing information. There is a free plan with limited capabilities.
Dovetail is an advanced user research platform that helps teams analyze and share qualitative research data. This platform captures customer feedback and makes the most out of each bit of information with high-quality analytics and AI-powered insights.
Centralized research repository
User interviews and surveys
Highlight reels and summaries
“Magic” features, including Magic Search and Magic Highlight
Convenient insights sharing
A great choice for qualitative research
Easy to use
Excellent customer support
Ability to efficiently organize data
Affordable
Limited quantitative features
Could benefit from more scalability
Dovetail excels at facilitating qualitative research and team collaboration. It’s suitable for teams that require deep user insights.
The basic plan starts at $29 per month, but there’s also a free plan with limited capabilities on offer.
Finding a high-quality alternative to UserZoom may not be easy, as there are numerous options in the market. You can start with tools that offer a free trial to figure out which features and UI work best for you.
In some cases, you may need a combination of UserZoom alternatives to achieve the best efficiency at the lowest price.
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