Business characteristics
- UX researchers set learning goals, run consented sessions, capture evidence, synthesize across studies, and write findings that show their interpretation.
ROLE PROFILE / FRAME × RECRUIT × OBSERVE × SYNTHESIZE
UX researcher tool setup.
Review plan cost, the Lean option, and the human decision required at each stage.
FRAME × RECRUIT × OBSERVE × SYNTHESIZE
UX researcher
Automate transcription and have researchers interpret the evidence.UX researchers set learning goals, run consented sessions, capture evidence, synthesize across studies, and write findings that show their interpretation.
Full setup$60.92/month · 1 person
Lower-cost setup$20/month · 1 person
Known fixed subscription difference$491.04/year
Why we recommend this setup
Purchase checks
- A researcher approves the question, method, privacy boundary, and prohibited inference.
- Confirm the prototype tests the research question instead of teaching the intended answer.
- Monitor participant welfare, identity, consent, incentives, and unexpected sensitive disclosure.
Convenience & experience
- Learning goals, assumptions, screener, protocol, consent language, and stop criteria.
- Task-ready prototype, realistic content, branch states, accessibility notes, and facilitator route.
- Consented recordings or study responses, observer notes, task outcomes, and recruitment metadata.
TEAM SIZE
1 personPer-member plans use the team size. Account, site, usage, and one-time plans stay fixed until checkout.
RECOMMENDED PLANS / 4
Recommended subscriptions
01
LookbackModerated + unmoderated sessions
FreelancePer account · $299 billed yearly; 10 sessions$24.92/month02DovetailEvidence repository + synthesis
FreePer account · One channel and one research projectNo fixed subscription fee03FigmaPrototype system + review
Professional · Full seat1 seat · Per member · Per full seat, billed yearly$16/month04ChatGPTProtocol and synthesis support
Plus1 seat · Per member · Billed monthly$20/monthWHY THESE TOOLS / EACH JOB
Why these tools
Fit is an editorial judgment based on catalog evidence, not a user rating.
LookbackFreelance
Moderated + unmoderated sessions
Choose Lookback for Moderated + unmoderated sessions: Moderated and unmoderated in one system helps with that work.
- Product strength
- Good match · Moderated and unmoderated in one system · Strong session recordings and observation · AI-assisted analysis
- Trade-off to accept
- Annual commitment after trial · Session limits apply
DovetailFree
Evidence repository + synthesis
Choose Dovetail for Evidence repository + synthesis: Central research repository helps with that work.
- Product strength
- Good match · Central research repository · AI summaries and semantic search · Feedback channel integrations
- Trade-off to accept
- Public self-serve price unavailable · Free plan has strict limits
FigmaProfessional · Full seat
Prototype system + review
Choose Figma for Prototype system + review: Excellent collaboration helps with that work.
- Product strength
- Strong match · Excellent collaboration · Strong prototyping · Wide plugin support
- Trade-off to accept
- Steeper learning curve · Complex pricing at scale
ChatGPTPlus
Protocol and synthesis support
Choose ChatGPT for Protocol and synthesis support: Broad capability helps with that work.
- Product strength
- Strong match · Broad capability · Fast ideation · Strong multimodal workflow
- Trade-off to accept
- Outputs require review · Usage limits vary
Comparison questions
Why these tools
OTHER OPTIONS / WHY NOT
Considered, but not selected
Bounded candidate pool
LyssnaMiro
Use Lookback for Moderated + unmoderated sessions. Choose Lyssna when Prototype testing / Card sorting is the main need. Compare again if that changes.
Use Figma for Prototype system + review. Choose Miro when Workshops / Visual planning is the main need. Compare again if that changes.
PLAN LIMITS / UPGRADE
Plan limits, pricing, and upgrade triggers
LookbackFreelance
$24.92/monthPer account · $299 billed yearly; 10 sessions
No comparable public allowanceHeavy-use trigger: measure actual usage and compare Team when limits approach.
lookback.comOfficial source · 2026-07-30DovetailFree
$0/monthPer account · One channel and one research project
Trial or light work onlyHeavy-use trigger: measure actual usage and compare Enterprise when limits approach.
dovetail.comOfficial source · 2026-07-30FigmaProfessional · Full seat
$16/monthPer member · 1 seat · Per full seat, billed yearly
No comparable public allowanceNo safely comparable higher tier in the catalog; confirm heavy-use capacity with the vendor.
figma.comOfficial source · 2026-07-29ChatGPTPlus
$20/monthPer member · 1 seat · Billed monthly
No comparable public allowanceHeavy-use trigger: measure actual usage and compare Business when limits approach.
openai.comOfficial source · 2026-08-05OVERLAP / BUY ONCE
Where plans overlap, and why both stay.
Lookback captures and analyzes sessions; Dovetail preserves cross-study evidence and makes the insight repository reusable.
PLAN CHANGES / FULL → LOWER-COST
What changes in the lower-cost setup.
| Tool | Professional | Decision | Lower-cost setup | Monthly difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lookback | Freelance$24.92/month | Remove | Not included | Save $24.92 |
| Dovetail | FreeNo fixed subscription fee | Keep plan | FreeNo fixed subscription fee | No change |
| Figma | Professional · Full seat$16/month | Change plan | StarterNo fixed subscription fee | Save $16 |
| ChatGPT | Plus$20/month | Keep plan | Plus$20/month | No change |
| Lyssna | Not included | Add | FreeNo fixed subscription fee | No change |
WORKFLOW / HUMAN REVIEW
Workflow and review steps.
Define the decision, evidence threshold, and participant boundary.
Learning goals, assumptions, screener, protocol, consent language, and stop criteria.
Human review
A researcher approves the question, method, privacy boundary, and prohibited inference.
Build only enough fidelity to test the risky behavior.
Task-ready prototype, realistic content, branch states, accessibility notes, and facilitator route.
Human review
Confirm the prototype tests the research question instead of teaching the intended answer.
Choose depth or scale, then preserve the session evidence.
Consented recordings or study responses, observer notes, task outcomes, and recruitment metadata.
Human review
Monitor participant welfare, identity, consent, incentives, and unexpected sensitive disclosure.
Let AI organize the material while researchers interpret meaning.
Traceable clips, tags, themes, contradictions, confidence, and links back to raw evidence.
Human review
Review every generated theme against the source and preserve dissenting evidence.
Connect findings to the design decision and its next test.
Prioritized findings, evidence clips, design implications, owners, and a versioned prototype response.
Human review
Stakeholders state their confidence and mark a small study as limited evidence.
SOURCE CHECKS / OFFICIAL SOURCES
Current product changes to watch.
01
Dovetail agents work inside the evidence repository under human approval.
Dovetail’s current agent model can investigate connected customer evidence while requiring people to review and approve consequential actions.
dovetail.com02Lyssna adds adaptive follow-ups to self-serve research.
Lyssna Growth adds AI follow-up questions and summaries while participant-panel usage remains a separately governed cost.
help.lyssna.com03Lookback makes mixed-method session analysis reviewable.
Lookback combines moderated and unmoderated recordings with Eureka AI analysis, findings, and shareable research evidence.
lookback.comROLE DECISION / RELATED ROUTE
Continue the next evidence-backed decision for this profession.
These reviewed routes explain the tool boundary, collection choice, or cost model that can change the role plan.
Move from the UX researcher role plan to a cost model for salary, participant recruiting, incentives, research software, and project delivery.
Model UX research salary, recruiting, incentives, software, and project cost