About
kardSort is a powerful, web-based platform designed for card sorting and tree testing — two proven methods for designing and evaluating information architecture. By allowing participants to categorize content and validate navigation structures, kardSort helps UX designers, product teams, and researchers uncover how users naturally perceive and structure information.
This tool promotes seamless collaboration, supports data-driven decision-making, and includes in-built analytics for both card sorting and tree testing studies. Exporting results is simple and flexible – with support for raw CSV, SynCaps, and Casolysis formats – making it easy to analyze data further in your preferred tools.
Please note: It is assumed that users of this system are familiar with the card sorting and tree testing processes. If you are not, then please refer to the numerous resources on the Internet.
Below is the cream of kardSort's ever-growing features the UX community will
Card Sorting
- Create Open, Closed and Hybrid sort types
- Rich Media Cards: images, audio, video, and YouTube links
- User-Created Cards: Let participants add their own cards during sorting
- Allow users to sort cards to more than one category
- In-Built Analytics: similarity matrix, card ambiguity, participant agreement, hierarchical clustering dendrogram, and more
- Category and Card Normalization for cleaner analysis
Tree Testing
- Task-based tree testing to validate your information architecture
- Import sitemaps, text-based trees, or build trees from card sort results
- Define tasks with multiple correct answers
- In-Built Analytics: success rates, directness scores, first-click correctness, path analysis, node confusion scores, Sankey navigation flows, and more
- Link tree tests to card sort studies for correlation analytics and IA validation
Common to All Study Types
- Integrated Pre-Study and Post-Study Questionnaire
- Power Filters: segregate users based on their answers to questions
- Export results to .csv, SynCaps V3 and Casolysis format
- Schedule start and end dates of the study
- Secure access to study with a password
- Available in 7 languages: English, German, Spanish, French, Dutch, Portuguese, Russian
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
Choose the perfect plan to unlock your full potential. Transparent, value-packed pricing designed for creators and teams who expect more. Each plan delivers powerful features, seamless performance, and the flexibility to grow, so you can focus on achieving exceptional results. Note: All paid plans are one-time payments, not recurring subscriptions.
| Free Tier | Starter | Premium | 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 |
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| 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 | |
| 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 | Unlimited | Unlimited | |
| Sitemap Import | ||||
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Forever Free
No Risk, No Credit Card. Perfect for small projects or trying us out.
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€11 / month
Scale smarter. Ideal for growing teams who need more flexibility.
One-time payment for one month of access, no auto-renewal
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€25 / year
Unlock serious power at less than €2.10/month.
One-time payment, no auto-renewal
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is kardSort better than other apps like OptimalSort or UXTweak?
kardSort is much more affordable and gets to the core functionality quickly. With both card sorting and tree testing in one platform, plus in-built analytics for both, you get everything you need without paying premium prices. You can also leverage free analysis tools such as Casolysis and SynCaps for much cheaper workshops or studies compared to premium alternatives.
Does kardSort come with built-in analytics?
Yes, kardSort includes built-in analytics for both card sorting and tree testing 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. For tree testing, you get 20+ KPIs across 5 analytics tabs including success rates, directness scores, first-click correctness, path analysis, node visit heatmaps, Sankey navigation flows, backtracking rates, and task correlation matrices. You can also link card sort and tree test studies for correlation analytics with IA validation scoring. Additionally, you can export data in several formats to analyze on your own or using external tools like SynCaps or Casolysis, which are completely free to use.
Which export formats do you support?
kardSort supports multiple export formats to ensure compatibility with various analysis tools:
- Cards & Categories (.csv)
- Cards & Categories with remarks (.csv)
- Casolysis Data (.csv) - Recommended
- Casolysis Data with user ID mapping (.csv)
- SynCaps Data (.txt)
- Questionnaire Responses (.csv)
- Participant Info (email & comments in .csv)
What are Power Filters?
Power Filters allow you to segregate users for analysis based on their answers to questions. Note that you need to define a questionnaire for this feature to work properly. This powerful segmentation tool helps you identify patterns and insights from specific user groups within your study data.
PayPal or Stripe are not supported in my country. What should I do?
We understand that payment processing can be challenging in some regions. Please write to us at kailaash[at]kardsort.com and we'll help you find an alternative payment solution that works for your location.
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 kailaash[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 independantly by Kailaash Balachandran. Have a question or idea for improvement? I'd love to talk to you.
For inquiries, please reach me at kailaash[at]kardsort[dot]com
For product updates, follow @kardSort
