How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Ratings come from G2, Capterra or Trustpilot, with the date we checked them.
Key takeaways
- Lyssna is the best all-round Maze replacement for fast unmoderated tests with a large participant panel.
- Lookback suits teams that need live moderated interviews, where Maze's unmoderated numbers leave questions unanswered.
- Optimal Workshop suits information architecture research, with card sorting and tree testing that Maze covers only lightly.
- UserTesting suits enterprises that want video-first feedback at scale and can pay for a custom quote.
- Panel costs and per-seat pricing matter as much as the subscription: a cheap tool with expensive participants can cost more than a pricier platform.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Lyssna | Fast unmoderated tests | $166 per user/month | Yes |
 UserTesting | Enterprise video feedback | See website | No |
 Lookback | Live moderated interviews | $25 per user/month | No |
 Optimal Workshop | Information architecture research | $199 per user/month | No |
 UXtweak | All-in-one research methods | See website | Yes |
 Useberry | Prototype and website testing | See website | Yes |
 Userbrain | Quick unmoderated video tests | $49 per user/month | No |
 Hotjar | Behavior analytics from real traffic | Free | Yes |
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The best Maze alternatives
#1Lyssna
Best for: Fast unmoderated tests4.4/5 on
G2 (189 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit lyssna.com
Starting price$166 per user/month
Free planYes
Lyssna, formerly UsabilityHub, is the closest Maze replacement for fast, unmoderated design validation. Its panel of over 690,000 participants gives quick directional feedback, and its test types cover first-click tests, preference tests, five-second tests, and prototype tasks. A design team can launch a test in the morning and share results with stakeholders by the afternoon, which matches Maze's speed for pre-build validation.
The trade is price and depth. Growth at $166 per user per month on annual billing is not cheap, panel costs add on top, and moderated research is thinner than in interview-first tools. Lyssna fits best for design teams that run frequent unmoderated tests and need a large, reliable panel.
What we like- Large participant panel of over 690,000 people
- Fast unmoderated test setup
- First-click and preference tests included
Watch out for- Growth plan is $166 per user per month on annual billing
- Panel costs add to the subscription
- Moderated research is thinner
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
UserTesting suits enterprises that want video-first user feedback at scale. Its global participant panel, video recordings, and enterprise integrations cover moderated interviews, unmoderated tasks, and card sorting in one platform, with AI-assisted analysis to speed up insight extraction. For a large product organization that tests weekly across markets, UserTesting's scale is hard to match.
The limits are price and planning. Pricing is custom and reviewers consistently describe UserTesting as expensive, especially for startups and small teams, and setup takes more planning than a Maze link share. UserTesting fits best for enterprises that can justify a custom quote for video feedback at scale.
What we like- Video-first feedback with large global panel
- Enterprise scale and integrations
- Moderated and unmoderated options
Watch out for- Custom pricing, often expensive for small teams
- Reviewers cite cost as a limiting factor
- Setup takes more planning
#3Lookback
Best for: Live moderated interviews4.3/5 on
G2 (21 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit lookback.com
Starting price$25 per user/month
Free planNo
Lookback suits teams whose main gap in Maze is depth: understanding why a user hesitated, not just where they clicked. Its live moderated interviews include real-time observer mode, so stakeholders can watch, take notes, and ask follow-up questions during a session. The Freelance plan at $25 per user per month on annual billing makes it one of the most affordable interview tools in this list.
The trade is breadth. Lookback has no free plan, its unmoderated testing is thinner than Maze's, and its review base is smaller than UserTesting's. Lookback fits best for interview-led teams that pair it with an unmoderated tool such as Lyssna for quantitative validation.
What we like- Real-time observer mode for live sessions
- Easy setup for remote interviews
- Good value for interview-led research
Watch out for- No free plan
- Unmoderated testing is thinner than Maze
- Smaller review base than UserTesting
Starting price$199 per user/month
Free planNo
Optimal Workshop suits teams whose research question is information architecture: how users group content, label categories, and find pages. Its card sorting and tree testing tools are the strongest in this list, with analysis that shows where navigation breaks down before a redesign ships. For a team restructuring a website or a product's navigation, that focus beats a general testing tool.
The limits are price and breadth. Starter at $199 per user per month on annual billing is a serious commitment, there is no free plan, and its method set is narrower than Lyssna's or UXtweak's. Optimal Workshop fits best for IA-led projects where navigation decisions carry real risk.
What we like- Best card sorting and tree testing here
- Strong IA analysis
- Used by large research teams
Watch out for- Starter at $199 per user per month on annual billing
- No free plan
- Narrower than an all-in-one platform
Starting priceSee website
Free planYes
UXtweak suits teams that want many research methods in one EU-based platform. Its suite covers usability testing, tree testing, card sorting, session recording, and surveys, so a team can run a full research program without juggling four vendors. Its free plan lets a small team start before paying, and its EU hosting suits teams with GDPR requirements.
The trade is pricing clarity and complexity. Pricing is quote-based in some guides, with a Business plan reported around $942 per year, and its interface packs a lot in, so new users face a learning curve. UXtweak fits best for teams that want a multi-method platform with EU hosting and can invest time in learning it.
What we like- Usability, tree testing, card sorting, and recording in one suite
- EU-based platform
- Free plan available
Watch out for- Pricing is quote-based in some guides
- Interface packs a lot in
- Panel costs vary by market
Starting priceSee website
Free planYes
Useberry suits small teams that need basic prototype and website testing without Maze's price. Its free plan covers early tests, and its Growth plan is reported around 83 euros per month on annual billing, which undercuts Lyssna and Optimal Workshop for a small team. Prototype tasks, website tests, and simple surveys cover the core validation loop.
The limits are scale. Pricing is quote-based in some guides, its participant panel is smaller than Lyssna's, and enterprise features are fewer. Useberry fits best for small teams that need straightforward prototype and website testing on a budget.
What we like- Prototype and website testing in one tool
- Free plan available
- Good for small teams
Watch out for- Pricing is quote-based in some guides
- Smaller panel than Lyssna
- Fewer enterprise features
#7Userbrain
Best for: Quick unmoderated video tests4.5/5 on
G2 (35 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit userbrain.com
Starting price$49 per user/month
Free planNo
Userbrain suits teams that want quick unmoderated video tests without UserTesting's enterprise price. Its Pro plan at $49 per user per month on annual billing gives video recordings of users completing tasks, which adds context that Maze's click data alone cannot. Setup is simple, and results arrive fast enough for weekly design cycles.
The trade is breadth. There is no free plan, its method set is narrower than Lyssna's, and panel quality varies by market. Userbrain fits best for teams that want affordable video feedback on prototypes and websites, paired with a survey or interview tool for deeper insight.
What we like- Quick unmoderated video tests
- Simple setup
- Affordable entry for video feedback
Watch out for- No free plan
- Narrower method set than Lyssna
- Panel quality varies by market
#8Hotjar
Best for: Behavior analytics from real traffic4.3/5 on
G2 (345 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit hotjar.com
Starting priceFree
Free planYes
Hotjar suits teams that want to learn from real traffic rather than recruited testers. Its heatmaps and session recordings show where real visitors click, scroll, and drop off, while surveys and feedback widgets capture in-product reactions. The free Basic plan covers Observe heatmaps and recordings, with Plus at $39 per month for larger volume.
The limits are model and change. Hotjar is now part of Contentsquare, so branding and pricing may shift, and it is not a recruited-panel testing tool: it observes real users, it does not run structured prototype tasks with a panel. Hotjar fits best as a complement to Maze or Lyssna, giving behavior data from production that validates what lab tests suggest.
What we like- Heatmaps and session recordings from real users
- Free Basic plan
- Surveys and feedback included
Watch out for- Now part of Contentsquare, so branding and pricing may change
- Not a recruited-panel testing tool
- Recordings need traffic volume
How we chose
We compared these tools on research methods, participant panels, pricing, and whether they suit unmoderated, moderated, or behavior-led research, since Maze buyers usually leave over price, panel access, or interview depth. Pricing figures come from vendor pages and current comparison guides checked in October 2026, and any figure we could not confirm is marked as See website. We did not claim hands-on testing. Instead we weighed public documentation, pricing pages, and user reviews, plus the practical difference between a recruited test and real-traffic observation.
What to check before you pick
Start with the question. If the question is whether users can complete a task, an unmoderated tool such as Lyssna or Useberry answers it fast. If the question is why users struggle, a moderated tool such as Lookback answers it. If the question is how real visitors behave, Hotjar answers it from production traffic. Most mature teams use two of the three, not one tool for everything.
Panels, consent, and privacy
Participant panels cost money and carry consent duties. Confirm panel pricing for your target markets before budgeting, since a cheap subscription with expensive participants can cost more than a pricier platform. For moderated interviews, get consent for recording, store recordings securely, and follow GDPR or local privacy rules for participant data. For real-traffic tools, check consent banners and data retention settings.
Pairing quantitative and qualitative research
Maze's strength is numbers: task success, misclicks, and paths. Its weakness is explanation. Pair an unmoderated tool with Lookback interviews for the why, or with Hotjar recordings for production behavior, and you cover both. Budget for that pair rather than expecting one tool to answer every research question.
Frequently asked questions
What is Maze used for?
Maze is an unmoderated user research platform for testing Figma prototypes, websites, and designs before development. It gives task success rates, misclicks, and paths through a prototype, plus surveys, card sorting, and five-second tests, with a built-in participant panel.
Which Maze alternative is cheapest?
Hotjar's free Basic plan is cheapest for behavior analytics, while Lookback at $25 per user per month is cheapest for moderated interviews and Userbrain at $49 per user per month is cheapest for unmoderated video tests. Lyssna's free plan covers early unmoderated tests before its $166 Growth plan.
Is Lyssna the same as UsabilityHub?
Yes. UsabilityHub rebranded as Lyssna, and its panel and test types carried over. Guides still mention UsabilityHub when comparing older pricing, so check current Lyssna pricing before budgeting.
Do I need a participant panel?
Not always. You can recruit your own users for free, but a panel gives faster, more diverse participants, especially for niche audiences. Panel costs add to the subscription, so confirm panel pricing for your target markets before committing.
Can Hotjar replace Maze?
Not directly. Hotjar observes real traffic with heatmaps and recordings, while Maze runs structured tests with recruited participants on prototypes. They complement each other: Hotjar validates production behavior, Maze validates designs before build.
How do I choose between unmoderated and moderated research?
Use unmoderated tests for fast, quantitative answers on task success and navigation, and moderated interviews for depth on why users struggle. Most teams need both, pairing a tool such as Lyssna with Lookback.
Sources we checked (8)
- https://www.lyssna.com
- https://www.usertesting.com
- https://www.lookback.com
- https://www.optimalworkshop.com
- https://www.uxtweak.com
- https://www.useberry.com
- https://userbrain.com
- https://www.hotjar.com
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has 5+ years in B2B and SaaS SEO. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.