AYTM vs Sawtooth Software (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Sawtooth Software grades higher than AYTM: 2.4 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Sawtooth Software grades higher on the free plan, features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Sawtooth Software
Survey software for conjoint and MaxDiff market research
Which one is for you
Pick AYTM if
- Fits if you want a panel and survey tool in one account
- Works for teams that run one-off projects, since Lite is pay per project
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a price list, as none is published
- Skip it if you want a free plan, since none is listed
- Watch out: the pricing page marks some capabilities as available only at an additional fee
- Watch out: the Insights Portal and other tools sit on the Enterprise side
Pick Sawtooth Software if
- Fits if you need conjoint or MaxDiff, not a general survey tool
- Works for students and small projects under 50 respondents
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you run real studies, as the free plan stops at 50 respondents per survey
- Skip it if you want a price list, since Professional and Premier are quote-only
- Skip it if you want monthly billing, as only annual subscriptions are sold
- Watch out: Lighthouse Studio, the Premier tool, is a Windows-installed program
How we grade them
| 1.6GPAAYTMWeak | 2.4GPASawtooth SoftwareFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo prices are published: Lite is described as pay per project and Enterprise as a custom subscription, so value sits at C. | COnly the free plan has a published price; paid plans are by quote, so value sits at C. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan listed. The page offers a demo and a beta trial for one feature. | CFree Discover plan: unlimited surveys and questions, conjoint and MaxDiff, up to 50 respondents per survey. |
| Features | CSurvey tool, research tests, a panel, analysis and an Insights Portal. The pricing page marks some capabilities as extra-fee. | BChoice-based conjoint, MaxDiff, standard questions, analysis, AI open-end help and a respondent panel. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in this narrower job. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. You design the study and pick the audience yourself. | CNo rating on record. Conjoint design has a learning curve. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, with no integrations listed on the vendor pages. | BWeb plus a Windows program (Lighthouse Studio), with two integrations listed. |
| Best for | self-serve surveys with a consumer panel | conjoint and MaxDiff studies |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: AYTM and Sawtooth Software. How we grade
Where they differ
At a glance
| AYTM | Sawtooth Software | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free plan |
| Starts at | Not published | Not published |
| Free plan | None | Free plan on Discover: unlimited surveys and questions, choice-based conjoint and MaxDiff, up to 50 respondents per survey. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Windows | ||
| Made by | Umongous | Sawtooth Software |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | sawtoothsoftware.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
AYTM
- No prices are published: Lite is described as pay per project and Enterprise as a custom subscription.
- Several tools, such as the Insights Portal, are listed as extras on the Enterprise side of the comparison.
- The pricing page marks some capabilities as available only at an additional fee.
- Runs in a browser; no desktop or mobile apps are listed.
Sawtooth Software
- Only the free plan has a published price; Professional and Premier are sold by quote.
- Only annual subscriptions are sold; monthly payment is not offered.
- The free plan stops at 50 respondents per survey.
- Lighthouse Studio (Premier) is a Windows-installed application.
Key features
AYTM
- Survey authoring tool
- Regular, complex, matrix, specialty and qualitative question types with logic, listed in the plan comparison.
- Advanced research tests
- The comparison lists Advanced MaxDiff, Van Konan price testing, Conjoint Express, competitive topography and shelf tests.
- Consumer panel
- The education page says aytm gives students access to over 100 million panelists.
- Analysis and exports
- Standard analysis views and basic exports are listed for self-serve; banner tables, Datalab and simulators are listed too.
- Insights Portal
- A subscription add-on that compares data across studies, with a Concept Portal and a Tracker Portal for repeat waves.
Sawtooth Software
- Choice-based conjoint
- Design and field conjoint studies to see which features and prices people pick. Advanced conjoint types are in the Premier plan.
- MaxDiff (best-worst scaling)
- Respondents pick best and worst from small sets of items. Up to 120 items per exercise on Discover and up to 2,000 on Lighthouse Studio.
- Standard survey question types
- Multiple choice, grids, open-ends, ranking, constant sum and numeric questions, with skip logic and quotas.
- Built-in analysis
- Real-time reports, crosstabs, key drivers and cluster analysis, with export to SPSS and Excel.
- AI follow-up and open-end analysis
- Smart follow-up questions and open-end analysis are listed in the plan comparison as AI features.
- Respondent panel
- Sawtooth says its panel service reaches over 200 million verified respondents worldwide.
Plans
AYTM
Pricing could not be confirmed. See aytm.com.
Sawtooth Software
Free$0
Discover with up to 50 respondents per survey, unlimited surveys and questions, and choice-based conjoint and MaxDiff.
ProfessionalCustom
Discover with unlimited respondents per survey. Price is by quote; annual subscriptions only.
PremierCustom
Lighthouse Studio for Windows with advanced conjoint and MaxDiff and more customization. Price is by quote.
Ways to pay less
AYTM
- Education
Education partnerships for students
aytm says it sponsors institutions and gives students access to its tools and panel through education partnerships.
Sawtooth Software
- Education
Academic pricing for students and educators
Sawtooth lists discounts for students or educators using the software for non-commercial use.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, AYTM or Sawtooth Software?
As of Nov 13, 2026, AYTM has no price we could confirm, and Sawtooth Software publishes no starting price.
Which has a free plan, AYTM or Sawtooth Software?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Sawtooth Software has a free plan. AYTM does not.
Which platforms do AYTM and Sawtooth Software run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Sawtooth Software lists a Windows app. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.