20 Best Usability Testing Tools to Improve UX

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In today’s digital-first world, creating seamless and intuitive user experiences is more important than ever. Whether you’re designing a website, mobile app, or digital product, understanding how real users interact with your interface is crucial for success. This is where usability testing tools come in. 

These platforms empower designers, product managers, and developers to observe, analyze, and optimize user journeys, ultimately ensuring your product is both easy to use and enjoyable.

Usability testing tools have become essential for businesses of all sizes. They help identify pain points, uncover user frustrations, and reveal opportunities for improvement that might otherwise go unnoticed. 

By leveraging these tools, teams can make informed decisions, enhance user satisfaction, and increase conversion rates. 

In this design journal, we’ll explore what usability testing is, why it matters in product development, and dive into the 20 best usability testing tools available today.

What is usability testing?

Usability testing is a user-centered evaluation method where real users interact with your product to complete specific tasks while observers watch, listen, and take notes. 

The primary goal is to identify any usability issues, collect qualitative and quantitative data, and determine the overall user satisfaction with the product. 

Usability testing tools streamline this process by providing features like screen recording, heatmaps, surveys, and analytics, making it easier to gather actionable insights.

Importance of usability testing in product development

Integrating usability testing into the product development lifecycle is vital for creating user-friendly digital experiences. Here’s why:

• Early detection of issues: Usability testing tools help catch navigation problems, confusing layouts, or unclear calls-to-action before launch, saving time and resources on costly redesigns.
• User-centric design: By observing real users, teams can validate design decisions and ensure the product meets the actual needs of users, not just assumptions.
• Improved conversion rates: Optimizing user flows based on usability insights results in higher engagement, increased conversions, and improved retention.
• Competitive advantage: Products that are easier to use stand out in crowded markets, building brand loyalty and positive word-of-mouth.
• Data-driven decisions: Usability testing tools provide both qualitative feedback (user thoughts and feelings) and quantitative data (task completion rates, time on task), enabling informed improvements.

Whether you’re using free usability testing tools for quick feedback or advanced remote usability testing tools for in-depth research, integrating usability testing is a proven strategy for product success.

20 Best usability testing tools

Finding the right usability testing tool can make or break your product’s user experience. Below, we’ve curated the 20 best usability testing tools, covering free, remote, and mobile options, to help you discover, analyze, and optimize how real users interact with your website or app.

1. Maze

Maze is designed for rapid, remote user research and continuous product discovery. With Maze, teams can run unmoderated tests, prototype tests, card sorting, and surveys—all within an intuitive drag-and-drop interface. 

The platform integrates seamlessly with design tools like Figma and Sketch, making it easy to test new ideas early and often. 

Maze offers a free usability testing tool plan for individuals and startups, as well as scalable paid options for larger teams. 

Notably, Maze provides access to a global panel of over 120,000 participants, enabling targeted remote usability testing. 

Automated analytics and visually rich reports help teams quickly turn user insights into actionable improvements, making Maze one of the best usability testing tools for modern product teams.

2. Lookback

Lookback is a usability testing tool focused on live and recorded user sessions. It supports both unmoderated and moderated remote tests, allowing teams to observe real users as they interact with websites, apps, or prototypes. 

Lookback’s collaborative workspace lets stakeholders comment and analyze sessions together, making it ideal for distributed teams. 

The platform offers features like screen and audio recording, participant management, and timestamped notes. Lookback is widely used for mobile usability testing, as it supports native app tests on both iOS and Android devices. 

A generous free trial and flexible plans make it accessible for teams seeking robust remote usability testing tools.

3. UserTesting

UserTesting is for organizations needing fast, in-depth insights from real users. It offers both moderated and unmoderated remote usability testing tools, allowing you to watch videos of participants as they navigate your website or mobile app. 

UserTesting’s platform provides access to a large, diverse panel, detailed demographic targeting, and rapid turnaround; most studies are completed within hours. 

While it’s a premium solution, UserTesting is ideal for teams that need robust analytics, advanced participant filters, and comprehensive mobile usability testing tools for both iOS and Android devices.

4. Optimal Workshop

Optimal Workshop is a suite of usability testing tools focused on information architecture and navigation. Its standout features include card sorting, tree testing, and first-click testing, which help teams structure content and navigation in a user-friendly way. 

The platform offers a free usability testing tool plan and paid tiers with more advanced analytics. 

Optimal Workshop is highly regarded for remote usability testing tools, making it easy to recruit participants and analyze results from anywhere in the world. It’s especially useful for teams optimizing website menus, categories, and content hierarchy.

5. UsabilityHub (Lyssna)

UsabilityHub, now rebranded as Lyssna, is a remote usability testing tool designed for quick, actionable feedback on designs, prototypes, and user flows. 

Its pay-per-answer model makes it a cost-effective option for teams that need insights without a long-term commitment. 

UsabilityHub offers a range of usability testing tools, including five-second tests, preference tests, and surveys. The platform provides a free plan for basic needs, while advanced analytics and participant targeting are available on paid plans. It’s especially strong for remote usability testing and concept validation.

6. Loop11

Loop11 is a powerful usability testing tool that enables businesses to conduct both moderated and unmoderated usability studies across desktop, mobile, and tablet devices. 

It features unlimited tasks and questions, real-time analytics, AI-driven insights, and customizable reporting, making it suitable for both small teams and large enterprises. 

Loop11 supports A/B testing, heatmaps, clickstream analysis, and prototype testing, allowing you to either bring your own participants or utilize their recruitment services. 

Its no-code interface, multilingual support, and accessibility testing features make it accessible and flexible, while the 14-day free trial and monthly plans starting at $199 provide cost-effective entry points for teams seeking free usability testing tools or advanced remote usability testing tools.

7. Userfeel

Userfeel is a flexible usability testing tool that operates on a pay-as-you-go model, making it ideal for teams that need occasional user testing without committing to a subscription. 

It supports both desktop and mobile usability testing tools, allowing you to test websites and apps with real users from a global panel. 

Userfeel provides video recordings, transcriptions, and highlight reels, along with unlimited screening questions and multi-language support, making it one of the best usability testing tools for international research and remote usability testing.

8. Trymata (Formerly TryMyUI)

Trymata is an online usability testing tool that enables businesses to gather actionable feedback on websites and apps through real user testing. 

Its diverse tester pool and detailed feedback mechanisms help teams uncover usability issues, optimize digital experiences, and make data-driven improvements. The platform is user-friendly, making test setup and analysis straightforward for teams of all skill levels. 

Trymata is particularly useful for businesses seeking quick insights into user experiences, offering features such as session recordings, task-based tests, and written feedback to ensure comprehensive usability evaluation.

9. Hotjar

Hotjar is a powerful usability testing platform that blends behavioral analytics with user feedback to optimize digital experiences. 

Its suite of tools includes heatmaps, session recordings, surveys, feedback polls, and form analysis, providing deep insights into how users interact with your website or app. 

Hotjar excels at remote usability testing, allowing teams to observe real user sessions, identify pain points, and validate design changes with both qualitative and quantitative data. 

With features such as on-site recruitment surveys, A/B testing, and GDPR– compliant data handling, Hotjar is trusted by over a million websites worldwide for continuous website and product improvement.

10. UserZoom

UserZoom is an all-in-one usability testing platform designed for design, research, product, and marketing teams looking to optimize digital experiences. 

It excels at gathering both qualitative and quantitative data through remote moderated and unmoderated usability tests, supporting a wide range of studies, including live intercepts, benchmarking, and automated transcripts. 

UserZoom’s robust analytics, participant recruitment, and fast feedback collection make it a top choice for enterprise teams seeking comprehensive insights into user behavior and product performance.

11. Qualaroo

Qualaroo specializes in contextual user feedback via targeted surveys on websites and apps, enabling teams to gather actionable insights at critical moments without disrupting the user experience. 

Its AI-powered sentiment analysis and customizable targeting options help teams interpret responses quickly and identify trends for ongoing optimization. 

Qualaroo’s surveys can be triggered by specific user actions, making it easy to collect feedback on new features, pain points, or conversion barriers, making it a valuable addition for continuous usability testing and product improvement.

12. Crazy Egg

Crazy Egg is a visual analytics and usability testing tool that provides heatmaps, scrollmaps, and A/B testing to help teams understand how users interact with their websites. 

Its session recordings and intuitive dashboards allow for the identification of friction points and optimization opportunities. 

Crazy Egg’s remote usability testing tools capture data from users worldwide, while its affordable plans and free trials make it accessible for teams of all sizes looking to boost conversions and engagement through data-driven design changes.

13. Userlytics

Userlytics is a comprehensive remote usability testing tool that offers both moderated and unmoderated usability testing, as well as prototype, card sorting, and tree testing. 

It features a global participant pool and advanced capabilities like accessibility testing, sentiment analysis, and focus groups. 

Userlytics’ robust analytics and flexible participant targeting make it one of the best usability testing tools for teams conducting complex, multi-platform research for apps and responsive websites.

14. Userbrain

Userbrain is a straightforward, unmoderated remote usability testing tool designed for fast and easy user testing of websites, apps, and prototypes. 

It lets you set up tests in minutes using templates, recruit from a pool of over 145,000 qualified testers, or invite your own users. 

Userbrain’s standout features include automated test reports, AI-powered insights that highlight key moments in user sessions, and automatic transcripts for rapid analysis. 

The platform supports mobile usability testing tools, enabling you to see how real users interact with your app on iOS and Android devices. 

While Userbrain is praised for its affordability, ease of use, and customer support, some users have noted limitations in tester quality, demographic targeting, and advanced analytics. 

Nonetheless, it remains a solid choice for lightweight, quick-turnaround usability tests, especially for startups and small teams seeking free usability testing tools or flexible pay-as-you-go options.

15. UXtweak

UXtweak is a comprehensive, all-in-one usability testing tool that offers a wide range of features for improving the UX of websites and apps, from prototypes to live products. 

Its suite includes card sorting, tree testing, session recording, first-click testing, and advanced analytics, making it suitable for both moderated and unmoderated studies. 

UXtweak supports mobile usability testing tools and provides a global panel for participant recruitment, ensuring you get feedback from your target audience. 

With its intuitive interface, flexible pricing, and integrated recruiting tools, UXtweak is considered one of the best usability testing tools for teams seeking robust research capabilities and actionable insights at any stage of the product lifecycle.

16. Usersnap

Usersnap focuses on visual feedback and bug tracking, making it easy for teams to collect annotated screenshots and direct feedback from users during usability testing. 

It integrates with popular project management and collaboration tools, streamlining the process of turning user insights into actionable tasks. 

Usersnap supports remote usability testing tools and is especially valuable for continuous product improvement, allowing teams to gather feedback throughout development and after launch. 

Its user-friendly interface and robust integrations make Usersnap a top choice for teams prioritizing fast iteration and visual communication.

17. Useberry

Useberry is a modern usability testing tool designed to help teams validate prototypes and optimize user flows before development. 

Integrating seamlessly with popular design platforms like Figma, Sketch, and Adobe XD, Useberry allows you to import interactive prototypes and set up a variety of usability tests, including task completion, first-click, five-second, and preference tests. 

Its analytics suite features heatmaps, click tracking, and user flow visualizations, providing clear insights into how users interact with your designs and where they encounter friction. 

Useberry supports both remote usability testing and mobile usability testing, letting you recruit participants from a vetted global pool or invite your own users for targeted studies. Collaboration features such as team roles, multiple workspaces, and easy result sharing make it ideal for distributed product teams. 

With a free plan for small projects and scalable paid options, Useberry stands out as one of the best usability testing tools for design-driven organizations seeking fast, actionable feedback.

18. UX Metrics

UX Metrics is a usability testing and analytics tool focused on providing clear, actionable data to help teams measure and improve user experience. 

It tracks key UX metrics, such as task completion rates, time on task, user satisfaction scores, and error rates, providing product teams with a comprehensive view of usability performance. 

UX Metrics supports both remote usability testing and in-person studies, offering customizable dashboards and exportable reports that facilitate clear communication of findings and informed data-driven design decisions. 

By combining behavioral data (such as clicks and navigation paths) with attitudinal feedback (like satisfaction surveys), UX Metrics enables teams to identify pain points, optimize user journeys, and prioritize improvements for both web and mobile products.

19. User Interviews

User Interviews is a specialized participant recruitment platform that streamlines the process of finding and managing testers for usability studies. 

It connects researchers with a diverse and vetted pool of participants for both remote and in-person usability testing, allowing for precise demographic and behavioral targeting. 

Advanced filtering and scheduling tools help teams quickly recruit users who match their ideal profiles, ensuring high-quality and relevant feedback. 

User Interviews integrates with many leading usability testing tools, making it a valuable resource for teams that need reliable, targeted testers for continuous research and product validation.

20. GetFeedback

GetFeedback is a flexible survey and feedback platform tailored for usability testing and customer experience research. 

It enables teams to create customizable surveys that can be embedded in websites, apps, or sent via email, making it easy to gather user opinions at key touchpoints. 

GetFeedback’s analytics dashboard provides real-time insights, trend tracking, and segmentation, helping teams identify usability issues and prioritize enhancements. 

The platform supports both web and mobile usability testing and integrates with popular CRM and analytics tools, allowing organizations to close the feedback loop and drive continuous improvement based on user input.

Key features to look for in usability testing tools

Selecting the best usability testing tools for your team means understanding which features will have the most impact on your research and product development. 

Screen and voice recording

Screen and voice recording are foundational features in modern usability testing tools. They allow you to capture exactly what users see and do as they interact with your website, app, or prototype. 

This means you can observe mouse movements, clicks, taps, and navigation paths, as well as hear users’ spoken thoughts and reactions in real time. 

Tools like Loop11 and Userfeel offer robust recording capabilities, enabling teams to review sessions, create highlight reels, and share key moments with stakeholders. 

These recordings are invaluable for understanding user intent, pinpointing usability issues, and building empathy with your audience.

Heatmaps and session recordings

Heatmaps and session recordings are powerful analytics features found in many of the best usability testing tools. 

While heatmaps visually represent where users click, tap, scroll, or move their mouse, highlighting popular and ignored areas of your interface. Session recordings go a step further, providing playback of entire user journeys so you can see exactly how people interact with your product. 

Hotjar and UXtweak are standout tools in this area, offering real-time monitoring, scroll maps, and detailed user journey analysis. 

These features help teams identify friction points, optimize layouts, and validate design changes with concrete behavioral data.

Task-based testing and prototyping

Task-based testing is a core component of usability testing tools, allowing you to assign specific tasks or scenarios for users to complete. 

This approach helps evaluate how easily users can accomplish key actions, such as signing up, finding information, or completing a purchase. 

Prototyping support is equally important, enabling teams to test early-stage designs and gather feedback before development. 

Tools like Maze, UXtweak, and Useberry excel in this area, offering seamless integration with design platforms and flexible test creation for both web and mobile usability testing tools. By analyzing task success rates and user paths, you can refine your product’s usability at every stage.

User panel and recruitment options

Access to a diverse and relevant user panel is crucial for meaningful usability testing. The best usability testing tools offer built-in recruitment services or integrate with platforms like User Interviews, allowing you to target participants based on demographics, behaviors, or custom criteria. 

Some tools, such as UXtweak, provide a global user panel with detailed profiling attributes and even CRM-like features for managing your own testers. 

On-site recruiting widgets and participant management tools make it easy to find and engage the right users, whether you’re running remote usability testing or in-person studies.

Reporting, analytics, and AI-powered insights

Comprehensive reporting and analytics are essential for turning raw usability data into actionable improvements. 

The best usability testing tools offer customizable dashboards, exportable reports, and visual response charts to help you communicate findings with your team and stakeholders. 

Many modern platforms now leverage AI-powered insights to automatically summarize sessions, highlight key trends, and generate actionable recommendations, saving time and increasing research efficiency. 

Features like sentiment analysis, automated transcripts, and benchmarking further enhance your ability to make data-driven design decisions.

Conclusion

Usability testing tools are indispensable for creating user-friendly digital products. By leveraging features such as screen and voice recording, heatmaps, task-based testing, robust user panels, and advanced analytics, teams can identify and address critical usability issues, ultimately optimizing user experiences. 

Whether you’re looking for free usability testing tools to get started, remote usability testing tools for distributed teams, or mobile usability testing tools to ensure app performance, today’s platforms offer solutions for every need and budget.

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Frequently asked questions

Can usability testing tools be used for both mobile apps and websites?

Yes, most modern usability testing tools are designed to support both mobile apps and websites. 

Leading platforms, such as UserTesting, UserZoom, Lookback, and BrowserStack, enable teams to conduct usability tests on a wide range of real devices and browsers, ensuring seamless user experiences across various platforms. 

These tools enable you to observe how users interact with your product on different operating systems, screen sizes, and device types, making it possible to identify and address usability issues for both web and mobile environments. 

Specialized mobile usability testing tools like UXCam and BrowserStack App Live provide features such as real-device testing, network simulation, and access to native device functions, ensuring your app performs optimally in real-world scenarios.

How do usability testing tools ensure data security?

Usability testing tools prioritize data security by implementing encryption for data in transit and at rest, secure authentication protocols, and compliance with international privacy regulations such as GDPR and CCPA. 

Many leading platforms provide detailed privacy policies, data anonymization options, and access controls to safeguard sensitive user data. 

Additionally, cloud-based solutions like BrowserStack offer secure environments for running tests, ensuring that your product and user information remain protected throughout the usability testing process.

Do I need technical skills to use usability testing tools?

No, most usability testing tools are designed with user-friendly interfaces that require minimal technical expertise. 

Platforms like UXtweak, Userfeel, and Trymata offer intuitive dashboards, guided test creation, and automated analytics, making it easy for non-technical team members to set up and analyze usability tests. 

However, having a basic understanding of usability principles and the ability to interpret user feedback can enhance the value you get from these tools.

How often should usability testing be conducted during a project?

Usability testing should be an ongoing process, ideally conducted at multiple stages of product development. 

Early testing helps identify fundamental usability issues, while regular tests during development and after launch ensure continuous improvement and adaptation to user needs. 

The frequency can vary depending on the project scope and release cycles, but integrating usability testing into each major milestone or sprint is a best practice for maintaining high usability standards.

Can usability testing tools integrate with project management or design platforms?

Yes, many usability testing tools offer integrations with popular project management and design platforms. 

For example, tools like Useberry, Maze, and BrowserStack can integrate with design software such as Figma, Sketch, and Adobe XD, streamlining the process of importing prototypes and sharing results. 

Additionally, integration with project management tools like Jira and Slack allows teams to turn usability insights into actionable tasks, ensuring that feedback is efficiently incorporated into the development workflow.