Maze is a rapid user testing platform from Maze.design in Paris, designed to give users actionable user insights, in a matter of hours. The vendor states that with it, users can test remotely, autonomously, and collaboratively.
$75
per month 3+ seats
Optimal
Score 9.0 out of 10
N/A
Optimal Workshop, a company in New Zealand, offers their suite of user research tools on a subscription basis, including the Treejack information architecture tool, OptimalSort card sorting test, Chalkmark first-click testing, and other tools.
1. Ease of use - Maze's user experience is very much better than user testing.com 2. Testing Panel - Although Maze's testing panel is not as much quantity as User testing, QUality is quite good for the testers you hire 3. Analytics after testing - Maze gives detailed analytics …
We left sprig to use maze because sprig had unreliable Figma questions and integrations. We chose maze as it was partnered with Dovetail and Askable, that's how we heard about them. We're not particularly loyal or wedded to maze.
We ran a proof of concept exercise between Maze User Testing and Optimal Workshop. We found both products to be as good as each other in the elements of the products that both offered. Optimal Workshop did offer a lot more than what was required for the specific project for …
A lookback is an alternative option if you think Maze User Testing is quite expensive for you, but look back has a different approach to Maze User Testing. Lookback focuses on qualitative usability testing instead of quantitative UserTesting. And also, Maze User Testing has a …
Maze User Testing is brilliant to test with a large volume of people and if you’re not after particular qualitative insights, like UserTesting would offer. The card sorting feature is basic and not as mature as Optimal Workshop would offer but it does the job and can be used in …
When looking for tools that could help us understand our customers better, we needed something that would be easy to use, had the functionality and flexibility of running multiple types of tests and exercises, and allowed our team to be able to do these tests quickly. Only Maze …
Figma helps to design and prototype out the concept but it does not allow to facilitate feedback gathering on a specific UI or even UX decision. That's where Maze comes into the picture with it's vaious features that helps to get the right insight to build a better product in a …
For the price as it is very convenient for first-time beginners, its intuitiveness both for the one who is designing the activities and for those who have to interact with them. The fact that it collects and gathers the data into insights of the overall responses collected by …
Optimal seems a little more friendly in terms of setting up tests. We do use UserTesting as well, but it felt like that experience has more in-depth workflows to blast a test. Optimal Workshop feels like it is easy to quickly set up one test and then launch it immediately.
Optimal Workshop was the best tool that provided just what we needed and not anything more. The price point was also perfect for us as it provided room to try it out and then jump into a bigger package.
Suited for: - I think that this software is a must-have for any experience or product designer that needs validation from any audience - Designers that rapidly prototype with Figma - Designers looking to establish an inexpensive way to deliver on user testing Less appropriate for: - If you are looking for a survey replacement this is probably not for you even though it does that quite well, simply due to the cost. Google Forms would be a more fiscal choice. - Marketing visual designers who are adept at visual builder tools (WebFlow, Divi, Elementor, etc) with A/B testing ability would probably find other products more valuable.
The tools are great for user researchers who have a solid foundation with IA research methods, or are willing to learn them while using the tools. However they don't magically create valid IA studies; someone with no IA research experience may struggle to use the tools and/or run studies resulting in poor quality data.
The recruitment panelists are not professional, nor do they take the tasks seriously. You are going to get a lot of bad data.
They are HQ'd outside the US and must have a small team because the customer service is the absolute WORST I've experienced in their industry.
They pride themselves on documentation, but when they fail to document something they blame the customer for the mistake.
There are way too many limitations with the tool after you launch, limited integrations, and poor survey questionnaire options. The tool itself is far too basic for most sites, especially B2B.
Maze is easy to use most of the times. It is easy to integrate with Figma, It is easy to find testers worldwide with required filters. Maze gives recorded videos which are helpful in debugging and understanding the problem with flows. A/B testing is easy to add and test. Overall Maze is very easy to use
I would rate Optimal Workshop's overall usability 9 out of 10 due to several key factors. Firstly, the platform has a user-friendly interface makes navigation straightforward, even for first-time users. The tools and features are well-organized, ensuring users can quickly find what they need without unnecessary complexity. Secondly, the platform is highly intuitive, meaning users can easily understand how to perform tasks without extensive guidance. This is supported by clear and concise instructions throughout the application, reducing the learning curve significantly.
Additionally, the learnability of Optimal Workshop is exceptional. New users can become proficient in a short amount of time, thanks to its well-thought-out design and helpful onboarding materials. Even more advanced features are presented in a way that feels approachable and manageable. Finally, the platform supports a seamless workflow, allowing users to focus on their research or tasks rather than struggling with the software. These qualities collectively make Optimal Workshop a reliable and efficient tool for many projects, justifying its high usability rating.
We’ve never had to use much of their support services since the platform is very easy to use, we have however needed to transfer ownership between team members due to people leaving or other circumstances. Under those situations, the support offered to us has been been very quick and efficient and we never had to nudge them much to get the job done.
When looking for tools that could help us understand our customers better, we needed something that would be easy to use, had the functionality and flexibility of running multiple types of tests and exercises, and allowed our team to be able to do these tests quickly. Only Maze could really tick all the above boxes.
Optimal Workshop was the best tool that provided just what we needed and not anything more. The price point was also perfect for us as it provided room to try it out and then jump into a bigger package
Optimal Workshop has provided a very low-risk, quick testing ground for navigation menus. So while the full impact cannot be determined, we are happy we are using Optimal Workshop, and are gaining benefits from it.
