Tack vs Maze: the Maze alternative for AI-built prototypes
An honest comparison for people who build in code: what Maze does well in 2026, where Tack is different, and what a year of testing costs on each.
The Tack team··7 min read
Short answer
Maze is a full research platform. It covers Figma prototype tests, AI-moderated interviews, card sorting, tree testing and a participant panel. As of November 2026, its pricing page lists a Free plan (1 study per month) and a custom-priced Enterprise plan.
Tack is narrower on purpose. It’s built for people who make prototypes in code, with Lovable, v0, Bolt, Cursor or Claude Code, and want to know by tomorrow if the thing works. One <script> tag. Tests run in the real browser window, not a frame. The same snippet runs short in-product surveys on production. You pay per credit, not per seat.
If you need a research ops platform for a team of 20, stay with Maze. If you built something this afternoon and need five honest people to try it, read on.
What Maze does well in 2026
Maze is no longer just a Figma tool, and any honest comparison should say so. It says it’s used by more than 60,000 product teams, and in 2026 it covers most of the research toolkit:
- Prototype tests on Figma links, with success paths and usability scores.
- Website tests on any public URL, including AI prototypes from Figma Make, Lovable, Bolt or Replit. Without a snippet you get screen recordings; with the snippet you get clicks, paths and heatmaps. (Maze help)
- In-product prompts that invite live visitors into a maze from a popover. (Maze help)
- AI Moderator and interview studies, card sorting, tree testing and surveys.
- A participant panel, so you can buy testers instead of finding your own.
If your team runs a steady research programme across Figma files, live sites and interviews, that breadth is the point.
Where Tack is different
1. Built for prototypes made in code
If you prototype with an AI tool, there’s no Figma file to import. Tack starts from the thing you already have: a URL. Paste one <script> tag into the page and open it once; the install verifies itself. It works in anything that runs in a browser: a Lovable preview, a v0 deploy, a Next.js beta, a production site.
<script src="https://trytack.io/r/v1.js" data-site="pk_…" async></script>Task success is checked automatically by URL (exact, prefix or regex), by a click on a CSS selector, or by a custom event: window.tack.track('signup_done'). That last one matters for single-page apps, where the URL often never changes.
2. Your page stays your page
The Tack panel is an overlay inside your page, isolated in Shadow DOM so your styles and ours never clash. The prototype runs at full size and stays fully responsive. On phones, the panel becomes a bottom sheet you can collapse.
State survives reloads, full navigation and client-side routing. A respondent can wander off and come back to the same step.
3. One snippet for tests and production feedback
The same script runs Pins: 1–3 question micro-surveys on your live site. Targeting is built in, no analytics integration needed:
- Triggers: URL pattern, time on page, scroll depth, exit intent, custom event, Nth visit, device.
- Sampling by % of visitors, a cooldown of X days per visitor, and never more than one Pin per visit.
- A Pin can end with an invite into a Test. Feedback on production turns straight into a test of the next version.
On production the script stays lazy: it loads only the config for active Pins, and the UI loads only when a trigger fires.
4. Standard metrics, read honestly
Templates use validated questions with locked wording and scales: SEQ after each task, UX-Lite, CES, CSAT, NPS and the product-market fit question. Results show reference bands where they exist and warn you when a sample under 30 is too small to trust. Tack never tells you “you have PMF”. It shows the share and the trend.
5. Credits, not seats
One Test or one Pin costs one credit, and a credit is €8, less in bigger packs. No seats, no subscription, no minimum. Credits don’t expire. A new account comes with 1 credit to try it. See the price list. Maze’s Enterprise plan is quote-only; trackers report anonymised deals between $12K and $62K a year (Front Desk Review).
€226a yearTack prices come from our live price list, VAT included, with pack discounts. Maze figures come from its pricing page and public trackers, in its own currency and without tax.
6. Private by default, hosted in the EU
- Data and hosting in the EU.
- Nothing is collected before the respondent consents. If they decline, nothing loads.
- Pins use no cookies and no fingerprinting, only an anonymous ID for frequency caps.
- No IP addresses in results. Fonts and assets are served from our own domain.
- Input field contents are never recorded.
Tack vs Maze at a glance
| Feature | | Maze |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Code and AI-built prototypes, small teams, solo builders | Research teams running many study types |
| Setup on a coded prototype | One script tag that verifies itself (Yes) | A URL; snippet needed for clicks and heatmaps (Yes) |
| Price of one test | €8 per Test or Pin, less in packs (Yes) | Enterprise, quote only; reported $12K–$62K a year |
| Start for free | Free account with 1 credit to try (Yes) | 1 study per month (Yes) |
| Subscription or seats | None, credits only (Yes) | Yearly Enterprise deal |
| Auto-checked task success | URL, CSS selector click, custom event (Yes) | Defined success paths (Yes) |
| In-product surveys | Pins with built-in triggers, sampling and cooldowns (Yes) | In-product prompts (Yes) |
| Bridge from production feedback to a test | Pin ends with a Test invite (Yes) | Prompt links to a maze (Yes) |
| Heatmaps, scroll maps, paths | Yes | Yes |
| Standard UX metrics | SEQ, UX-Lite, CES, CSAT, NPS, PMF with locked wording (Yes) | Usability scores (Yes) |
| Respondent UI languages | English, Czech (Yes) | Website test tasks in English only (No) |
| Figma prototype tests | No | Yes |
| Broader research toolkit | Not the focus: tests and in-product surveys (No) | Recordings, interviews, AI moderator, card sorting, tree testing, participant panel (Yes) |
Which one should you pick?
Choose Maze if:
- Most of your prototypes still live in Figma.
- You need interviews, an AI moderator, card sorting or tree testing in one place.
- You need to recruit testers from a panel rather than your own users or network.
- You want video recordings of every session.
- You have a research budget and a team that will use many seats.
Choose Tack if:
- You build prototypes in code or with AI tools and want to test them as they are.
- You want the same snippet on your prototype and your production site.
- You want short, targeted surveys on production without wiring up an analytics tool.
- You’d rather pay per test than per seat per year.
- Your respondents are in Europe, speak Czech, or you care where their data lives.
Many teams will use both: Maze for the big research programme, Tack for the quick check after an afternoon of building.
FAQ
What is the best Maze alternative for testing AI-built prototypes?
If your prototype is a live URL from Lovable, v0, Bolt, Cursor or Claude Code, Tack is built for exactly that: one script tag, automatic task success checks, and results by the next day. Maze can test the same URLs, but its strength is breadth across Figma, interviews and surveys.
Is Maze free in 2026?
Maze has a free plan with 1 study per month and 5 seats. Paid capacity is on the Enterprise plan, priced by quote (as of November 2026).
Can Tack test Figma prototypes?
No. Tack tests anything that runs in a browser. If your design only exists in Figma, Maze or Useberry is a better fit.
Does Tack recruit participants?
Not yet. You share a link with your own users, community or network. Pins can invite visitors from your live site into a Test.
Does Tack work on mobile?
Yes. The prototype runs full screen and the Tack panel turns into a collapsible bottom sheet below 768 px.
Does Tack use cookies?
No. Pins store only an anonymous ID in the browser to respect frequency caps. No third-party cookies, no fingerprinting, and data is hosted in the EU.
How much does Tack cost?
Signing up is free. One Test or one Pin costs one credit, and a credit is €8, less in bigger packs. No seats, no subscription, no minimum. Credits don’t expire. A new account comes with 1 credit to try it.