AI market research tools that ask why.
Choose Underheard for real customer interviews, relevant follow-ups and findings you can trace. Compare ten tools by the conversation, the evidence and what reaches your team.
Start with the full conversation.
Underheard is the best choice for customer interviews through to the report. The other picks below cover narrower study setups.
UnderheardOur first choice. Spoken interviews in 120+ languages, with source evidence and a report ready to share.
Listen LabsFor text-led studies. Check the read-aloud setting and participant data location before you recruit.
TypeformFor a single-language Research Flow study. Check your video materials and required report format.
Compare the study before choosing.
Start with your audience, materials and final report. Underheard builds your guide, runs the interviews and links each finding to its source. Source notes and the checks for each alternative follow below.
| Tool | Best for | Interview format | Before you choose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Underheard | Customer interviews through to the report | 120+ languages. Voice-to-voice, text and video. | Source interviews behind every finding. EU study data. |
| Listen Labs | Text-led studies | Text, voice and video responses | Read-aloud starts off. Participant data on US servers. |
 Outset | Studies accepting beta voice | Text, voice and video | Voice-to-voice labelled beta. Policy permits US transfers. |
| Conveo | Video studies with answer controls | Spoken answers and typed open text | Start and send each reply. Check spoken-question coverage. |
 Strella | Laptop interview studies | Spoken interviews with follow-ups | Laptop recommended. No PowerPoint in reviewed downloads. |
| GetWhy | Video studies with a face check | Spoken video interviews | Face check required. Reporting clock starts at the first interview. |
| Usercall | Short studies with English findings | Voice or text interviews | Lite lists 12 minutes. Longer interviews on request. |
| Koji | One study at a time | Spoken customer interviews | Cross-study search uses an external assistant. Check processing terms. |
| Userology | Product and UX studies | Spoken interviews | Advanced reporting and managed niche recruitment require Research+. |
| Typeform | Single-language Research Flow studies | Spoken interviews with follow-ups | One respondent language. No video ads during the interview. |
Ten tools, starting with Underheard.
Compare ten tools that interview real people.
1.Underheard
Best for customer interviews, from your first question to the finished report.
Underheard is our first choice for AI market research. It turns your brief into a guide you can edit. It talks to real people and asks about what they said. Use your own customers or our panel with your quotas. People join by link on any phone or laptop, with nothing to install. Underheard runs hundreds of customer interviews in a week. You get themes, counts and quotes, with every finding linked to its source interviews.
Everyone is told at the start they are talking to an AI. Your team sets the question, edits the guide and checks the evidence. Underheard conducts the interviews and brings the answers into one report. Try an interview yourself.
- ConversationVoice-to-voice. Text and video available. People answer in 120+ languages, with relevant follow-ups from the full answer.
- EvidenceOpen the source interviews behind each finding. Show concepts, packs, images and ads during the conversation.
- DeliveryA study takes a couple of hours to under a week. Study data stays in the EU, with a DPA on request. Export PowerPoint, PDF or Markdown.
Missing delivery
One theme from four markets
2.Listen Labs
Best for text-led interview studies.
Listen Labs collects text, voice and video responses, then groups the answers into themes. Its voice guide starts with read-aloud off, so the participant turns speech on before hearing the questions. The original source review listed voice in 42 languages and participant data on US servers. If you are planning spoken interviews, check the participant’s first question and the language coverage before you recruit your audience.
Underheard speaks from the first second and keeps your study data in the EU. See Underheard vs Listen Labs for the detailed comparison.
- Participant flowRead-aloud starts off. Check the first screen as a participant before you send your study link.
- RecruitmentUse your customers or a panel. Set the audience and language requirements before recruitment begins.
- OutputThemes, quotes and slide reports, with findings linked to source interviews. Review the source answers before presenting them.
Source notes: listenlabs.com, docs.listenlabs.com and listenlabs.ai. Reviewed for our original interview-tool list on 4 November 2026.
3.Outset
Best for studies whose teams accept beta voice-to-voice.
Outset runs studies with text, voice and video responses. Its help centre labels voice-to-voice beta in the original review. The language page lists 40+ common languages, and its privacy policy permits US transfers. Before you plan fieldwork, check that your chosen mode and each participant language fit the study. Read the data terms alongside the interview settings so you can make that decision before invitations go out.
Underheard gives you spoken conversations in 120+ languages and findings you can check. Read Underheard vs Outset for the source-based comparison.
- ConversationVoice-to-voice is labelled beta in the reviewed help centre. Check the status of the mode you intend to use.
- MaterialsConcepts and ads can appear during sessions. Test your actual materials in the participant flow.
- OutputThemes, quotes and slide reports link to source interviews. Check the answers behind the report before you use it.
Source notes: outset.ai and help.outset.ai. Reviewed for our original interview-tool list on 4 November 2026.
4.Conveo
Best for video studies with a start-and-send step for answers.
Conveo runs video-first interviews with spoken answers. Participants start and send each answer through the microphone control. Where text-to-speech is unavailable, they read the questions themselves. The reviewed sources describe existing audiences, recruited panels and European hosting. If you are comparing spoken tools, follow the whole participant flow and check which actions sit between an answer and its next question. Use your intended audience languages for that check.
Underheard keeps the voice conversation hands-free while people explain their answers. Underheard asks its follow-up from what they said.
- Participant flowEach spoken answer has a start-and-send action. Check how that step fits the conversation you want to run.
- QuestionsParticipants read questions where text-to-speech is unavailable. Confirm spoken-question support for your study languages.
- OutputThemes with quotes and presentation exports to PowerPoint and PDF. Review the source answers before you present the findings.
Source notes: conveo.ai. Reviewed for our original interview-tool list on 4 November 2026.
5.Strella
Best for interview studies taken on a laptop.
Strella runs spoken interviews with follow-up questions and themes backed by quotes. Its participant FAQ recommends a laptop or desktop. Mobile-app studies require the Strella app before the conversation. The reviewed report downloads have no PowerPoint, and its participant policy places personal data in the US. Check those steps against your audience’s devices and the report your stakeholders expect. Include the final presentation in your study plan.
Underheard opens by link on any phone or laptop and exports the report to PowerPoint. See Underheard vs Strella.
- DeviceThe participant FAQ recommends a laptop or desktop. Mobile-app studies require an app install before the interview.
- MaterialsConcepts and images can appear during sessions. Try your materials on the device your participants will use.
- DeliveryThe reviewed downloads have no PowerPoint. Participant personal data is stored in the US, so check your study’s data terms.
Source notes: strella.io and corner3ai.notion.site. Reviewed for our original interview-tool list on 4 November 2026.
6.GetWhy
Best for video studies with a participant face check.
GetWhy runs spoken video interviews and builds a guide from the research brief. Its product page requires a face check before each interview. The reviewed FAQ starts the 48-hour clock at the first interview, after design, guide review and recruitment. Compare the time from your brief to the finished report, with guide design and recruitment included.
Underheard participants open a link and talk. A study takes a couple of hours to under a week, from the study work to the report.
- Participant flowA face check comes before the interview. Include that step when reviewing what your audience will need to do.
- RecruitmentThe reviewed product accepts your own panel. Account for recruitment before you set the expected delivery date.
- OutputFollow-up questions, verbatim quotes and PowerPoint exports. Check the study’s full timeline alongside its promised reporting window.
Source notes: getwhy.io. Reviewed for our original interview-tool list on 4 November 2026.
7.Usercall
Best for short interviews with findings delivered in English.
Usercall runs voice or text interviews and traces findings to participants. Its language page describes findings delivered to researchers in English. The reviewed Lite plan lists 12-minute interviews, with an hour available on request. Before you recruit, check the length your guide needs and the language your stakeholders will read. Its privacy policy permits US storage and processing, so review those terms for the audience you plan to invite.
Underheard brings interviews in 120+ languages into one report, with the themes and source answers together for your team.
- ConversationVoice or text sessions with probing. Secure the interview length your guide needs before you invite participants.
- RecruitmentUse your own people or panel recruitment. Match the audience to your decision before opening the study.
- DeliveryEnglish findings and PowerPoint downloads. Plan how the findings will reach stakeholders working in another language.
Source notes: usercall.co. Reviewed for our original interview-tool list on 4 November 2026.
8.Koji
Best for customer research one study at a time.
Koji runs spoken interviews and links report claims to source evidence. Its reviewed guides describe shared participant links and structured questions alongside open answers. They list no native Notion, Confluence, Jira, Linear or Slack connectors. Cross-study transcript search moves into an external assistant. Data is stored in Paris, while EU-resident AI processing is an enterprise option. Check storage and processing separately if your study has requirements for both.
Underheard keeps your brief, conversations and findings together, so your team can open the interviews behind each claim before taking action.
- ConversationSpoken interviews with probing and structured questions. Check the guide against the decision your study must support.
- EvidenceClaims link to source evidence and participant quotes. Inspect the supporting answers when you review a theme.
- WorkflowCross-study transcript search uses an external assistant. The guide lists no built-in connections to these team tools.
Source notes: koji.so. Reviewed for our original interview-tool list on 4 November 2026.
9.Userology
Best for product teams running UX interview studies.
Userology drafts interview guides and runs spoken interviews. Participants can join through shared study links. Its reviewed plan page places advanced reporting and exports in Research+ through sales, alongside managed and advanced niche recruitment. Before you plan a study around those services, confirm the access you need. Ask whether your plan includes recruitment and the report format you need.
Underheard supports customer, concept, pack and ad studies, with your own people or our panel. You get a report tied to the interviews.
- GuideAI drafts the discussion guide. Read the questions against your research decision before the study opens.
- AudienceBring participants through study links. Managed and advanced niche recruitment sit in Research+ in the reviewed plan.
- OutputPatterns have supporting quotes. Check access to advanced reporting and exports before promising a specific report to stakeholders.
Source notes: userology.co, support.userology.co and pricing.userology.co. Reviewed for our original interview-tool list on 4 November 2026.
10.Typeform
Best for Research Flow studies in one respondent language.
Typeform Research Flow runs spoken interviews with follow-ups and groups answers into themes with quotes. Its reviewed language guide uses one respondent language per study. You cannot play a video or video ad during the interview. The report guide lists no PowerPoint or PDF report. Check those boundaries against your materials and audience before you build the guide, especially if you want reactions to an ad in several languages.
Underheard shows your concepts and ads during the conversation and brings the answers into one report. Read Underheard vs Typeform.
- LanguageOne respondent language per study. Check the audience language before you recruit a mixed-language group.
- MaterialsThe reviewed question guide cannot play a video or video ad mid-interview. Confirm the format your creative study needs.
- DeliveryThemes and quotes are available. The reviewed report guide lists no PowerPoint or PDF, so account for presentation work.
Source notes: typeform.com and help.typeform.com. Reviewed for our original interview-tool list on 4 November 2026.
Check findings. Share the report.
Open a theme, check its count and read the answers behind it. Download the format your stakeholders will use.
Test each tool with one question.
Bring one real question to every tool on your shortlist. Underheard turns it into a guide you can edit before anyone is invited.
Why do customers contact support?
Walk me through the last time you contacted support.
What had you tried before that?
What would have made contacting us unnecessary?
What are AI market research tools?
AI market research tools help you gather and interpret evidence for a business decision. This guide covers the tools that talk to real people. You use them to understand why customers leave, how they read a concept or what they make of an ad.
Underheard conducts those interviews and follows up on the answers. The people are real. They describe their own experience, then your team reads themes with counts and the quotes behind them. Each finding links back to the source interviews.
Start with the decision you need to make. A broad request to learn about your market gives you less direction than a clear question about a customer choice. Write down who you need to hear from and what their answers will change.
How should you choose a tool?
Try the participant experience and open a finished report. Your checklist should cover the work from the first question to the evidence you show your team.
- Follow-up depthGive a vague answer. Listen for a question about what you just said, then check whether it gets to the reason.
- Your audienceOpen the study on the phone your customers use. Check the language they hear, the controls and any installation steps.
- Your materialsUse the actual concept, pack or ad in your test. Hear how the interviewer asks about it while the person is looking.
- The whole timelineInclude design, guide review and recruitment when you compare delivery windows. Start the clock at your brief.
Underheard turns your brief into an editable guide. You invite your customers or use our panel with your quotas, then review the findings against their source interviews. A study takes a couple of hours to under a week.
Can you check every finding?
Open the interviews behind a finding before using it in a decision. Read the surrounding answer so you can see what the person meant. A clear quote helps your stakeholders understand the issue. The source interview lets them check the claim.
Underheard gives you themes with counts and quotes. Keep the count beside the finding, and distinguish a repeated theme from one person’s striking comment. Both are useful when you can see the evidence behind them.
Check how the question was asked as well. A leading question changes the answer you get. Your team can edit the guide before launch and inspect the conversations afterward, so the report stays grounded in what people actually said.
When should you use interviews?
Use interviews when you need the reason behind a choice. A survey captures the first answer someone types. Underheard hears that answer and asks about it while the person is still there. You can follow the thought instead of guessing at the missing explanation.
For concept and ad studies, show the material during the conversation. Ask what the person noticed, what they understood and what left them unsure. Their own words tell you where to investigate before you commit to a design.
Underheard runs hundreds of customer interviews in a week. Participants answer when it suits them, and your researchers spend their time on the brief and the findings. Voice-to-voice. Text and video available.
How did we compare these tools?
We make Underheard and put it first. The list compares the participant flow, follow-up questions, evidence and delivery using the product pages, help centres and policies reviewed for our original list on 4 November 2026.
The source domains are named under each tool. Those notes describe that review date. Confirm your intended mode, languages, device flow and report access when you evaluate an alternative. Each comparison names the sources and their review date.
Our recommendation is Underheard for a study that starts with your question and ends with a report you can act on. You get spoken depth, 120+ languages and findings linked to the real conversations.
Questions about AI research tools
What is the best AI market research tool?
Underheard is our first choice for customer interviews. It runs spoken conversations with real people and turns the answers into findings linked to their source interviews.
Are these tools interviewing real people?
Yes. Underheard talks to your customers or a recruited panel. Everyone is told at the start that the interviewer is an AI.
Can I use my own customers?
Yes. Send them your Underheard study link, or use our panel with your quotas. People join on a phone or laptop with nothing to install.
Can an AI moderator replace a human moderator?
Yes. Underheard conducts the interview and asks the follow-ups. Your team owns the brief and checks the conclusions against the evidence.
How long does an Underheard study take?
A couple of hours to under a week. Underheard runs hundreds of customer interviews in a week.
Can people answer in their own language?
Yes. Underheard supports 120+ languages, with every market in one report.
Can I test an ad or a concept?
Yes. Underheard shows concepts, images, packs and ads during the interview and asks people about what they see.
How do I check whether a finding is right?
Open its source interviews and read the supporting answers. Underheard keeps counts and quotes beside the themes, so you can inspect the evidence.
Where does Underheard store study data?
In the EU under GDPR, with a DPA on request.
How much do AI market research tools cost?
Many sell by quote, on a subscription or credits. Underheard costs around 70% less than a traditional study, and your quote depends on your audience, the number of interviews and the support your team wants.
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