Discovery research, not just design testing.
Maze is built to validate what you have already designed. Robbie is built to discover what to design next.
Maze is excellent at answering a specific kind of question: can users complete this task? Does this prototype make sense? Which version performs better? Those are valuable questions, but they assume you already have something to test.
Robbie answers an earlier question: what do your users actually need, and why? That is a conversation, not a task. Maze is not built for it. Robbie is.
If you are at the validation stage, Maze is a strong tool for the job. If you are still in discovery, Robbie is where to start.
What it looks like in practice.
| Comparison metric | Maze | Robbie |
|---|---|---|
| Primary use | Prototype and design validation | Open-ended discovery interviews |
| Pricing model | Per-seat subscription | £10 / 30 min |
| Entry price | $99/month (Starter) | £0 until first interview |
| AI-moderated interviews | Business/Org tier (~$15,000/yr) | All plans, from £10 |
| Prototype testing | Yes | No |
| Card sorting / tree testing | Yes | No |
| Participant panel | Yes (billed separately) | No |
| Annual commitment | Yes on most plans | No |
Maze Starter pricing is publicly listed at $99/month. AI Moderator feature pricing is based on reported Business and Organisation tier rates. Contact Maze directly for a current quote.
What Robbie does
Robbie moderates interviews by text or voice. Your participants open one link, choose how they want to talk, and Robbie runs the conversation: asking your questions, following up on what is interesting, and adapting to each person.
After each interview, Robbie produces a synthesis: themes by confidence level, standout quotes, surprises, and recommendations. When you have run a full round, the cross-study view pulls patterns across all conversations. You can download the full report as a Word document. No prototype required.
What Robbie doesn't do
Robbie does not test prototypes, run card sorts, or measure task completion rates. If you need to validate a specific design with quantitative success metrics, Maze is purpose-built for that.
Robbie also does not include a participant panel or Figma integration. You bring your own participants.
When they work together
Discovery and validation are different stages of the same process. Some teams use Robbie to find out what to build, then Maze to test whether they built it right. They answer different questions, so they are not competing tools.
If you are still at the discovery stage, Robbie is where to start.
Pricing
£10 per 30 minutes of interview time. Invoiced at the start of the following month.
A 15-interview discovery round at 30 minutes each costs £150. No seat subscription, no annual commitment, no minimum.
FAQs
- What is Maze?
- Maze is a design and usability testing platform. It lets you run prototype tests, card sorts, tree tests, and live website tests to measure whether users can complete specific tasks. Its primary use is evaluative research, testing what you have already built.
- Does Maze run AI-moderated discovery interviews?
- Maze has an AI Moderator feature, but it is gated to Business and Organisation tiers, which are estimated at around $15,000 per year. The core Maze product is built for prototype testing, not open-ended discovery.
- Can I use Robbie and Maze together?
- Yes, and many teams do. Robbie is for discovery, finding out what to build. Maze is for validation, testing whether you built it right. They answer different questions at different stages of the product cycle.