- What should you look for in a customer feedback tool?
- Customer feedback tools compared
- The best customer feedback tools for business
- 1. Typeform
- 2. SurveyMonkey
- 3. Google Forms
- 4. Hotjar Surveys
- 5. Qualtrics
- 6. Canny
- 7. UserVoice
- 8. Trustpilot
- How to choose the right customer feedback tool
- Frequently asked questions
The best customer feedback tool depends on the feedback you want. Typeform suits engaging surveys, SurveyMonkey suits all-round surveys, Google Forms suits quick and simple forms, Hotjar Surveys suits feedback on your website, Qualtrics suits in-depth research, Canny and UserVoice suit collecting feature requests, and Trustpilot suits public reviews that build trust.
Your customers know exactly what's working and what isn't. Most of them won't tell you unless you ask, and if you ask in the wrong place or with too many questions, they'll ignore you. Customer feedback tools make it easy to ask the right question at the right moment.
The tools below are well known and widely used. Some run surveys, some collect feedback on your website, some track product ideas and one collects public reviews. I've focused on what each one is known for, so shortlist two and send the same short survey to a handful of customers.
What should you look for in a customer feedback tool?
- Where you ask. Email, your website, inside your product or straight after a purchase.
- Ease of answering. Short, mobile-friendly surveys get far more replies.
- Question types. Ratings, multiple choice, open text and NPS questions cover most needs.
- Analysis. Look for clear reports, filters and help spotting themes in written answers.
- Integrations. Connecting to your CRM, email tool or helpdesk puts feedback where you'll act on it.
- Public or private. Decide whether you want private insight, public reviews or both.
Customer feedback tools compared
| Tool | Best for | Stand-out feature |
|---|---|---|
| Typeform | Engaging surveys | One question at a time |
| SurveyMonkey | All-round surveys | Templates and analysis |
| Google Forms | Quick, simple forms | Works with Google Sheets |
| Hotjar Surveys | Website feedback | On-page surveys and feedback widgets |
| Qualtrics | In-depth research | Advanced survey and experience tools |
| Canny | Feature requests | Public feedback boards and roadmaps |
| UserVoice | Product feedback at scale | Feedback management for product teams |
| Trustpilot | Public reviews | Review collection and display |
Plans and features change often, so check each vendor's current plans before you commit.
The best customer feedback tools for business
1. Typeform
Typeform creates surveys and forms that show one question at a time, which feels more like a conversation than a long form. It has logic to change the questions based on earlier answers.
Who it suits: businesses that want surveys people enjoy completing.
What stands out: the experience. Its design is known for making surveys feel friendly.
Watch out for: for long surveys with complex analysis, a dedicated survey platform may suit you better.
2. SurveyMonkey
SurveyMonkey is one of the best-known survey tools. It covers templates, question types, logic, analysis and sharing by email, link or website.
Who it suits: businesses that want a reliable all-round survey tool.
What stands out: templates and analysis, which make it easy to start and to read results.
Watch out for: some advanced analysis and branding options sit in higher plans.
3. Google Forms
Google Forms is Google's simple form builder. Responses flow into Google Sheets, so you can sort and chart them.
Who it suits: small businesses that want a quick survey with nothing to set up.
What stands out: simplicity and the link with Google Sheets.
Watch out for: it has limited design and analysis options compared with dedicated survey tools.
4. Hotjar Surveys
Hotjar, part of Contentsquare, is best known for heatmaps and recordings, and its surveys and feedback widgets let you ask visitors questions on your website as they browse.
Who it suits: businesses that want to know why visitors do or don't buy.
What stands out: context. You can ask a question on the exact page where people hesitate.
Watch out for: keep on-site surveys short, or they get in the way.
5. Qualtrics
Qualtrics is an experience management platform used for in-depth customer, employee and market research, with advanced survey logic and analytics.
Who it suits: larger businesses and researchers running detailed feedback programmes.
What stands out: depth. It handles complex research and reporting.
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Watch out for: it's more than most small businesses need for simple customer surveys.
6. Canny
Canny collects feature requests and product feedback on boards where customers can post ideas and vote. You can then share a public roadmap and changelog.
Who it suits: software and product businesses that want to know what to build next.
What stands out: voting, which shows you which ideas matter most to customers.
Watch out for: it's built for product feedback, not general customer surveys.
7. UserVoice
UserVoice is a product feedback platform for gathering, organising and prioritising feedback from customers and from internal teams such as sales and support.
Who it suits: product teams with lots of feedback coming from many places.
What stands out: pulling feedback into one place and linking it to customer details.
Watch out for: it's aimed at established product teams, so small businesses may prefer a lighter tool.
8. Trustpilot
Trustpilot is a public review platform. Businesses invite customers to leave reviews, reply to them and show ratings on their website.
Who it suits: businesses that want public reviews to build trust with new customers.
What stands out: visibility. Reviews are public, so they help people decide whether to buy from you.
Watch out for: you'll need to reply to criticism calmly and follow its rules on inviting reviews.
How to choose the right customer feedback tool
Start with the question you want answered. If you want to know how customers feel or why they bought, a survey tool such as Typeform, SurveyMonkey or Google Forms works well. If you want to know why visitors leave your website, Hotjar Surveys asks on the page. If you run a software product, Canny or UserVoice track feature ideas, and if you want public proof, Trustpilot collects reviews.
Then keep it short and act on what you hear. Ask one to three questions, time them well, such as just after a purchase or a support chat, and tell customers what you changed because of their feedback. That last step is what gets people to answer next time.
Before building a survey, read what to look for in a web survey tool. My post on using your loyalty programme to gain feedback has ideas for getting replies, and this guide on how reviews help your local map rankings covers the search side of reviews.
Building a tool in this space? Here's how tools get considered for my roundups.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best customer feedback tool?
Typeform and SurveyMonkey are strong for surveys, Hotjar Surveys suits website feedback, Canny suits feature requests and Trustpilot suits public reviews.
How do I collect customer feedback?
Ask at a natural moment, such as after a purchase or support chat, with a short survey by email, on your website or inside your product.
What is an NPS survey?
NPS, or Net Promoter Score, asks customers how likely they are to recommend you on a scale from 0 to 10, then follows up by asking why.
Is there a free customer feedback tool?
Yes. Google Forms is free, and tools such as Typeform and SurveyMonkey have a free version with limits.
