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Best User Experience Testing Tools Shortlist

Managing a product isn’t easy, especially when it comes to improving product usability and understanding user needs. User experience testing tools can be your ally in this, helping you gather insights and make data-driven decisions.

However, it can be time-consuming and frustrating trying to research and nail down the right tools. That’s why I’ve spent the time researching and testing these tools to bring you an unbiased review of the best options out there. My goal is to cut through the hype and marketing fluff and help you find the right tool that fits your team’s needs.

In this article, you’ll discover top picks for user experience testing tools, each with unique features to meet your specific requirements,  pros and cons, pricing, and more. Let’s dive in.

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Best User Experience Testing Tools Summary

This comparison chart summarizes pricing details for my top user experience testing tools selections to help you find the best one for your budget and business needs.

Best User Experience Testing Tool Reviews

Below are my detailed summaries of the best user experience testing tools that made it onto my shortlist. My reviews offer a detailed look at the key features, pros & cons, integrations, and ideal use cases of each tool to help you find the best one for you.

Best for error tracking

  • From $12/user/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.9/5

Atatus is an application performance monitoring tool aimed at developers and IT teams. It provides detailed insights into application errors and performance bottlenecks, helping you maintain a smooth user experience and improve system reliability.

Why I picked Atatus: It excels in error tracking, offering real-time alerts and detailed error reports. The error tracking feature helps you quickly identify and resolve issues before they impact users. Performance monitoring provides insights into slow transactions and resource usage. These features ensure your applications run efficiently and minimize downtime.

Standout features & integrations:

Features include customizable dashboards that provide a unified view of your application's performance metrics. The platform also offers log management, allowing you to centralize and analyze logs from various sources. Furthermore, Atatus provides API analytics to monitor and optimize your API performance.

Integrations include Slack, Jira, GitHub, Bitbucket, PagerDuty, Opsgenie, Microsoft Teams, VictorOps, Zapier, and Splunk.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Supports log management
  • Real-time notifications for immediate issue awareness
  • Detailed error tracking reports

Cons:

  • May need manual configuration
  • Requires technical knowledge for setup

Best for mobile insights

  • 14-day free trial + free plan available
  • Pricing upon request
Visit Website
Rating: 4.8/5

UXCam is a user experience analytics tool tailored for mobile app teams. It helps you understand user interactions through screen recordings and heatmaps, aiming to enhance app usability and performance.

Why I picked UXCam: It specializes in mobile insights, providing screen recordings that let you see exactly how users interact with your app. Heatmaps visualize touch interactions, showing you popular and ignored areas on the screen. The automatic issue tagging feature helps you quickly identify and address user pain points. These capabilities make UXCam a go-to for teams focused on mobile app optimization.

Standout features & integrations:

Features include funnel analytics to see where users drop off during key processes, such as onboarding or checkout. Retention analytics help you understand user engagement over time, highlighting how often users return to your app.

Integrations include Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Segment, Firebase, Adjust, Amplitude, AppsFlyer, Braze, MoEngage, and CleverTap.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Advanced gesture detection feature
  • Automatic issue tagging for quick fixes
  • Detailed mobile interaction insights

Cons:

  • Can affect app performance
  • Steep learning curve for new users

Best for live feedback from targeted users

  • Free demo available
  • Pricing available upon request
Visit Website
Rating: 4.5/5

UserTesting is a platform that enables organizations to gather real-time feedback on their products, services, and experiences. It serves professionals across various industries seeking to understand customer perspectives and improve user experiences. The platform facilitates the collection of qualitative insights through video-based feedback sessions.​

Why I picked UserTesting: It excels in collecting live feedback, offering video sessions where real users interact with your product. The platform allows you to see and hear users’ reactions, providing valuable insights into user experience. Even better, UserTesting's targeting capabilities let you choose the right audience for your tests. These features make it a great option for gaining actionable insights towards enhancing your product's usability.

Standout features & integrations:

Features include AI-driven analysis that quickly identifies key themes in user feedback, a detailed insights hub for organizing and sharing findings, and a vast library of test templates to streamline your research process.​

Integrations include Slack, Jira, Trello, Adobe XD, Figma, Optimizely, Lookback, Productboard, Google Analytics, and Zoom.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Customizable test templates
  • Targeted audience selection
  • Real-time user feedback

Cons:

  • Can be overwhelming for small teams
  • Requires technical setup for some features

Best for heatmaps

  • Free plan available
  • From $39/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.4/5

Hotjar is a digital experience insights platform that helps you understand how users interact with your website. It serves product managers, marketers, and UX designers by providing tools to visualize user behavior and gather feedback. These insights assist teams in making data-driven decisions to understand user experience, habits, and ultimately make the necessary changes to drive conversions.

Why I picked Hotjar: It excels in providing visual heatmaps that show where users click, scroll, and spend time on your site. This feature allows you to pinpoint areas of interest or confusion on your pages. Hotjar also offers session recordings so you can watch real user interactions and gain insights into user behavior. Its survey and feedback tools also let you gather user opinions directly, helping you make informed decisions.

Standout features & integrations:

Features include tools like first-click testing, heatmaps, and session recordings that help you see how users interact with your site. You can also set up surveys to gather user feedback directly, and the feedback widget lets users share their thoughts in real-time.

Integrations include Slack, Zapier, HubSpot, Google Analytics, Optimizely, Segment, Shopify, WordPress, Squarespace, and Wix.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Easy setup without technical skills
  • Conversion funnels to track drop-offs
  • Session recordings for real user insights

Cons:

  • Some features need manual setup
  • May slow down site loading times

Best for uptime monitoring

  • 30-day free trial
  • From $15/month
Visit Website
Rating: 3.5/5

Pingdom is a website monitoring service that helps you track your site's uptime, performance, and interactions to ensure a better end-user experience. It's designed for web developers, digital marketers, and enterprises aiming to maintain optimal website functionality.

Why I picked Pingdom: It focuses on uptime monitoring, providing alerts to keep your site running smoothly. The tool's uptime checks ensure your website is accessible to users at all times. Its performance monitoring helps identify slow load times and other issues. These features help maintain a reliable online presence for your business.

Standout features & integrations:

Features include uptime monitoring that checks your site's availability from over 100 servers worldwide, page speed monitoring to identify bottlenecks and enhance load times, and transaction monitoring to ensure critical site flows function correctly.

Integrations include Slack, Microsoft Teams, Opsgenie, VictorOps, PagerDuty, DataDog, Splunk, ServiceNow, Webhooks, and Zapier.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Advanced reporting features
  • User-friendly interface
  • Easy to set up alerts

Cons:

  • Can be resource-intensive
  • Limited advanced customization options

Best for A/B testing

  • 30-day free trial
  • From $29/month (billed annually)
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Rating: 4.2/5

Crazy Egg is a user experience testing tool aimed at marketers and web developers. It provides insights into user behavior through A/B testing, heatmaps, and user recordings to help optimize website performance.

Why I picked Crazy Egg: Its A/B testing capabilities let you experiment with different versions throughout the usability testing process of your site to see what works best. The heatmaps show you where users click and scroll, giving clear insights into user interactions. User recordings allow you to watch how visitors navigate your site. These features help you make data-driven decisions to improve your site's effectiveness.

Standout features & integrations:

Features include traffic analysis to understand where your visitors come from and how they navigate your site. The errors tracking feature helps you identify and fix issues that may hinder user experience. Surveys allow you to gather direct feedback from your visitors, providing valuable insights for improvement.​

Integrations include Shopify, Wix, WordPress, AWeber, Zapier, HubSpot, Google Tag Manager, Segment, Optimizely, and Unbounce.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Real-time user session recordings
  • Detailed scroll map analysis
  • Intuitive A/B testing setup

Cons:

  • Can slow down website loading
  • Limited customization in heatmaps

Best for AI-assisted video feedback on user interactions

  • From $49/user/month
Visit Website
Rating: 5/5

PlaybookUX is a user research platform for gathering insights through video-based feedback, usability tests, and surveys. It helps teams analyze user behavior with features like moderated interviews, card sorting, and tree testing.

Why I picked PlaybookUX: It specializes in video feedback, allowing you to see and hear users as they interact with your product. This feature provides rich insights into user experiences and pain points offering AI-assisted video feedback. PlaybookUX offers customizable testing options to suit different research needs. These capabilities help your team make informed decisions to enhance user satisfaction.

Standout features & integrations:

Features include automated transcription that converts video feedback into text, sentiment analysis that gauges user emotions, and participant recruitment to find the right test users for your studies.

Integrations include Slack, Trello, Jira, Asana, HubSpot, Microsoft Teams, Google Drive, Dropbox, Notion, and Salesforce.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Supports diverse research needs
  • Effective sentiment analysis
  • Automated transcription service

Cons:

  • Can be resource-intensive
  • May need technical expertise

Best for visual analytics

  • Free demo available
  • From $500/month (billed annually)

Contentsquare is an experience intelligence platform designed for marketing, product, and design teams. It provides quantitative data and insights into customer behavior and helps optimize user journeys to improve engagement and conversion rates.

Why I picked Contentsquare: Its visual analytics give you a clear understanding of user interactions on your site. The experience analytics feature allows you to see how users navigate through your pages. Product analytics help track performance and identify areas for improvement. Finally, the customer feedback features let you gather valuable insights directly from users.

Standout features & integrations:

Features include experience monitoring that tracks user interactions in real-time, AI-driven recommendations for optimizing user journeys, and a user-friendly dashboard that presents data in an accessible format.

Integrations include Google Analytics, Salesforce, Adobe Analytics, Optimizely, Tealium, Segment, Slack, HubSpot, Shopify, and WordPress.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Customizable dashboards
  • Real-time experience monitoring
  • AI-driven insights for optimization

Cons:

  • High resource usage on large sites
  • Complex initial setup process

Best for in-depth moderated feedback sessions

  • First 5 sessions free
  • From $25/month

Lookback is a research tool designed for teams to conduct remote moderated and unmoderated sessions, as well as in-person studies. It enables you to test with users globally and invite team members to observe sessions from anywhere. The platform supports both mobile and desktop, consolidating various research methods in one place.

Why I picked Lookback: It specializes in remote interviews, allowing you to conduct live sessions with users anywhere in the world. The platform provides recording capabilities so you can revisit sessions and analyze user feedback. Lookback's live notes feature lets your team document insights during a session. These tools make it easier for you and your team to gather detailed user feedback and improve your product design process.

Standout features & integrations:

Features include a virtual observation room where your team can watch research sessions, chat, tag, and generate highlight reels in real-time. Lookback also offers AI assistance through Eureka, your research sidekick, to help navigate and analyze research data. Additionally, the platform provides participant recruitment services, making it easier to find the right users for your studies.

Integrations include Slack, Trello, Jira, Miro, Figma, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Drive, Dropbox, and Notion.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Suitable for global user testing
  • Highlight reel creation feature
  • Supports live note-taking

Cons:

  • May require training for new users
  • Some features need technical setup

Best for reliability performance monitoring

  • Free demo available
  • From $50/user/month (billed annually)

Catchpoint is a performance monitoring tool designed for IT and operations teams. It helps monitor website and application performance, providing insights to improve user experience and system reliability.

Why I picked Catchpoint: It specializes in performance monitoring, offering real-time alerts to keep your systems running smoothly. The synthetic monitoring feature simulates user interactions to conduct website usability testing and identify potential issues before they affect users. Real user monitoring provides detailed insights into actual user experiences. These benchmarking tools help ensure your site is performing at its best, reducing downtime and improving reliability.

Standout features & integrations:

Features include network monitoring that tracks connectivity and performance issues, endpoint monitoring to ensure device reliability, and API monitoring that checks the performance of your application interfaces.

Integrations include ServiceNow, Slack, Splunk, PagerDuty, DataDog, AppDynamics, New Relic, Microsoft Teams, Grafana, and Elastic.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Supports multiple monitoring protocols
  • Detailed synthetic monitoring
  • Real-time alerting system

Cons:

  • High resource consumption
  • Requires technical expertise

Other User Experience Testing Tools

Here are some additional user experience testing tools options that didn’t make it onto my shortlist, but are still worth checking out:

  1. Maze

    For rapid testing

  2. Trymata (formerly TryMyUI)

    For data-driven UX insights with task success analytics

  3. Lightster

    For instant, user-driven feedback loops

  4. Userlytics

    For multi-device testing

  5. Optimizely

    For advanced experimentation and feature rollout control

  6. Fullstory

    For session replay analysis

  7. SessionLab

    For workshop planning

  8. Looppanel

    For detailed video session behavioral insights

  9. UXArmy

    For remote usability tests

  10. Useberry

    For prototype testing

User Experience Testing Tool Selection Criteria

When selecting the best user experience testing tools to include in this list, I considered common buyer needs and pain points like understanding user behavior and improving design usability. I also used the following framework to keep my evaluation structured and fair:

Core Functionality (25% of total score)
To be considered for inclusion in this list, each solution had to fulfill these common use cases:

  • Conduct usability testing
  • Capture user feedback
  • Provide session recordings
  • Generate heatmaps
  • Facilitate A/B testing

Additional Standout Features (25% of total score)
To help further narrow down the competition, I also looked for unique features, such as:

  • Real-time collaboration tools
  • Advanced sentiment analysis
  • Multilingual support
  • Customizable dashboards
  • Integrations with design tools

Usability (10% of total score)
To get a sense of the usability of each system, I considered the following:

  • Intuitive user interface
  • Ease of navigation
  • Clear labeling of features
  • Minimal learning curve
  • Responsive design

Onboarding (10% of total score)
To evaluate the onboarding experience for each platform, I considered the following:

  • Availability of training videos
  • Interactive product tours
  • Access to templates
  • Supportive webinars
  • Chatbot assistance

Customer Support (10% of total score)
To assess each software provider’s customer support services, I considered the following:

  • 24/7 support availability
  • Responsiveness to inquiries
  • Availability of live chat
  • Comprehensive help center
  • Personalized support options

Value For Money (10% of total score)
To evaluate the value for money of each platform, I considered the following:

  • Competitive pricing
  • Flexible subscription plans
  • Discounts for long-term contracts
  • Features offered at each price point
  • Return on investment

Customer Reviews (10% of total score)
To get a sense of overall customer satisfaction, I considered the following when reading customer reviews:

  • Overall satisfaction ratings
  • Commonly reported issues
  • Praise for specific features
  • Feedback on support quality
  • User recommendations

How to Choose User Experience Testing Tools

It’s easy to get bogged down in long feature lists and complex pricing structures. To help you stay focused as you work through your unique software selection process, here’s a checklist of factors to keep in mind:

FactorWhat to Consider
ScalabilityEnsure the tool can grow with your team. Look for options that handle increasing data loads and user numbers without compromising performance.
IntegrationsCheck if the tool integrates with your existing tech stack, like project management and design tools, to streamline your workflow and improve efficiency.
CustomizabilityChoose a tool that lets you tailor user interfaces and reports to fit your specific needs, ensuring it aligns with your team’s processes and goals.
Ease of UseLook for intuitive interfaces and easy navigation. Your team should be able to adopt the tool quickly without extensive training or a steep learning curve.
BudgetConsider the total cost, including subscription fees and any additional charges for extra features or users. Ensure it fits your budget constraints.
Security SafeguardsVerify that the tool complies with data protection regulations and offers features like encryption and user access controls to protect sensitive data.
Support OptionsEvaluate the availability of customer support, including live chat, phone support, and help center resources, to assist your team when needed.
Feedback MechanismsLook for tools that offer multiple ways to gather user feedback, such as surveys, video feedback, and live sessions, to cover all your research needs.

In my research, I sourced countless product updates, press releases, and release logs from different usability testing tools vendors. Here are some of the emerging trends I’m keeping an eye on:

  • AI-Powered Insights: Vendors are using AI to analyze user data more effectively, providing deeper insights into user behavior. This trend helps teams identify patterns and issues quickly, as seen in tools like Fullstory that offer AI-driven analytics.
  • Real-Time Collaboration: Tools are increasingly offering features that allow teams to work together in real-time during testing sessions. This enhances communication and speeds up decision-making processes, a feature embraced by platforms like Lookback.
  • Emphasis on Accessibility Testing: There's a growing focus on ensuring digital products are accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. Vendors like UserTesting are integrating accessibility checks into their user testing processes.
  • Remote Testing Capabilities: With more teams working remotely, tools that support remote testing are gaining traction. Platforms like Maze offer features that facilitate remote usability testing, making it easier for distributed teams to gather user feedback.
  • Enhanced Video Feedback: Video feedback is becoming more detailed and interactive, allowing for better analysis of user reactions. PlaybookUX, for example, provides features that let teams view and analyze detailed video feedback from user sessions.

What Are User Experience Testing Tools?

User experience testing tools, or usability testing tools, are software solutions that help businesses evaluate and improve the usability of their digital products. These tools are generally used by UX designers, product managers, and researchers to gather insights into user behavior (testers) and enhance product design. UX research features like usability testing, session recordings, and feedback collection help with understanding user needs, demographics, and identifying areas for improvement. Overall, these tools provide valuable insights that lead to better user experiences and increased satisfaction.

Features of User Experience Testing Tools

When selecting user testing tools, keep an eye out for the following key features:

  • Usability testing: Allows you to evaluate how easily users and test participants can navigate your product, helping identify design improvements.
  • Session recordings: Captures real user interactions with your product, providing insights into user behavior and pain points.
  • Heatmaps: Visualizes where users click and scroll, offering a clear picture of user engagement on your site.
  • A/B testing: Enables testing of different versions of your product to determine which performs better with users.
  • Feedback collection: Gathers direct user opinions through user interviews, surveys, and forms, helping you understand user needs and preferences.
  • Video feedback: Real-time feedback and video recordings provide detailed visual insights into user reactions and interactions, enhancing understanding of user experience.
  • Remote testing capabilities: Facilitates testing with users from different locations, making it easier for distributed teams to gather feedback.
  • Real-time collaboration: Allows team members to work together during testing sessions, improving communication and decision-making.
  • Accessibility testing methods: Ensures your product is usable by people with disabilities, enhancing inclusivity and compliance.
  • AI-powered insights: Uses artificial intelligence to analyze data and provide deeper insights into user behavior and trends.

Benefits of User Experience Testing Tools

Implementing user experience testing tools provides several benefits for your team and your business. Here are a few you can look forward to:

  • Improved design decisions: UX testing can help you make informed design choices that enhance user satisfaction by analyzing session recordings and heatmaps.
  • Increased user engagement: Feedback collection and A/B testing help you tailor your product to user preferences, boosting engagement.
  • Faster problem identification: Usability testing and video feedback allow you to quickly spot and address issues, reducing downtime.
  • Enhanced team collaboration: Real-time collaboration features enable your team to work together effectively during testing sessions.
  • Greater accessibility: Accessibility testing ensures your product is usable by everyone, broadening your audience and meeting compliance standards.
  • Data-driven insights: AI-powered insights provide a deeper understanding of user behavior, guiding strategic decisions.
  • Cost-effective improvements: By identifying issues early through remote testing capabilities, you can implement cost-effective fixes that improve the user experience.

Costs and Pricing of User Experience Testing Tools

Selecting user experience testing tools requires an understanding of the various pricing models and plans available. Costs vary based on features, team size, add-ons, and more. The table below summarizes common plans, their average prices, and typical features included in user experience testing tools solutions:

Plan Comparison Table for User Experience Testing Tools

Plan TypeAverage PriceCommon Features
Free Plan$0Basic usability testing, limited session recordings, and basic feedback collection.
Personal Plan$15-$30/
user/month
Usability testing, session recordings, heatmaps, and basic A/B testing.
Business Plan$50-$100/
user/month
Advanced usability testing, detailed session recordings, comprehensive feedback collection, video feedback, and real-time collaboration.
Enterprise Plan$150-$300/
user/month
Customizable dashboards, in-depth analytics, dedicated support, AI-powered insights, and extensive integration options.

User Experience Testing Tools FAQs

Here are some answers to common questions about user experience testing tools:

What questions should I ask in user testing?

When conducting user testing, focus on questions that reveal user satisfaction and ease of use. Ask users what they liked most and least about the product, and how they would describe their experience. Such questions help you understand user preferences and identify areas needing improvement.

Which tool can be used when working with user assistance testing?

Different tools cater to various aspects of user testing. For on-demand testing, Userfeel is popular. Trymata excels in testing customer journeys, while Hotjar is known for website user behavior analytics. Choose a tool that best fits your specific testing needs.

What is the difference between user experience testing and UAT?

User experience testing focuses on user interactions, assessing how intuitive and enjoyable a product is. User Acceptance Testing (UAT) involves stakeholders validating that the product meets business requirements. Both simulate real-world scenarios but have different goals and participants.

How many users do you need for user testing?

The number of users needed varies by study type. For moderated usability tests, 5 users can uncover 80% of friction areas. Unmoderated tests may require 20 or more users. Always consider the study’s goals and complexity when deciding on the number of participants.

How do you ensure test results are unbiased?

To ensure unbiased results, select a diverse group of participants that represents your target audience. Use standardized test scripts and avoid leading questions. Analyze data with an open mind, focusing on user feedback rather than preconceived expectations.

How can user experience testing tools improve product design?

These tools provide insights into how users interact with your product, highlighting usability issues and areas for improvement. By analyzing session recordings and user feedback, teams can make informed design changes that enhance user satisfaction and product functionality.

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Hannah Clark
By Hannah Clark

Hannah Clark is the Editor of The Product Manager. Following six years of experience in the tech industry, she pivoted into the content marketing space. She’s spent the better part of the past decade working in marketing agencies and offering freelance branding and content development services. Today, she’s a digital publisher who is privileged to work with some of the most brilliant voices in the product world. Driven by insatiable curiosity and a love of bringing people together, her mission is to foster a fun, vibrant, and inspiring community of product people.