# The best customer research tools for ads

> Customer research tools that feed better ads: Tally, Typeform, Contentsquare (Hotjar), Dovetail and Marxx. What each is for and what it costs, checked 2026-10-20.
- **Author**: Marxx
- **Published**: 2026-11-12
- **Category**: Ad research tools
- **URL**: https://marxx.ai/library-best/best-customer-research-tools-for-ads

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The best customer research tools for ads are a survey tool (Tally is free, Typeform is paid), a tool that shows how people use your page (Contentsquare, which now hosts Hotjar), a tool that sorts interview notes (Dovetail) and one that reads real comments and reviews (Marxx). Start with a free survey of your recent buyers. It costs nothing and gives you ad words.

## Quick comparison

| Tool | What it helps you learn | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Tally | What buyers say in a survey | Free plan. Pro $24/month |
| Typeform | The same, with a polished form | Basic $39/month, or $28/month billed yearly. 100 responses a month |
| Contentsquare (Hotjar) | Where visitors click, scroll and quit on your page | Free plan. Experience Analytics from $39/month. Surveys from $79/month |
| Dovetail | What themes sit in interview calls and notes | Free plan. Enterprise custom |
| Marxx | What people say in comments and reviews | See below |

Checked 2026-10-20 on each company's own page.

## Tally

Its page says it offers unlimited forms and submissions free, within fair usage guidelines. Pro at $24 a month removes the 10 MB file upload limit. Business is $74 a month.

## Typeform

A form tool with logic, webhooks and AI-built forms. Basic includes 100 responses a month and 1 user. Plus is 1,000 responses and 3 users.

## Contentsquare (Hotjar)

Hotjar's page now says it is part of Contentsquare. The free plan includes session replays, heatmaps, funnels and basic surveys. Its Experience Analytics plan starts at $39 a month. Its Voice of Customer plan, for surveys and feedback, starts at $79 a month. Free includes 100 survey responses a month.

## Dovetail

Analyses customer calls, recordings, documents and surveys. Its pricing page lists a free plan for individuals, with one project, and custom Enterprise pricing.

## Marxx

We make Marxx. It builds personas from comments and reviews, so you see the words buyers already use. Use it next to your own surveys. See [audience personas](/features/audience-personas).

## Turn answers into an ad angle

Say you ask 100 recent buyers one question: "What almost stopped you from buying?"

1. 38 say price.
2. 27 say delivery time.
3. 20 say they doubted it works.
4. 15 give other answers.

Price and delivery cover 38 + 27 = 65 of 100 answers. Write two ads, one on each worry. The figures are made up. See [how to come up with ad angles](/guides/how-to-come-up-with-ad-angles).

## How to choose

1. Do you have buyers you can email? Run a free Tally survey this week. Use the [customer interview script](/templates/customer-interview-script-for-ad-research) for calls.
2. Do you have a landing page with traffic? Add heatmaps and replays.
3. Do you have hundreds of notes? Use an analysis tool like Dovetail.
4. Write what you learn into a [persona template](/templates/persona-template-for-ad-teams). For online chatter, see the [best social listening tools in India](/best/best-social-listening-tools-in-india).

## FAQ

### How many customers should I talk to?

Start small, with a handful of calls or a few dozen survey answers. Stop when new answers repeat what you already heard.

### Is customer research the same as social listening?

No. Research asks your own customers questions. Social listening reads what people say online without asking.

### What is the best free option?

A Tally survey sent to recent buyers, plus a read of your own reviews and ad comments.

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