❕ Important note: This review site presents information relevant for researchers, not for participants in the user panel.
We’ll look into what Maze (user testing software) offers, identify its potential shortcomings, and compare it with other products to determine if there’s a more fitting solution available that could better serve your team’s evolving requirements.
What is Maze?
Maze is a user research platform that provides tools for conducting different types of user research, such as prototype and live website testing, surveys, interviews, card sorting, and tree testing.
Source: Maze
Key Features of Maze
- Prototype Testing
- Live Website Testing
- Surveys
- Interview Studies
- Card Sorting
- Tree Testing
What do people think about Maze?
Pros and cons on this section were formulated by aggregating user feedback from platforms like Capterra.com and G2.com.
Advantages
- Easy Integration with Design Tools: Users appreciate how Maze integrates seamlessly with tools like Figma, making prototype testing straightforward.
- Diverse Question Types: The platform offers a variety of qualitative and quantitative questions.
- Effective Prototype Testing: Maze is highly regarded for its prototype testing capabilities, allowing quick setup and execution.
- User-Friendly Survey Creation: Maze makes survey construction easy, offering users both control and simplicity.
- Data Organization: Responses can be easily converted into an Excel format, aiding in better data management and tracking.
Reviews: What do you like best about Maze?
👌 “The best thing I liked about Maze is the easy integration of Figma prototypes for prototyping testing, user testing. The cumulative responses gathered are easily converted into an excel sheet format, which helps track the data in a much better way.”
– Neha T., Sorce: G2
👌 “I like that I’m able to create and link Figma prototypes for user testing. I also appreciate the complexity of questions I can ask, and the different types of questions available.”
– Verified User in Computer Software, Sorce: G2
👌 “I love the interface, it’s great for simple surveys. It gives the participants a good user experience completing the survey.”
– Verified User in Apparel & Fashion, Sorce: G2
Disadvantages
- Learning Curve: New users, especially those unfamiliar with user testing platforms, may find Maze challenging to learn and navigate.
- Prototype Stability Issues: Users have reported frequent crashes, particularly with mobile prototypes, affecting the reliability of test results.
- Limited Conditional Logic: There’s a desire for more sophisticated question logic to build detailed tests without overwhelming participants.
- Report Customization: Users wish for more flexibility in editing and combining reports, finding the current options limiting.
- Email Campaign Manager: The tool is considered clunky, with emails often landing in spam folders, reducing the effectiveness of participant recruitment efforts.
- Test Participant Reliability: There are instances of test participants not fully committing to tests, with a notable number dropping out or exiting the test prematurely, despite compensation.
Reviews: What do you dislike about Maze?
👎 “I don’t appreciate how prototypes frequently crash for users, especially mobile users. Sometimes a user will go through the test more than once, causing our final number of participants to be inaccurate. I wish Maze allowed for blocks of questions where conditions could take users to a new block. That would allow us to build out better, more detailed tests without overwhelming users. I also wish the reports were easier to edit (change content, order of slides) or if they even gave the option to combine multiple test reports! I tend to go into Adobe Acrobat and do it myself if I need to combine reports, which adds time.”
– Sophia S., Sorce: G2
👎 “The issue with their users for testing is not that great. We have had a lot of issues with people closing out our test and dropping off even though we paid for them to complete the test. I think a lot of their testers are just going through these tests quickly without caring just to get their incentive at the end.”
– Verified User in Information Technology and Services, Sorce: G2
👎 “For people who are not aware or new to Maze, do not have much knowledge about what Maze is and how it works. It is a little difficult for a fresh, new designer to learn how Maze works and functions.“
– Neha T., Sorce: G2
Identifying potential alternatives for Maze
Maze has its strengths, but alternatives like UXtweak could offer more, such as advanced mobile testing, extensive features, cost efficiency, and reliable participants. Additionally, UXtweak places great emphasis on its panel, thanks to the Automatic QA of responses and expert audit of the study with each recruitment order from the User Panel.
🐝 Tip: Check out the “Maze alternatives” article for an extensive list of other options.
UXtweak
UXtweak is a comprehensive UX research platform designed to address a wide array of user experience challenges. It offers an extensive suite of tools, including Website Testing, Session Recording, Card Sorting, Tree Testing, Mobile Testing, and more, enabling you to understand user perceptions and priorities for your website, app, or prototype. The platform supports testing across all stages of your website’s lifecycle, from feature sketching to prototyping and competitive usability testing.
Key Features of UXtweak
- Advanced Mobile Usability Testing
- Website Testing
- Session Recording
- Card Sorting
- Tree Testing
Reviews: What do you like best about UXtweak?
👌 “I love how easy and quick it is to set up the tests. To import the prototype from Figma you just need a link. It imports all your transitions directly from Figma or you can choose to connect the screens manually during setup. The analytics are great, you can easily filter out specific respondent groups, based on different criteria, and analyze results for each of them. I like that you can get a great amount of qual and quant insights without having to spend hours on the manual analysis.”
– Syuzana G., Sorce: G2
👌 “We used UXtweak to test usability of our mobile app’s interface and it helped greatly. We were able to recruit a rather niche audience of participants directly in the app, which honestly saved a lot of time. The study had great analytics for each task of our test. There are also recordings for each session that you can come back to for further analysis.”
– Emilly S., Sorce: G2
👌 “Their card sorting feature. It’s a great tool that offers an incredible amount of analytics and features for such a price.”
– David, Sorce: G2
Reviews: What do you dislike about UXtweak?
👎 “The UI of the study setup could use a face lift, it’s quite outdated.”
– David, Sorce: G2
👎 “There is currently nothing we dislike about UXtweak, as we always get enough insights about our products that we can implement into the practice straight away.“
– Matej K., Sorce: G2
👎 “Sometimes it takes time to import Figma prototypes. I guess because of API. Also, the interface of UXtweak should be a little bit more designed. Their site is very modern, but the application can also be redesigned. But it is functional and easy to use.“
– Denisa M., Sorce: G2
Maze Pricing in 2024
UXtweak offers more value with its reliability and the extensive range of analysis features it offers. Now, let’s explore and compare the pricing for Maze and UXtweak.
Maze
-
- Free Plan
- Starter Plan: $1,188/year ($99 per month).
- Team Plan: $15,000/year (or $1,250 per month).
- Organization Plan: Tailored for large organizations with extensive research needs, this plan features custom pricing and customizable studies and seats.
UXtweak
-
- Starter Plan: Free
- Plus Plan: $708/year ($59 monthly).
- Business Plan: $1,812/year ($151 monthly).
- Enterprise Plan: Starts at $5,000/year.
Subscription options are typically annual with monthly payments available; plans can be easily changed or canceled. Check UXtweak’s pricing page for more details.
Maze reviews and ratings on review platforms
Let’s explore the feedback from users who have experienced each tool. You’ve seen some user opinions in the “What do people think?” section above. But what’s the consensus? In the table below, you’ll find the aggregated ratings for each tool from review platforms G2, TrustRadius, and Capterra.
Review Site | Maze | UXtweak |
4.5/5 | 4.8/5 | |
8.0/10 | 10/10 | |
4.5/5 | 4.8/5 |
Decision-Making Guide: Is Maze Right for Your Team?
If you’re considering Maze, it’s important to note its strong integration with Figma and its straightforward survey capabilities. However, be aware that Maze can experience prototype crashing issues and may face challenges with participant reliability, potentially impacting your research outcomes.
In contrast, UXtweak could be a better choice if you’re looking for robust mobile testing capabilities, affordability, reliable participants, and a broader range of features.
In summary, for basic prototype testing with a user-friendly interface, Maze might suffice. But if your needs extend to more in-depth analysis, a wider array of tools, and particularly stronger mobile testing, UXtweak is likely the more suitable option.
🐝 Tip: For a detailed comparison between UXtweak and Maze, make sure to check out the following article: Maze vs. UXtweak.
