Dovetail Alternative for Card Sorting: Free Card Sort vs Dovetail
Dovetail is a powerful research repository and analysis platform, but it's not designed for card sorting studies. If you need dedicated card sorting capabilities, Free Card Sort is the specialized tool you're looking for.
This comparison clarifies what each tool does best and when to use each one.
Understanding the Tools
What Dovetail Does
Dovetail is a research repository and analysis platform. It excels at:
- Storing and organizing research data
- Transcribing interviews and user sessions
- Tagging and analyzing qualitative data
- Synthesizing insights across studies
- Sharing research findings with stakeholders
What Free Card Sort Does
Free Card Sort is a dedicated card sorting tool. It excels at:
- Running open, closed, and hybrid card sorts
- Collecting participant responses at scale
- Analyzing information architecture patterns
- Creating similarity matrices and dendrograms
- Understanding how users categorize information
Key insight: These tools complement each other rather than compete directly.
Quick Comparison
| Capability | Free Card Sort | Dovetail |
|---|---|---|
| Card sorting studies | ✅ Excellent | ❌ Not available |
| Research repository | ❌ Not a focus | ✅ Excellent |
| Interview analysis | ❌ Not a focus | ✅ Excellent |
| Similarity matrix | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Dendrograms | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Starting price | Free | $29/user/mo |
Pricing Comparison
Free Card Sort Pricing
| Plan | Price | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 3 studies, 50 responses, all card sort types |
| Pro | $19/mo | Unlimited studies, unlimited responses, AI insights |
| Enterprise | Custom | SSO, advanced security |
Dovetail Pricing
| Plan | Price | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Limited projects, basic features |
| Starter | $29/user/mo | Full analysis tools, limited storage |
| Professional | $79/user/mo | Unlimited projects, advanced features |
| Enterprise | Custom | Advanced security, SSO |
Cost for Card Sorting Specifically
If your goal is card sorting:
- Free Card Sort: $0-$19/mo for full functionality
- Dovetail: Cannot do card sorting at any price
When to Use Each Tool
Use Free Card Sort When:
✅ You need to run card sorting studies ✅ You want to understand information architecture ✅ You need similarity matrices and dendrograms ✅ You're testing navigation structures ✅ You want to collect data from multiple participants
Use Dovetail When:
✅ You need to store and organize research across projects ✅ You're analyzing interview transcripts ✅ You want to tag and code qualitative data ✅ You need to share research insights with stakeholders ✅ You're building a research knowledge base
Use Both Together When:
✅ You run card sorting studies AND need a research repository ✅ You want to store card sorting insights alongside other research ✅ You're building a comprehensive research practice
Feature Breakdown
Card Sorting Capabilities
| Feature | Free Card Sort | Dovetail |
|---|---|---|
| Open card sorting | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Closed card sorting | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Hybrid card sorting | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Remote participant collection | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Similarity matrix | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Dendrogram analysis | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Agreement scores | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| CSV export | ✅ Yes | N/A |
Winner for card sorting: Free Card Sort (Dovetail doesn't offer this)
Research Repository Capabilities
| Feature | Free Card Sort | Dovetail |
|---|---|---|
| Interview transcription | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Video/audio storage | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Tag and code data | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Cross-project insights | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Team collaboration | ❌ Basic | ✅ Advanced |
| Stakeholder sharing | ❌ Limited | ✅ Yes |
Winner for repository: Dovetail (Free Card Sort doesn't focus on this)
The Complementary Approach
Many research teams use both tools together:
Workflow Example
- Plan research in Dovetail (or your project management tool)
- Run card sorting study with Free Card Sort
- Export results from Free Card Sort (CSV)
- Store insights in Dovetail for future reference
- Combine with interview data already in Dovetail
- Share comprehensive findings with stakeholders
Cost of Combined Approach
- Free Card Sort Pro: $19/mo
- Dovetail Starter: $29/user/mo
- Total: $48/user/mo for full capabilities
Compare to enterprise platforms that try to do everything:
- UserZoom: $30,000+/year
- UserTesting: $15,000+/year
Combined specialized tools often cost less than all-in-one platforms.
Common Questions
"Can I use Dovetail for card sorting?"
No. Dovetail is a research repository, not a data collection tool. You cannot run card sorting studies in Dovetail.
Solution: Use Free Card Sort for card sorting, then store insights in Dovetail.
"Can I store my Free Card Sort results in Dovetail?"
Yes! Export your card sorting results from Free Card Sort as CSV, then import the insights and recommendations into Dovetail as part of your research repository.
"Which should I get first?"
Depends on your immediate need:
- Need card sorting now? → Start with Free Card Sort (free)
- Need to organize existing research? → Start with Dovetail
- Need both? → Start with Free Card Sort (it's free), add Dovetail when budget allows
"Does Free Card Sort have a research repository?"
No. Free Card Sort focuses on running card sorting studies and analyzing results. For long-term research storage and synthesis, use a dedicated repository like Dovetail, Notion, or Airtable.
Alternative Combinations
If budget is tight, consider these alternatives to Dovetail:
Budget Research Stack
- Card Sorting: Free Card Sort ($0-$19/mo)
- Repository: Notion ($0-$10/mo)
- Transcription: Otter.ai ($0-$17/mo)
- Surveys: Google Forms (Free)
Total: $0-$46/mo vs Dovetail alone at $29+/user/mo
Mid-Range Research Stack
- Card Sorting: Free Card Sort Pro ($19/mo)
- Repository: Dovetail Starter ($29/mo)
- Usability Testing: Maze or UserTesting (as needed)
Total: $48/mo base for comprehensive research capabilities
Migration Considerations
If You Have Dovetail, Adding Free Card Sort
- Sign up for Free Card Sort (free, 2 minutes)
- Create card sorting studies in Free Card Sort
- Collect participant responses
- Export results and add insights to Dovetail
No migration needed—the tools work alongside each other.
If You're Choosing Between Them
You're comparing apples to oranges. These tools serve different purposes:
- Card sorting tool: Free Card Sort
- Research repository: Dovetail
Choose based on your immediate need, then add the other later.
Bottom Line
Free Card Sort
- Purpose: Run card sorting studies
- Best for: Information architecture research, navigation testing
- Price: $0-$19/mo
- Alternative to: Optimal Workshop OptimalSort, UXtweak card sorting
Dovetail
- Purpose: Store and analyze research data
- Best for: Research repository, interview analysis, insight synthesis
- Price: $29+/user/mo
- Alternative to: Notion for research, EnjoyHQ, Aurelius
Recommendation
If you need card sorting, use Free Card Sort. It's free to start and purpose-built for the job.
If you need a research repository, evaluate Dovetail alongside alternatives like Notion or EnjoyHQ.
For comprehensive research practice, use both together—they complement each other perfectly.
Get Started with Card Sorting
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Free Card Sort: Create a study in 5 minutes → Sign up free