Comparison

Optimal Workshop alternatives for card sorting and tree testing

Optimal Workshop is the long-standing specialist, and its entry plan is $199 a month, billed annually. These are the tools people compare it with, side by side on price, methods and who checks the data. We make one of them, so every claim about the others links to their own pages.

Sourced from each vendor’s own pages Checked 12 October 2026

At a glance

Each vendor’s main paid plan, as its public pricing page showed it to a US visitor. Several also have free plans or trials with tighter limits.

SortedResearchOptimal WorkshopUXtweakLyssnaMaze
Main paid plan $49/mo$199/mo, billed annually1$149/mo2$199/mo3Enterprise, custom; lists card sorting and tree testing4
Monthly billing YesNo, annual only1Yes2Yes3Custom contract
Study limit on that plan Unlimited5 a year11 active at a time25 a month3Custom
Hybrid card sorts YesYes1Yes2Yes3No4
Pairwise or MaxDiff ranking BothNeither foundNeither foundNeither foundNeither found
Automatic quality checks on participants you recruit yourself Yes, every responseMostly manual1Manual filtering2None found3Panel studies only4
Prototype, first-click and other UX tests NoYesYesYesYes

Recruited participants cost extra on every tool. “Not found” means we could not find it on that vendor’s website or help centre on 12 October 2026.

Each tool in a sentence

No tool is best at everything. The right one depends on whether you mainly test interfaces or mainly work out structure and priority.

SortedResearch

For innovation, insight and product teams working on concepts, needs and navigation.

  • Card sorting, tree testing, pairwise and MaxDiff, linked: a finished sort becomes the next study in one click
  • Up to eleven automatic quality checks on every response, including your own participants
  • $49 a month, unlimited studies; participants from $5 a response

Optimal Workshop

The specialist, with the deepest history in information architecture research.

  • Card sorting, tree testing, first-click, surveys, prototype tests and interviews
  • Unlimited seats on Starter
  • Annual billing; 5 studies a year on Starter

SortedResearch vs Optimal Workshop

UXtweak

A broad UX testing suite with a free plan that does not expire.

  • Card sorting, tree testing and a long list of other UX tests
  • $149 a month with 1 active study; add studies and seats for $25 a month each
  • Panel responses checked and replaced on request

SortedResearch vs UXtweak

Lyssna

A lighter, broad toolkit for quick design tests, formerly UsabilityHub.

  • Card sorting, tree testing, five-second, preference and first-click tests, surveys, interviews
  • $199 a month with 5 seats and 5 in-depth studies a month
  • Panel priced by test length; credits never expire

SortedResearch vs Lyssna

Maze

Built around prototype testing and interviews for product teams.

  • Prototype, website and app testing, surveys, moderated and AI-moderated interviews
  • Card sorting (open and closed) and tree testing on Enterprise
  • Panel from 3 credits ($15) per response

SortedResearch vs Maze

Common questions

What is the best Optimal Workshop alternative?
It depends on the work. For prototype and interface testing alongside sorts, UXtweak, Lyssna or Maze. For card sorting, tree testing and ranking what matters (pairwise and MaxDiff), with every response checked automatically, SortedResearch.
Which is the cheapest card sorting and tree testing tool?
On the public pricing pages we read on 12 October 2026, as shown to a US visitor, SortedResearch has the lowest-priced paid plan of the five, at $49 a month with unlimited studies. UXtweak Business is $149 a month, Lyssna Growth $199 a month, Optimal Workshop Starter $199 a month billed annually, and Maze lists both under custom-priced Enterprise.
Do any of these tools offer MaxDiff or pairwise comparison?
Of the five, only SortedResearch offers pairwise comparison and Best–Worst scaling (MaxDiff). The others offer ranking or rating questions, which do not force a trade-off between items.
How current is this comparison?
We read every page cited below on 12 October 2026. Prices and plans change. If something here is out of date, tell us at support@sortedresearch.com and we will fix it.

Sources

  1. Optimal Workshop: pricing and our full comparison: optimalworkshop.com/pricing, sortedresearch.com/compare/optimal-workshop
  2. UXtweak: pricing and our full comparison: uxtweak.com/pricing, sortedresearch.com/compare/uxtweak
  3. Lyssna: pricing and our full comparison: lyssna.com/pricing, sortedresearch.com/compare/lyssna
  4. Maze: pricing and our full comparison: maze.co/pricing, sortedresearch.com/compare/maze

All pages read on 12 October 2026. SortedResearch facts come from our pricing page and help centre. Optimal Workshop is a trademark of its owner. UXtweak is a trademark of its owner. Lyssna is a trademark of its owner. Maze is a trademark of its owner. SortedResearch is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of them.

Try the one built for structure and priority

Run one study free with up to 10 participants, no card required. Every response is checked, and you only pay for the ones that pass.

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