UX Research with No Budget – Getting Insights Without Spending a Dime

Philip Burgess
Aug 16
2 min read

By Philip Burgess – UX Research Leader

One of the biggest myths in UX research is that it requires big budgets, fancy tools, and large participant pools. The truth is: great research doesn’t always require great expense. With a little creativity, resourcefulness, and focus, you can uncover meaningful insights even when money is tight.

Here’s how to do UX research when your budget is zero.

1. Leverage Internal Resources

Your company already has a wealth of knowledge—use it.

Customer support teams: They hear pain points daily. Sit in on calls or review transcripts.
Sales teams: They know objections and what resonates with customers.
Analytics data: Tools like Google Analytics or product dashboards (already paid for by the company) reveal where users drop off.

Tip: Internal stakeholders are often underutilized sources of insight. Treat them like “proxy participants” to identify recurring themes.

2. Run Guerrilla Usability Testing

You don’t need a lab to test usability.

Ask coworkers, friends, or even people at a coffee shop to try your prototype or product.
Keep it short (5–10 minutes) and focused on one or two critical tasks.
Use free screen recording tools (like Loom) to capture feedback.

Benefit: Quick, low-cost feedback that highlights major usability blockers.

3. Tap Into Free Recruiting Channels

Instead of paid panels, find participants where they already are:

Post in LinkedIn groups, Slack communities, or Reddit threads related to your product.
Offer non-monetary incentives like early access, recognition, or a small swag item you already have.
Recruit coworkers’ networks—friends and family often match user profiles more closely than you think.

4. Use Free Tools (or Free Tiers)

Many UX tools offer free plans perfect for lean teams:

Surveys: Google Forms, Typeform (free tier).
Prototype testing: Figma + FigJam for clickable prototypes.
User interviews: Zoom or Google Meet (free versions).
Collaboration: Miro (free plan for whiteboarding).

Tip: Focus on one tool per research type to keep things lean and manageable.

5. Prioritize the Biggest Questions

When resources are limited, you can’t research everything. Instead, ask:

What’s the riskiest assumption we’re making?
What design decision will be hardest to reverse later?
What insight would make the biggest business impact if we had it today?

Answer those questions first.

6. Share Insights in Lightweight Formats

Executives don’t expect polished reports when there’s no budget. Share findings in quick, impactful ways:

A one-page summary.
A Slack message with key highlights.
A quick video clip of a user struggling.

The goal is to get insights into decision-makers’ hands fast, not produce a glossy deck.

Final Thoughts

Budget or no budget, UX research is about curiosity, creativity, and empathy. By using internal resources, free tools, and scrappy methods, you can still uncover valuable insights that guide better product decisions.

Remember: a little bit of research is always better than none—and even “no-budget” research can prevent costly mistakes down the road.