Looking to switch from UserTesting to another user testing tool? Here are the 6 best UserTesting alternatives for quick and easy user testing at more affordable prices.  Not only does our list consider UserTesting pricing, but also UserTesting features, pros and cons compared to six major competitors. 

Let’s get the ball rolling with a few assumptions. Likely, you came here looking for UserTesting alternatives that:

• Offer equally good or better quality user tests.
• Allow you to discover usability issues on your website, app, or prototype.
• Offer better value for money than UserTesting.

By the way, you’ll never guess which UserTesting alternative tops our list!

TL;DR – The 6 best UserTesting Alternatives in 2024

In a hurry? No worries! Jump ahead to the top 6 UserTesting alternatives in order here:

1. Userbrain
2. Lookback
3. UsabilityHub
4. Userlytics
5. Userzoom
6. Loop11

What do UserTesting users say?

Here are the three most common Pros and Cons reported by UserTesting users via TrustRadius:

User Testing Pros

• Great Customer Support.
• Fast test responses (within 1 hour).
• Largest testing pool on the market (over 2 million).

User Testing Cons

• Very expensive.
• Poor recording software.
• Collaboration issues.

So, if it’s so expensive, why is UserTesting the market-leading usability testing tool? Why isn’t everyone flocking to UserTesting alternatives? To answer that, we need to open our history books.

Is UserTesting legit?

The short answer is yes, UserTesting is as legit as it gets. UserTesting pretty much built the genre of unmoderated remote usability testing. When co-founder Dave Garr was managing websites for Apple, HP, and Intuit, he became frustrated with how much hassle usability testing was. So, to solve the problem,he partnered with Darrell Benatar and launched UserTesting in 2007 – the first remote user testing solution. 

Why is UserTesting so popular?

Since UserTesting was the first unmoderated user testing tool, they had time to build up an enormous army of testers. They had a massive headstart on the competition, and alternative user testing tools have been playing catchup ever since. 

According to their own data, UserTesting.com has over 2 million active participants on its panel. Such a large testing community allows customers to receive frightfully fast feedback (within one hour). 

Couple that with access to a very sophisticated platform with plenty of features to assist with running and analyzing user tests, and you have a worthy market leader. 

But UserTesting.com isn’t for everyone…

UserTesting pricing: how much does UserTesting cost?

Despite its popularity and extensive feature set, an annual UserTesting plan can be expensive and nearly impossible to justify for startups or small businesses.

When it comes to UserTesting pricing, the information isn’t readily available. Even after scouring their website, potential customers are still scratching their heads, asking, “How much does UserTesting cost?”

Unfortunately, UserTesting follows a more secretive pricing model. This means there’s no upfront pricing listed on their website. This has been a significant criticism from prospective users who are trying to compare user testing pricing.

What we do know is that a LinkedIn-verified reviewer was disappointed with the standard of testers that UserTesting provided as part of their $10,000 subscription, stating:

I paid $10,000 for quality testers and got fake testers that never tested before. – via Capterra.

So, what does UserTesting actually cost?

Well, you’ll need to contact their sales team to receive a quote tailored to your specific needs. This lack of transparency can make the user testing cost comparison quite challenging. Unfortunately, there’s no free trial available, meaning you must commit financially before experiencing the platform’s features.

The UserTesting cost has been described by many as quite high. For example, one UserTesting review mentioned a quoted price of $42,000 per year, a considerable investment, especially for startups and small businesses. This elusive user testing pricing model can often be a roadblock for those seeking a cost-effective, value-for-money solution. It’s why alternatives like Userbrain, with transparent and affordable pricing, can be a better fit for many.

The best-rated, less expensive alternatives to UserTesting

Knowing that UserTesting isn’t the best tool for every company, we’ve put together the following list of the best available and most affordable alternatives to UserTesting:

1. Userbrain
2. Lookback
3. UsabilityHub
4. Userlytics
5. UX Tweak
6. Loop11

Without further ado, let’s dive into the six best competitors of UserTesting’s popular user research software:

1. Userbrain | userbrain.com

No prizes for guessing this one. Of course, we’re going to place our own user testing tool at the top of the list. We’d be silly not to, wouldn’t we?

If you think UserTesting can provide it all, but it is too expensive to run your user tests regularly, then Userbrain is the perfect solution for website, prototype and mobile app testing.

Userbrain Pricing Compared to UserTesting

Userbrain is the most affordable and cost-effective alternative to UserTesting. 

• Free Trial: – Sign up and get your first 2 participants for free – no credit card needed.
• 100% Satisfaction Guarantee: If unsatisfied with a user test, Userbrain will find you a new tester and refund your test credit for the inconvenience.
• Starting at just $99 / month: Looking to start user testing without breaking the bank? Userbrain offers flexible monthly subscriptions, from Starter ($99 /month) to an unlimited Enterprise option.
• Pay-As-You-Go Option: User testing without any commitment. Userbrain’s pay-as-you-go option at $45 per tester allows you to pay only when you have something to test.
• No Sales Call Needed: Userbrain’s plans are self-service, can be booked within a couple of minutes, and pricing is completely transparent.

Comparison of Userbrain’s features with those of UserTesting.

• Recruit from a pool of 120k+ testers: Avoid the hassle of recruiting, managing, and paying for testers and get access to a worldwide community of over 120k quality-controlled user test participants.
• Fast results: Get started in just a few clicks and receive completed test videos within hours. 
• Invite your own testers:Depending on your chosen plan, you can test with Userbrain testers or with your own participants – combine both if you wish!
• Unlimited team members: No matter how big your team is, you can invite them all to Userbrain and assign their roles.
• AI-enhanced Transcripts: Receive accurate speech-to-text transcriptions instantly for every user test video.
• Smart and Time-Stamped Annotations:AI Insights takes time-stamped notes of significant key moments, such as potential usability issues, assigns labels and sentiments, and even includes direct quotes from testers.
• Presentation-ready report:Export comprehensive user test reports to share with your team and stakeholders.

Userbrain Cons Compared to UserTesting

Userbrain is newer on the market, making its feature set slightly less abundant than UserTesting.

• No Moderated Testing: Userbrain primarily focuses on unmoderated testing, which may not be suitable for scenarios requiring direct interaction and probing.
• Fewer Integrations: Userbrain offers fewer integrations with productivity and project management tools compared to UserTesting.
• Basic Analysis Features: Analysis features may be less advanced compared to other tools, such as UserTesting.com.
• Compensation Management: Userbrain does not handle compensation for invited testers, requiring users to manage this separately.
• Pay-As-You-Go Limitations: Premium features like automated test reports or AI Insights are not available in the pay-as-you-go plan, necessitating a subscription for full feature access.
• Smaller Tester Pool: Userbrain has a tester pool of over 120,000 testers, which is smaller compared to UserTesting.com, potentially limiting the diversity and availability of testers for specific demographics or niche requirements.

Userbrain Reviews

But don’t just take our word for it. Here’s what Userbrain users and reviewers have to say:

“The best thing about Userbrain is the pricing structure. It’s also affordable for companies who are testing in small volumes.”

On the other hand, with UserTesting:

1. There is no pay-as-you-go option.
2. Their pricing structure lacks transparency; plans generally start at around $15,000 annually.
3. To create an account, you must provide information about yourself and your business and request a Sales call. 
4. There is no discount for an annual subscription. 

Additionally, the cost per test must make more sense to many UserTesting users. The UserTesting pricing structure heavily favors larger testing rounds, making it unaffordable for startups and SMBs with a limited UX budget. Here’s how one small business owner put it: 

“The price is high. When you increase the number of users per test, it increases the pricing.”

Our advice? If you’re looking for easy, fast, and affordable user tests, Userbrain should be your go-to tool.

If you still have questions, contact one of Userbrain’s user testing experts.

2. Lookback | lookback.com

When you already have access to some willing testers and don’t need a tool that provides user test participants, then you should consider Lookback. Not only is Lookback one of the most affordable UserTesting alternatives, but it’s a great tool, too.

Lookback Pros compared to UserTesting

• Unlimited testers – Lookback doesn’t cap recordings or charge for participants. You can do as much research as you need to.
• Remote moderated testing – Lookback allows you to talk to your testers live and face-to-face in moderated user tests.
• Broadcast your research – Use the “Live” feature to broadcast your research to your team. Invite stakeholders to watch and gain insights in real-time.
• Generous free trial – Lookback offers a 60-day free trial, which is plenty of time to take the tool for a test drive.

Lookback Pros compared to UserTesting

• No tester pool – While UserTesting provides access to over two million testers worldwide, you need to invite your own participants via a link to Lookback’s dashboard.
• Connection issues – As Lookback supports live moderated testing, you better hope everyone has good WiFi. Connection drops are a frequent complaint, according to Lookback reviews.

Lookback Pricing compared to UserTesting

1. Lookback bill all of their subscriptions annually.
2. Lookback’s Freelance Plan starts from $300, offering ten sessions yearly.
3. The Team Plan costs $1,788 with 100 sessions per year.
4. The Insights Hub Plan costs $4,128, and you’ll receive 300 sessions yearly with this package.
5. There is also an Enterprise Plan with unlimited sessions.
6. There is a 60-day free trial – no credit card required.

Further reading: Lookback Alternatives.

3. UsabilityHub | usabilityhub.com

UsabilityHub allows you to run summative studies like first-click and five-second tests, design surveys, or preference tests of multiple design solutions. You will receive written answers and can either recruit your own participants or use UsabilityHub’s integrated tester panel.

UsabilityHub Pros compared to UserTesting

• Starting at $1 per answer – If you don’t need a video and audio recording of your testers and are more interested in running summative studies, you can do so quickly and affordably by using UsabilityHub’s tester panel.
• Full CSV export – UsabilityHub allows you to export the raw test data as a CSV file, allowing you to run in-depth analyses with third-party tools.
• Buying credits – Compared to UserTesting, credits for tests can be purchased on the go when ordering responses or pre-purchased. Credits do not expire.

UsabilityHub Cons compared to UserTesting

• No screen and audio recording – With UserTesting you’ll get a screen and audio recording of a tester’s session. UsabilityHub only delivers written answers to your research questions, making it harder to authenticate the opinions of your testers.
• No multi-site testing – You can’t send testers to another website (e.g., your competitor’s site) as part of your test. URL Redirects are possible with UserTesting and Userbrain user tests.

UsabilityHub Pricing compared to UserTesting

UsabilityHub’s pricing has two separate components:

1. Pricing for the UsabilityHub Basic plan starts at $89 /month when billed monthly. However, the overall price is $75 /month with annual billing. 
2. Paying for individual responses from the UsabilityHub panel starts at $1 per response.

A limited free plan allows you to run tests for up to 2 minutes within a UsabilityHub branded interface.

4. Userlytics | userlytics.com

Coming in at number four on our list of the best UserTesting alternatives is Userlytics. Userlytics offers competitive pricing options for a suite of user research tools at the expense of an outdated user interface.

Userlytics Pros compared to UserTesting

• Multiple user research tools in one – With Userlytics, you’ll gain access to a suite of user research tools like Card Sorting or Tree Testing besides the classic remote user testing functionality.
• Automated and multilingual transcriptions – Receive an AI-generated searchable transcription of your user test.
• Quantitative metrics – Compared to UserTesting, Userlytics offers more sophisticated reports on quantitative metrics like time on task, SUS, NPS, and SUPR-Q.

Userlytics Cons compared to UserTesting

• Outdated user interface – The user interface is considered old and challenging in terms of usability by a couple of reviewers on G2.
• Complex pricing plans – Userlytics offers six different pricing tiers with different options and features. Crikey. It might be difficult to choose the right plan for your needs.
• No demographic information about testers – Compared to UserTesting, Userlytics doesn’t provide much background on their testers (like income bracket, age, or gender).

Userlytics Pricing compared to UserTesting

As mentioned, the pricing options of Userlytics could be more straightforward. Userlytics offers:

1. Three different Pay as you go plans, starting at $49 per tester.
2. Three different Subscription plans, ranging from $399 /month to $999 /month
3. Unlimited testing with your invited testers, as long as you have an active plan.
4. Custom plans for specific projects and unconventional profiles.

5. UX Tweak | uxtweak.com

UX Tweak is a relatively new arrival on the user testing scene – compared to the rest of the tools featured in this article, anyway. With an emphasis on remote unmoderated usability testing, UX Tweak has wasted no time in stamping its authority as a worthy UserTesting alternative despite offering a more limited feature set.

UX Tweak Pros compared to UserTesting

• Invite your own testers for free – All monthly plans allow you to test with your own participants at no extra cost.
• Monthly subscriptions – UX Tweak offers users monthly payment options across various pricing tiers.

UX Tweak Cons compared to UserTesting

• Limited researchers – The monthly plans limit the number of people who can create or launch studies. If you need more, you’ll have to pay more.
• Smaller testing pool – UserTesting has a larger pool of testers to draw from, allowing you to get results quicker than with UX Tweak.

UX Tweak Pricing compared to UserTesting

UX Tweak offers different pricing options for moderated and unmoderated user tests. Here is a breakdown of the UX Tweak offering:

1. Plans that support moderated and unmoderated user testing start at $500 monthly with two researcher seats, unlimited collaborator seats, and 40 Studies per year.
2. There are two plans which you can customize by reaching out to UserZoom.
3. There is a 14-day free trial.
4. Annual billing. 

6. Loop11 | loop11.com

Loop11 is a useful UX tool for benchmarking website KPIs, finding where users encounter issues and gathering quantitative data on UX improvements. While it’s not a like-for-like substitute, Loop11 deserves it’s place on our list of UserTesting alternatives.

Loop11 Pros compared to UserTesting

• Quantitative testing – While UserTesting offers user tests for a qualitative research method, Loop11 focuses on gathering a statistically significant number of answers to a test.
• 5-second & first-click tests included – Compared to UserTesting, Loop11 also supports the recording of qualitative data like heatmaps, clickstreams and path analysis
• Support for accessibility user testing – Loop11 customers can now tap into the AccessWorks database for all accessibility testing needs, saving time that users would otherwise spend recruiting testers for face-to-face testing.
• Moderated & Unmoderated User Testing – Loop11 allows you to conduct moderated and unmoderated user tests.
• Bring your own testers for free – All monthly plans allow you to use your own participants for your study at no extra cost.

Loop11 Cons compared to UserTesting

• No tester pool – Since Loop11 does not offer testers on demand, you need to invite your users to participate in your user test.
• No editing after launching a test – You can’t edit a test after publishing it; you can only delete it completely. Therefore, we recommend double-checking everything in preview mode when setting up a Loop11 test.

Loop11 Pricing compared to UserTesting

Loop11 charges a monthly fee for platform access that does not include the testers’ compensation for their hard work. You need to provide your own users, and you’ll need to reward them too. Here’s an overview of Loop11’s pricing:

1. Pricing starts at $79 /month for three user tests with up to 10 of your own testers per test.
2. The pro plan costs $299 /month for ten tests and a maximum of 100 participants – again, you need to source the test users.
3. The Enterprise plan allows you to test infinite projects per month.
4. Plans are cheaper when paid annually.
5. All plans include a 14-day free trial.

Summary of the best UserTesting alternatives in 2024

Well folks, that wraps up our deep dive into UserTesting pricing and the cream of the crop when it comes to UserTesting alternatives for 2024. If you’re looking for the most bang for your buck, Userbrain is your go-to option. It’s easy on the wallet and makes user testing a breeze, no matter the size of your business.

Hot on its heels are Lookback, UsabilityHub, Userlytics, UX Tweak, and Loop11, each serving up its unique spin on user testing solutions. These options offer a refreshing change if you’re tired of playing hide and seek with UserTesting’s cryptic pricing.

Choosing the best UserTesting.com alternative isn’t about finding the cheapest tool; it’s about discovering the one that fits snugly into your workflow and budget. Remember, just like buying a new pair of shoes, the best fit is always the one that’s most comfortable for you.

We hope this guide has shed some light on the hush-hush UserTesting cost and helped you narrow down your search for an affordable alternative. Remember, the perfect user testing tool is out there, waiting for you to give it a whirl!

Next steps

Start your free trial now with two free user tests. Start testing in minutes, get results within hours!

Request a demo from one of Userbrain’s in-house user testing specialists.