Optimal Workshop vs Respondent

From $199 per month (indicative, per user)

From $39 per participant (indicative fee, plus incentive)

Annual plans reduce the effective monthly rate substantially; recruitment is separate.

B2B incentives are high — $100-$400 per professional participant is normal, on top of the platform fee.

Free plan with limited participants per study.

No subscription required; pay per completed session.

Established

Optimal Workshop · since 2008

Established

Respondent · since 2016

• The reference tool for card sorting and tree testing; the analysis visualisations are excellent.
• Tree testing validates navigation before any build effort is spent.
• Well-established methodology support and training material.

• Reaches professional segments that general panels simply do not contain.
• Verification meaningfully reduces participants misrepresenting their role.
• No subscription commitment.

• Narrow scope — it does not do usability testing of interfaces.
• Expensive per seat for occasional use.
• Interface is dated in places.

• Expensive per participant once incentives are included.
• Recruitment only, no research tooling.
• Some fraudulent participation persists despite verification.

Teams restructuring navigation, taxonomy or content on a large site.

B2B product teams that need to talk to specific professional roles.