UserTesting review: what it is and what else is out there

What UserTesting is

UserTesting is run by User Testing, Inc. and its subsidiaries, with apps published by UserTesting Inc. Companies use the platform to get feedback on their websites, apps and prototypes, and contributors are the people who provide that feedback.

Contributors take recorded tests: completing tasks on a website, app or prototype while speaking their thoughts aloud, with screen, audio and sometimes video recorded. Some contributors also see surveys, which are answered without any recording, though this feature is not yet on every dashboard. A smaller number of contributors take Live Conversations, which are scheduled video calls with a UserTesting customer. The help center also lists other formats such as card sorts, tree tests, click tests, comparison tests, app tests and face-recording tests.

UserTesting says it accepts contributors in the United States and in certain countries across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and elsewhere, but it does not publish a full country list on its own pages. Contributors cannot take tests while traveling outside their country of residence.

Joining requires an application: confirming your email, connecting a verified PayPal account in good standing, creating a profile and passing a practice test. Contributors need to be at least 18 years old and have a device with a microphone. UserTesting's help center lists minimum device specifications for computers and phones, though its own pages do not fully agree with each other on the exact numbers.

UserTesting at a glance

The key facts about UserTesting, from its own pages.

Facts checked on 2026-10-06

What to look for in a similar app

User-research platforms like this one ask for an application and often a practice test before you can start, so check what is required before you sign up for anything.

• Whether it says clearly which countries it accepts contributors from, instead of leaving you to find out after applying.
• Whether contributors are paid per completed test, and whether the payout method is stated plainly.
• Whether a customer rating system affects how many invitations you get, and how that is explained.
• Whether the sign-up process asks for a verified payment account before you can take a single test.
• Whether the app or website states its device requirements consistently, rather than listing different specs on different pages.

Platforms that are upfront about country limits, payout methods and what each task actually involves are generally easier to judge before you commit any time.

UserTesting compared with PocketsFull

A side-by-side look at what each one actually is and how it works, based only on published information.

How PocketsFull is different

PocketsFull is not a user-research platform and does not run recorded tests, practice tests or Live Conversations. It is an online rewards site: members take paid surveys and complete offers, including game and app offers, and collect rewards they can redeem.

Joining and using PocketsFull is free, and there is no deposit or payment required to use it. Surveys are market-research questionnaires from survey providers, and not every survey fits every person, so being screened out before the end happens to everyone from time to time. Keeping your profile complete and accurate helps you get matched with more surveys.

Offers are tasks from partners, such as trying an app or game and reaching the steps the offer lists, or signing up for a service. Some offers take time to confirm because the partner checks completion first. PocketsFull also has a separate free-games page with browser games for fun, with no download and no sign-up, but these do not pay rewards.

If you want an alternative to UserTesting that works more like it, meaning paid tasks tied to a research platform, PocketsFull is not that. It is a simpler, broader way to earn pocket money through surveys and offers rather than a one-to-one swap for UserTesting's recorded tests.

How you redeem on PocketsFull

The box below shows the payout options PocketsFull offers, and these depend on your country: local gift cards appear first, followed by PayPal and Litecoin.

UserTesting pays contributors through PayPal only. PocketsFull also lists PayPal, alongside gift cards and Litecoin, so you are not limited to a single method.