Traditional user testing costs $250

   $100  Pay a recruiting agency to screen for your target audience ($100 per user).
  + $75  Pay a user to come to your office for an hour.
  + $75  Pay a facilitator (a usability expert or an employee) to ask questions and observe a user testing your site for an hour.
= $250 to watch one person use your website.

UserTesting.com costs $29

• Web-based matchmaking, so no recruiting agency needed. We use the web to remove the most expensive layer from the traditional user testing process: the recruiting agencies that charge about $100 to screen each user (we do that for free). And because it’s done over the web, you get your results in a couple hours rather than a couple weeks.
• No facilitator. We have a pool of users who can clearly articulate their thoughts while they browse your site, without needing someone to prompt them about what they are thinking. Most people aren’t like that…they require a facilitator, and that’s why most people who apply to be our users are filtered out.
  
• Users get paid less. Traditional users have to drive to and from your office and stay there for an hour. That’s why they usually get paid $75-$100. Our users don't leave their own computer, and their test sessions are shorter (about 20 minutes), so they don't require as much compensation (we pay them $10 if, and only if, you are 100% satisfied with their work).
• Bigger pool of users to select from. Our users reside across the US. We aren't limited geographically to only people who can drive to your office. Our ability to draw on such a large number of users helps you in two ways:
  1. More competition drives down prices.
  2. A bigger pool allows us to select only the highest-rated users.