UXtweak Alternative: Free Card Sort vs UXtweak Card Sorting
UXtweak is an emerging UX research platform that offers card sorting alongside other research methods. But how does it compare to a dedicated card sorting tool like Free Card Sort? Let's break down the comparison.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Free Card Sort | UXtweak |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | Free | Free (limited) |
| Pro Price | $19/mo | $80/mo |
| Card Sorting Focus | Dedicated | Part of suite |
| Open/Closed/Hybrid | ✅ All types | ✅ All types |
| Tree Testing | Coming soon | ✅ Yes |
| Similarity Matrix | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Setup Time | 5 minutes | 10-15 minutes |
Pricing Breakdown
Free Card Sort Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 3 active studies, 50 responses, all card sort types |
| Pro | $19/mo | Unlimited studies, unlimited responses, AI insights |
| Enterprise | Custom | SSO, SLA, dedicated support |
UXtweak Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 1 active study, 10 responses, basic features |
| Plus | $80/mo | Unlimited studies, unlimited responses, all tools |
| Enterprise | Custom | Advanced security, custom features |
Annual Cost Comparison
For unlimited card sorting:
- UXtweak Plus: $960/year
- Free Card Sort Pro: $171/year
- Savings with Free Card Sort: $789/year (82%)
Card Sorting Features
Open Card Sorting
Both tools support open card sorting where participants create their own categories.
| Feature | Free Card Sort | UXtweak |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited cards | ✅ Pro | ✅ Plus |
| Card descriptions | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Card images | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Randomization | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
Winner: Tie - both offer equivalent features
Closed Card Sorting
| Feature | Free Card Sort | UXtweak |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-defined categories | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Category descriptions | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Category limits | ✅ Optional | ✅ Optional |
Winner: Tie
Hybrid Card Sorting
| Feature | Free Card Sort | UXtweak |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-defined + custom categories | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Flexibility | ✅ Full | ✅ Full |
Winner: Tie
Analytics Comparison
Free Card Sort Analytics
- ✅ Similarity matrix with heatmap
- ✅ Dendrogram clustering
- ✅ Agreement scores
- ✅ Individual response viewing
- ✅ Category-card frequency
- ✅ CSV export
- ✅ AI-powered insights (Pro)
UXtweak Analytics
- ✅ Similarity matrix
- ✅ Dendrogram view
- ✅ Results matrix
- ✅ Individual responses
- ✅ Standardization grid
- ✅ Export options
- ❌ No AI insights
Winner: Free Card Sort for AI insights, UXtweak for standardization grid
Participant Experience
Free Card Sort
- No account required for participants
- Mobile-optimized responsive design
- Gamified sorting experience
- Progress saving
- Average completion: 5-8 minutes
- Completion rate: 85%+
UXtweak
- No account required
- Mobile-friendly
- Standard sorting interface
- Progress saving
- Average completion: 8-12 minutes
- Completion rate: 75-80%
Winner: Free Card Sort for faster, more engaging experience
Setup & Ease of Use
Free Card Sort
- Account creation: 2 minutes
- First study creation: 5 minutes
- Learning curve: Minimal
- Interface: Clean, focused on card sorting
UXtweak
- Account creation: 3 minutes
- First study creation: 10-15 minutes
- Learning curve: Moderate (more features to learn)
- Interface: Full research suite (more complex)
Winner: Free Card Sort for simplicity and speed
Additional Features
What UXtweak Has That Free Card Sort Doesn't
- ✅ Tree testing (Treejack-style)
- ✅ First-click testing
- ✅ Five-second test
- ✅ Session recording
- ✅ Surveys
- ✅ Preference testing
What Free Card Sort Has That UXtweak Doesn't
- ✅ AI-powered card sorting insights
- ✅ More generous free plan (50 vs 10 responses)
- ✅ Gamified participant experience
- ✅ Lower Pro pricing ($19 vs $80/mo)
- ✅ 3 active studies on free (vs 1)
Free Plan Comparison
| Limit | Free Card Sort | UXtweak |
|---|---|---|
| Active studies | 3 | 1 |
| Responses per study | 50 | 10 |
| Card sorting types | All | All |
| Basic analytics | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Export | ✅ CSV | ❌ Limited |
Winner: Free Card Sort - significantly more generous free tier
When to Choose Each Tool
Choose Free Card Sort If:
-
Card sorting is your primary need
- Dedicated tool = better experience
-
Budget is a concern
- 82% cheaper than UXtweak Plus
-
You want a generous free plan
- 3 studies, 50 responses vs 1 study, 10 responses
-
You value participant experience
- Gamified, faster completion rates
-
You want AI-powered insights
- Automatic pattern recognition
Choose UXtweak If:
-
You need multiple research methods
- Tree testing, click testing, surveys in one place
-
You want standardization grid analysis
- More advanced analytics visualization
-
You prefer all-in-one platforms
- Single tool for all UX research
-
Session recording is important
- Built-in participant observation
Real-World Comparison
Scenario: E-commerce Navigation Research
Using Free Card Sort:
- Create card sorting study: 5 minutes
- Collect 50 responses: Free plan
- Analyze with AI insights: Immediate
- Cost: $0
- Time to insights: 2-3 days
Using UXtweak:
- Create card sorting study: 15 minutes
- Collect 50 responses: Requires Plus plan ($80/mo)
- Analyze with standard tools: Immediate
- Cost: $80+
- Time to insights: 2-3 days
Difference: Same quality insights, $80+ more with UXtweak
Scenario: Multiple Research Methods Needed
If you need card sorting + tree testing + surveys:
Using multiple specialized tools:
- Free Card Sort (card sorting): $19/mo
- Alternative tree testing tool: $20-50/mo
- Survey tool (Typeform/Google Forms): $0-35/mo
- Total: $19-104/mo
Using UXtweak:
- All-in-one: $80/mo
Recommendation: If you need all methods regularly, UXtweak may offer better value. For occasional use, specialized tools work fine.
Migration Guide
Moving from UXtweak to Free Card Sort
- Export existing data from UXtweak (CSV)
- Create Free Card Sort account (2 minutes)
- Recreate studies by copying cards (5 min/study)
- Compare results if running parallel studies
Keeping Both Tools
Some teams use:
- Free Card Sort for all card sorting (cost-effective)
- UXtweak for tree testing and other methods
This hybrid approach can save money while maintaining capabilities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Are the card sorting results equivalent between tools? A: Yes. Both use standard card sorting methodology. Results are scientifically comparable.
Q: Which has better customer support? A: Both offer email support. Free Card Sort responds within 24-48 hours. UXtweak has chat support during business hours.
Q: Can I white-label participant experience? A: Free Card Sort: Yes (Pro plan). UXtweak: Yes (Plus plan).
Q: Which is better for mobile participants? A: Free Card Sort is optimized for mobile with a touch-friendly interface. UXtweak works on mobile but is desktop-first.
Q: Do either offer participant recruitment? A: Neither includes built-in recruitment. Use services like Prolific, UserTesting, or your own user base.
The Verdict
Free Card Sort Wins For:
- ✅ Card sorting focus and experience
- ✅ Price (82% cheaper)
- ✅ Free plan generosity
- ✅ AI-powered insights
- ✅ Participant experience
- ✅ Setup speed
UXtweak Wins For:
- ✅ All-in-one research platform
- ✅ Tree testing capability
- ✅ Standardization grid
- ✅ Session recording
- ✅ Multiple study types in one tool
Our Recommendation
For card sorting specifically: Choose Free Card Sort. It's purpose-built for card sorting, significantly cheaper, and offers AI insights that UXtweak lacks.
For a full research suite: Consider UXtweak if you regularly need tree testing, click testing, and other methods in one platform.
Best hybrid approach: Use Free Card Sort for card sorting ($19/mo) and UXtweak or alternatives for other methods only when needed.
Get Started
Try both tools free and decide for yourself:
Free Card Sort: Create your first study in 5 minutes → Sign up free