UserTesting migration
✓ recordings, participants and studies, moved
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Most teams leave UserTesting for one of two reasons: the renewal price, or the realization that they mostly want to talk to their own customers rather than a general panel. Either way, the move is less work than it looks. Your recordings and participant lists come with you, and your study setup is quick to rebuild.
This guide covers what to export from UserTesting, how to bring it into Great Question, how the features map, and a four-week plan that keeps research running while you switch.
Comparing first?
Great Question vs UserTesting: the feature-by-feature comparison
Top UserTesting alternatives: the wider shortlist
What moves across, and what doesn't
Recordings and participant data move cleanly. Study configurations don't: there's no import format for another tool's tests, so you rebuild the handful you reuse as Great Question templates.
Your UserTesting data | How to export it | Where it goes in Great Question |
|---|---|---|
| Your UserTesting dataSession videos | How to export itMP4 download, one session at a time, from the video player | Where it goes in Great QuestionRepository upload, transcribed automatically |
| Your UserTesting dataTranscripts, responses, clips and notes | How to export itExcel export, up to 15 tests per workbook | Where it goes in Great QuestionKept as an archive; transcripts regenerate from the uploaded video |
| Your UserTesting dataParticipant and contributor lists | How to export itExcel export (demographics are included) | Where it goes in Great QuestionCSV import into your candidate panel |
| Your UserTesting dataTest plans and screeners | How to export itCopy the tasks and questions out manually | Where it goes in Great QuestionRebuilt as study templates and screeners |
| Your UserTesting dataHighlight reels | How to export itDownload the video, or the clips via the Results API | Where it goes in Great QuestionRecreated from highlights on the uploaded sessions |
Before you start
- Check your renewal date. Start at least 90 days before it. Exporting video one session at a time is the slow part, and you want both tools running for a few weeks.
- Confirm what happens to your data at contract end. UserTesting doesn't publish a retention policy for its core platform, so ask your account manager how long you'll have access after the contract lapses.
- Decide what's worth keeping. Most teams move the last 12 to 24 months of sessions plus anything cited in a live roadmap decision, and archive the rest as Excel exports.
- Check your storage. Great Question self-serve includes 100 hours of video. A larger archive belongs on an Enterprise plan.
Step by step
1. Export your session videos
Open each session in UserTesting's video player and download it as an MP4 (UserTesting help). For interaction tests and think-out-loud tests, the Videos page lets you download the video and its transcript together.
If you have hundreds of sessions, ask whether your plan includes the Results API. It returns a download URL per session along with transcripts and clips, though each video link expires after an hour and requests are rate-limited (API docs).
2. Export transcripts, responses and notes
Use the Excel export on each test, or select up to 15 tests and export them into one workbook. It includes transcripts, demographics, written and multi-select answers, and any clips or notes marked Important (UserTesting help). Transcript export needs the Advanced, Ultimate or Ultimate+ plan.
Keep these workbooks as your archive. You don't need to import transcripts into Great Question: uploading the video generates a fresh, speaker-separated transcript you can highlight and tag.
3. Export your participants
If you've been recruiting your own customers through UserTesting, pull their details out of the Excel exports into one spreadsheet: email, name, and any attributes you filter on, such as role, plan, region or company size. Add a column for the date they last took part so you don't over-contact anyone in their first month on the new tool.
4. Import into Great Question
- Participants: save the spreadsheet as a CSV, then go to Candidates, Add Candidates, Import from CSV. Map each column to an attribute and pick how duplicates are handled (importing candidates).
- Recordings: go to Repository, New, Upload files, and drop in your MP4s. Link each one to its participant and add tags as you go. Transcripts generate on their own (uploading recordings).
- Tags: recreate the handful of tags your team searches by before you upload, so imported sessions are filed the same way new ones will be.
5. Rebuild your recurring studies
List the three to five tests you run most often, such as a monthly usability check or a concept test, and rebuild each one as a template. Screener questions, tasks and follow-ups take a few minutes each to copy across. Everything else you can rebuild the first time you need it.
6. Run one study in parallel, then cut over
Run your next real study on Great Question while UserTesting is still live. It's the fastest way to find a missing attribute or a screener question that didn't translate, and it gives stakeholders a recording in the new repository before the old one goes away.
How UserTesting features map to Great Question
UserTesting | Great Question |
|---|---|
| UserTestingUnmoderated interaction and think-out-loud tests | Great QuestionUnmoderated prototype and website tests |
| UserTestingLive moderated sessions | Great QuestionInterviews on Zoom, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams, with scheduling built in |
| UserTestingContributor Network | Great QuestionYour own customers via the participant panel, plus Respondent (and User Interviews on Enterprise) for external recruits |
| UserTestingClips and highlight reels | Great QuestionHighlights and reels |
| UserTestingInsights Hub and EnjoyHQ | Great QuestionResearch repository, with Ask AI across studies on Enterprise |
| UserTestingCard sorting and tree testing | Great QuestionCard sorting and tree testing on Enterprise |
| UserTestingSurveys | Great QuestionSurveys |
| UserTestingContributor payments | Great QuestionAutomated incentives through Tremendous, to 80+ countries |
A four-week switching plan
Larger archives take longer, mostly because of the one-at-a-time video download. The plan holds if you start the exports early.
Week | What happens |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | What happensAgree what to keep. Export participants and the sessions you're moving. Set up your workspace and tags. |
| Week 2 | What happensImport participants and upload recordings. Rebuild your most-used study templates. |
| Week 3 | What happensRun one live study in your new workspace while UserTesting is still live. Fix anything that didn't translate. |
| Week 4 | What happensMove remaining studies across, archive the Excel exports, and let the UserTesting contract lapse. |
What teams that switched say
Procare Solutions switched from UserTesting and saves $15,000 a year on tooling and seven hours a month on recruitment. Sinch replaced UserTesting, Dovetail and six other tools, and cut research tooling costs by 35%.
Planning a switch
Bring your UserTesting setup to a demo
We'll look at how you run research today and show you what it looks like in Great Question, from recruiting your own customers to the repository.
Frequently asked questions
Can I export all my UserTesting videos at once?
Not from the app. UserTesting's help centre documents downloading videos one session at a time. Teams with API access can use the Results API, which returns a download link for each session.
Do I need to import my UserTesting transcripts?
No. Upload the session video and Great Question transcribes it automatically, separated by speaker. Keep your Excel exports as an archive of the original transcripts and written answers.
How long does it take to move from UserTesting?
Most teams can switch in about four weeks: one to export, one to import and rebuild templates, one to run a study on both tools, and one to finish. Start at least 90 days before your renewal so there's room for a large video archive.
Can I still recruit external participants after leaving UserTesting?
Yes. Great Question recruits from Respondent on every plan, and from User Interviews on Enterprise. You can also recruit your own customers from your panel with no per-participant fee.
How much does Great Question cost compared to UserTesting?
UserTesting doesn't publish prices: every plan is quote-based, sold either per test or as team-based unlimited. Great Question self-serve is $129 per seat per month, up to 5 seats, and Enterprise is custom.
