Understand how people organize information - before you ship.

Card sorting, tree testing, and first-click testing in one tool. 50+ analytics KPIs, AI-powered insights, Figma import, and participant flows in 7 languages.

Try a demo Sign in

About

Card sorts, tree tests, and first-click studies in one place.

kardSort helps UX designers, product teams, and researchers understand how people structure information and interact with interfaces. Run card sorts, tree tests, and first-click studies in the browser, with built-in analytics, AI-powered insights, flexible exports, and participant flows in seven languages.

Export CSV for every study type; card sorts also support SynCaps V3 and Casolysis. Developed and maintained by Inhetech.

Card Sorting

Discover how users group and label your content.

  • Open, closed & hybrid
  • Rich media + user-created cards
  • XLSX import · card duplication across categories
  • 15 KPIs, Power Filter, Casolysis & SynCaps

Tree Testing

Validate navigation before you ship.

  • Text, sitemap, or card-sort import
  • Multiple correct answers per task
  • 25+ KPIs: Sankey, paths, heatmaps
  • Link to card sorts for IA correlation

First-Click Testing

See where users click first on your designs.

  • Screenshots / wireframes or Figma
  • Draw correct click areas
  • 16 KPIs: heatmaps, accuracy, time
  • CSV export · multi-click corrections

Built into every study type

Built-in analytics with 50+ KPIs
Pre- & post-study questionnaires
CSV export for every study type
Scheduled start & end dates
Password-protected studies
7 participant languages
One-click public demos
Custom welcome & thank-you pages
Mobile-friendly participant UI

AI-Powered Features Paid Plans

Study Analysis - evidence-linked findings from your analytics
Normalization - auto-group synonyms, typos & duplicates
Study Setup - generate questions & page content
Privacy-first - no PII sent, no training on your data

Features

Everything you need for IA research, in one product.

Three study methods in one product

  • Card sorting: open, closed, hybrid · rich media (image, audio, video, YouTube) · participant-created cards · card duplication across categories · randomize · require all sorted · remarks · Power Filter · Casolysis & SynCaps export
  • Tree testing: hierarchical tree · multiple correct nodes · randomize or skip tasks · import from text, sitemap.xml, or a completed card sort
  • First-click: upload screenshots and wireframes · Figma frame import · draw correct areas · multi-click with corrections · keyboard accessible

Analytics that go deep

  • Card sort, 15 KPIs: similarity matrix, dendrogram, ambiguity, agreement, co-occurrence, label consistency, split-half reliability · Power Filter to segregate by questionnaire answers · Casolysis & SynCaps export
  • Tree test, 25+ KPIs: success and directness, path analysis, Sankey and sunburst, node visit heatmaps, task difficulty, linked card-sort IA validation score
  • First-click, 16 KPIs: first and final accuracy, heatmaps, misclick hotspots, time-to-click, correction rate, skip rate

AI-powered research

  • Study Analysis: get 3-5 evidence-linked findings from your analytics, each citing the exact KPI and linking to the supporting chart. Executive summary included
  • Normalization: auto-group synonyms, spelling variants, and junk entries in card labels. Apply or skip each suggestion individually
  • Study Setup: generate questionnaire items and page content from a project description. Review everything before saving
  • Privacy: no participant PII in prompts. Anonymized data only. No training on your data. Every claim is traceable to participant data

Participant experience

  • 7 languages: English, German, Spanish, French, Dutch, Portuguese, Russian
  • Password-protected studies · scheduled start and end with timezone
  • Pre- and post-study questionnaires (text and single/multi select)
  • Custom welcome, instructions, and thank-you pages (rich HTML)
  • Browser-based, mobile-friendly · no install · shareable study URL
  • Public demos for all three methods

Researcher workflow and export

  • XLSX bulk import for cards and categories · tree text / sitemap / card-sort to tree · Figma import
  • Duplicate studies · preview unpublished · clear results · participant management on paid plans
  • Link tree tests to card sorts for cross-study IA correlation
  • Export: CSV for all study types · SynCaps V3 and Casolysis for card sort
  • Flexible subscriptions: start free, upgrade when you're ready · Starter · Premium (€99/year)

Who's using it

Several institutions use kardSort for research studies and in teaching

Plus many others!! Join the growing list of organizations taking their UX research to the next level.

Pricing

Compare plans for card sorting, tree testing, and first-click. Paid plans renew automatically; cancel anytime from your subscription portal.

Flexible Subscriptions

Cancel anytime, no questions asked. Paid plans auto-renew so you never lose access. You can cancel or change your plan at any time through the subscription management portal.

Free Tier Starter Premium Best value Enterprise
General Applies to all study types For organizations that need unlimited flexibility, multiple accounts for teams, custom integrations, dedicated support, and enterprise-grade security. Let's design a plan around your needs
Talk to us
Published Studies 1 5 100
Questions per Study 2 100 100
Participants per Study 10 1000 1000
Duplicate Study
Data Retention 7 days 30 days 90 days
Analytics
Participant Management
Export
Support Community support Priority support Priority support
AI-Powered Features Included on paid plans
AI Study Analysis
AI Normalization
AI Study Setup
Card Sorting
Cards 10 1000 1000
User-Created Cards 1 per participant Up to 50 per participant Up to 50 per participant
Tree Testing
Tree Nodes 20 500 500
Tasks 3 100 100
Correct Answers per Task 1 1000 1000
Sitemap Import
First Click Testing
Images per Study 3 50 50
Tasks per Study 3 100 100
Figma Import
Free No credit card required. Start free, upgrade when you're ready.
€21 / month More studies, more participants, AI-powered insights. Ideal for growing teams. Auto-renews, cancel anytime
Save €153 (61% off) €252/year 12 × €21/month €99/year Equivalent to €8.25/month, billed yearly. AI included. Auto-renews, cancel anytime

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is kardSort better than other apps like OptimalSort or UXTweak?

kardSort is affordable and focused on core UX research workflows. Card sorting, tree testing, and first-click testing share one dashboard, each with built-in analytics (50+ KPIs across the three methods). Paid plans include AI-powered analysis, normalization, and study setup - no per-credit billing. Card sorts export to Casolysis and SynCaps; all study types support CSV. Seven participant languages, Figma import, and flexible pricing starting at free forever.

Does kardSort come with built-in analytics?

Yes, kardSort includes built-in analytics for card sorting, tree testing, and first-click studies. For card sorting, you get 15 KPIs including similarity matrices, card ambiguity, participant agreement, category co-occurrence, hierarchical clustering dendrograms, and split-half reliability, plus Power Filter to segment by questionnaire answers. For tree testing, you get 25+ KPIs across 5 analytics tabs including success rates, directness scores, path analysis, node visit heatmaps, Sankey navigation flows, and linked card-sort IA validation. For first-click testing, you get 16 KPIs including heatmaps, click accuracy, time to first click, misclick hotspots, correction rate, and CSV export. You can also link card sort and tree test studies for correlation analytics. Card sort results can export to SynCaps or Casolysis (free external tools); all study types support CSV.

Which export formats do you support?

All study types: CSV result export (and questionnaire / participant info where collected).

Card sort additionally:

  • Cards & Categories (.csv)
  • Cards & Categories with remarks (.csv)
  • Casolysis Data (.csv) - Recommended
  • Casolysis Data with user ID mapping (.csv)
  • SynCaps Data (.txt)

What are Power Filters?

Power Filter is available on card sort, tree test, and first-click analytics and export. It lets you segregate participants by their questionnaire answers and recompute insights for that group. You need a questionnaire on the study for it to work. Filtered CSV exports honor the active filter; stakeholder share and PDF stay unfiltered by design.

How does the AI work? Is my participant data safe?

kardSort's AI features use structured statistical summaries - never raw participant data. No personally identifiable information (PII) is sent to AI models. The AI sees only aggregated KPIs, anonymized labels, and study metadata. All AI calls go through API-only connections with no training on your data. AI features are included on paid plans with no per-credit billing.

What can the AI do specifically?

Three AI features are available on paid plans:

  • AI Study Analysis: Get 3-5 key findings about your information architecture, each citing the exact KPI and linking to the supporting chart. An executive summary gives you the overall picture.
  • AI Normalization: Auto-groups synonyms, spelling variants, junk entries, and duplicates in your card labels. Apply or skip each suggestion. Works across all 7 supported languages.
  • AI Study Setup: Generates pre- and post-study questionnaire items, plus welcome, instructions, and thank-you page content from your project description. You review everything before saving.

PayPal or Stripe are not supported in my country. What should I do?

Paid plans are billed through Stripe. If Stripe is not available in your region, please write to us at support[at]kardsort.com and we'll help you find an alternative payment solution.

The premium package doesn't cover my needs. I need a plan for my team or company.

We offer enterprise plans specifically designed for teams and companies with advanced requirements. Please write to us at support[at]kardsort.com and we'll work with you to create a custom solution that meets your organization's needs.

Contact

kardSort is developed and maintained by Inhetech. Have a question or idea for improvement? Email us below.

For inquiries, please reach us at support[at]kardsort[dot]com

For product updates, follow @kardSort