What should an AI interview platform give you?
- Public pricing. If a vendor hides the price behind a demo, you cannot put a number in a budget request. Platforms with published plans, like the four on the Moderators pricing page, let a product manager decide the same day.
- Participant model. Some tools bundle a panel, others expect you to bring your own customers. A bundled panel raises the price. If you already have customers, you do not need one.
- Follow-up quality. The point of an AI moderator is that it asks a sensible next question instead of reading a script. Ask for a sample transcript and look for follow-ups that use the participant's own words.
- Output. You want themes ranked by how many conversations raised them, each with quotes, plus full transcripts so anyone can check a claim.
- Data controls. Look for retention settings, roles and single sign-on if more than one team will use it, and read the vendor's security page.
- Time to first study. Count the days from signup to the first answered interview.
How can I score the vendors?
Give each criterion 0 to 2 points and total them.
| Criterion | 0 points | 1 point | 2 points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Demo required | Entry price only | Every plan and limit published |
| Participants | Panel required | Panel optional | Your own customers, no panel fee |
| Follow-ups | Fixed script | Some probing | Adaptive follow-ups in sample transcripts |
| Output | Summary only | Summary and quotes | Themes, quotes and full transcripts |
| Data | No details | Basic policy | Retention, roles, SSO and an SLA available |
| Speed | Weeks | Days | Same day |
A score of 10 or more out of 12 means a platform is worth a pilot. Under 7, keep looking.
How does the scoring look for a real team?
Say a product team of three wants to learn why trial users do not invite teammates. They have 600 trial accounts and want 40 conversations. They need a platform that lets them email a link this week and does not charge for a panel they will not use.
A vendor that needs a sales call, bundles a panel and takes two weeks to set up scores about 3 of 12 for this team. A platform with published plans, bring-your-own customers and a same day start scores 11. Forty chat interviews fit inside the Starter plan at $99 for the month, which the post on AI moderated interview cost breaks down. The decision takes ten minutes instead of two weeks of email.
What should I ask a vendor that will not publish prices?
Send these in writing before any call, so you can compare answers across vendors.
- What is the total cost of 40 interviews, including participants, in one number?
- What happens to interviews I do not use this period?
- Can I see a raw transcript from a real study, with the moderator's follow-up questions?
- How long from contract to my first answered interview?
- Who can see transcripts, and how long are they kept?
- What is the cancellation and refund policy?
A vendor that answers all six in an email is easy to buy from. One that answers only on a call is telling you how the whole relationship will go. Write the answers into the scoring table above so the decision is on paper when finance asks.
How long should a pilot run?
One study, one segment, 20 to 40 conversations, within two weeks. Judge it on three things: did participants finish, were the follow-ups specific to what they said, and could a colleague trace each theme back to quotes. If the answer to all three is yes, move to the plan that fits your monthly volume. If you cannot fill the plan, stay on the smaller one. Question sets for the guide itself are in the post on customer interview questions, and a reusable structure is in the discussion guide template.
What mistakes do buyers make?
- Buying volume they cannot fill. Unused interviews do not carry over on most plans, so start small.
- Paying for participants they already have.
- Judging on the demo summary instead of a raw transcript.
- Using interviews to measure percentages. For that you need a survey with a proper sample, not forty conversations. The post on how many user interviews explains where interviews stop being the right tool.
If your study involves people reacting to creator content, recruit those participants from a source such as ugcmarketplace.com and send them the same interview link as your customers.
Check how an unfamiliar vendor handles personal data against the regulator's guidance, for example the EU GDPR overview if you interview people in Europe.
Where can I see named comparisons?
See the best AI moderator software roundup, or the single vendor pages such as the Outset alternative and the Koji alternative. To see how one interview runs, read about AI moderated interviews.
Try a pilot study
Send one link to your customers and read themes with quotes within days.