Comparison
A survey records the answer. A conversation finds the cause.
SurveyMonkey is a fine survey tool, and this page will not pretend otherwise. But a questionnaire can only record what people choose from your options. Underheard runs real five-minute voice conversations that ask the follow-up behind the first polite answer, then ranks every call into one report.
Underheard
Real conversations
An AI interviewer speaks with your customers and hears more than words.
- Five-minute voice interviews with adaptive follow-ups
- Pauses, hesitation and tone get coded like words do
- One ranked report: themes, quotes, a recommendation
- Data stored in the EU, GDPR ready
SurveyMonkey
Forms and surveys
Questionnaires at scale, with quantitative dashboards.
- Fixed questions; answers limited to the options you wrote
- No follow-up when an answer hides the real reason
- Charts of what people picked, analysis stays with you
- Strong for quick polls and large-sample quantitative work
Side by side
| Underheard | SurveyMonkey | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | AI-led voice interviews with your customers | Online surveys and forms |
| Follow-up questions | Yes, adaptive in every conversation | No, fixed question flow |
| What gets captured | Words plus pauses, hesitation and tone | Selected options and typed text |
| Analysis | Done for you: themes ranked with quotes and a recommendation | Response dashboards; interpretation is your job |
| Response depth | Five minutes of spoken context per customer | As deep as people are willing to type |
| Best for | Understanding why: churn, feedback, experience | Counting what: polls and large-sample surveys |
SurveyMonkey details are from surveymonkey.com, checked on 10 August 2026. Their prices vary by country and are published on their site. If something has changed, tell us at support@underheard.ai and we will correct it.
An honest read
Choose Underheard if
- You keep reading survey results and asking "but why?"
- The people you ask abandon long questionnaires
- You want the analysis done, not another CSV export
- Voice and tone matter: frustration sounds different than it types
- You care most about churn, cancellations and experience feedback
Choose SurveyMonkey if
- You need thousands of quantitative responses fast
- A quick poll or a form is genuinely all the job needs
- You have analysts who want raw response data
- You run recurring benchmarked survey programs
Many teams keep both: surveys for the numbers, Underheard for the reasons behind them.
Frequently asked questions
Is Underheard a survey tool?
No. Underheard replaces the questionnaire with a real conversation: an AI interviewer speaks with each customer for about five minutes, asks follow-ups, and every call lands in one ranked report. If you need a classic form, a survey tool remains the right choice.
Can it do what my SurveyMonkey survey does?
If your survey exists to understand reasons, yes, and usually better: a conversation captures the follow-up your survey cannot ask. If your survey exists to count responses at large scale, keep the survey and use interviews on the segment you need to understand.
How do customers join an interview?
Through a link, an embed on your site, email, SMS, WhatsApp or a phone call. Web interviews launch without any app or system connection.
What does it cost compared to SurveyMonkey?
Underheard walks you through pricing in a short demo, once we know who you want to hear from. SurveyMonkey's plans are published on their site and vary by country.
Do I have to analyze transcripts myself?
No. The report writes itself: recurring themes ranked by how often customers raised them, real quotes as evidence, and a concrete recommendation, in three days.
Can I try it for free?
Yes. Create a study for free in the Studio, or try the conversation demo on our homepage and take an interview yourself.