When selecting the best user research and feedback tool, there are predetermining factors (besides pricing) to consider. Whether you are searching for the best tool for an impending product launch or refining an existing one, your choice can significantly impact your success.

In this article, we cut through the clutter and give you the facts you need to make an informed choice. We'll compare UserTesting, a well-established tool, against Crowd, a newcomer to the scene that is an all-in-one tool. Our assessment will cover these critical criteria, offering you a clear-eyed comparison without the fluff:

1. Platform Features: What offerings and functionalities are unique to each platform?

2. Pricing and Plans: What sets apart the pricing and plans of Crowd and UserTesting?

3. Ease of Use: How intuitive are these tools for beginners and experts?

4. Versatility: Can they adapt to diverse research scenarios and methodologies?

Platform Features

It's important to highlight that on Crowd, features such as prototype tests, 5-second tests, and card sorting are available to users, even on the free plan. However, on UserTesting, these features are only accessible to users on the highest plan.

Pricing

One of the significant differences between Crowd and UserTesting lies in the approach to pricing transparency. At Crowd, we provide a pricing plan structure upfront to help our users understand the costs associated with our platform from the outset. In contrast, UserTesting requires users to schedule a sales call to discuss pricing, which makes it challenging to evaluate the platform against alternatives from the get-go.

Another aspect worth considering is the flexibility in subscription plans. Crowd allows subscribed users to select which features they want to upgrade without any middleman. On the other hand, UserTesting users need to negotiate upgrades and custom plan features, which can be cumbersome and time-consuming. Additionally, Crowd offers a free plan with essential features for UX researchers or product teams just starting. In contrast, UserTesting only has a free trial period for their tier 1 paid plan (Essentials).

For instance, a closer look at the comparison between the highest-tier plan on UserTesting (Ultimate plan) and the second-tier paid plan on Crowd (Growth plan). Crowd's Growth Plan not only includes all the features of UserTesting's Ultimate plan but also offers additional features such as:

• Integration with a wide range of third-party apps,

• Kanban Board

• Unlimited in-product feedback widgets

• Customizable templates

Ease of Use

At Crowd, we focus on making user insights accessible to everyone, whether you're just starting or an experienced pro. Our platform offers a user-friendly experience with customizable templates for research and testing.

Based on user reviews on G2, UserTesting has a steep learning curve and complex navigation, which may pose challenges for beginners using user research tools.

Source: g2.com

Versatility of Crowd vs Limitations of UserTesting

😎 Feedback Widgets

Crowd offers a sophisticated feature known as Feedback Widgets. These custom tools seamlessly integrate into your product, allowing users to provide valuable insights directly within the user interface. With Feedback Widgets, users can conveniently report bugs, share their Net Promoter Score (NPS), rate their satisfaction (CSAT), and submit feature requests — without leaving the platform. This feature sets Crowd apart from UserTesting, offering a unique avenue for collecting actionable feedback and enhancing user engagement.

🚀 Launch tests on Website

With Crowd, you can effortlessly launch your tests directly to your website. That means visitors to your site can take your test and provide feedback as they interact with your product. It's a convenient option if you prefer to gather insights from your own website's audience instead of recruiting participants from our partner, Prolific's, pool of vetted testers.

This feature is not available on UserTesting.

Key Insights

• Crowd offers widgets that can be installed within your product to gather bug reports, NPS (Net Promoter Score), CSAT (Customer Satisfaction), and feature requests—a feature that does not exist on UserTesting.

• Unlike UserTesting, which saves essential features for its priciest plan, Crowd gives more features and capabilities across all its plans.

• Crowd subscription plans carry clear pricing, while UserTesting requires users to book a sales call to get a price.

• Crowd offers users a free plan with over features and tools, whereas UserTesting only allows a free trial period for their paid plans.

In conclusion, opting for Crowd means you enjoy more features and tools at a lower cost.

Try Crowd for free today and see for yourself.