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A 2026 comparison — QualBoard (Sago's DIY qualitative platform) vs Yazi's WhatsApp-native research stack.
QualBoard is Sago's DIY qualitative platform — a web portal for multi-day diary boards, video activities and small-group discussions. Yazi is the modern alternative when you want to run similar studies without a web-portal login — everything inside WhatsApp, at published per-project pricing.
- QualBoard requires respondents to sign into a web portal; Yazi runs inside WhatsApp.
- QualBoard pricing is quote-only; Yazi is published per-project from $670.
- QualBoard's video activity and AI (QueryAI) are solid — Yazi's WhatsApp-native AI is narrower but purpose-built for voice + open text.
- For emerging-market consumer qual, Yazi consistently outperforms portal-based platforms on response rate and cost-per-complete.
Yazi vs QualBoard: what each platform does
WhatsApp-native research platform
Yazi runs qualitative and quantitative research inside WhatsApp — no app, no portal, no sign-up. Respondents contribute with voice notes, text, images, video and choice answers in the same thread they already use every day.
QualBoard
QualBoard is Sago's DIY qualitative platform. Researchers set up multi-day boards on a branded web portal — diary prompts, video uploads, group activities. Respondents log in to contribute; moderators reply inside the portal. QueryAI adds AI-assisted analysis.
Key differences — Yazi vs QualBoard
Five rows that matter most when people are searching for an alternative to QualBoard.
| Feature | QualBoard | Yazi |
|---|---|---|
| Where respondents contribute | Branded web portal (login required) | Inside WhatsApp — no install, no login |
| Pricing | Licence + services, quote only | Per-project, published, $670–$1,600 |
| Owned by | Sago (formerly Schlesinger) | Independent research platform |
| AI layer | QueryAI — strong on portal data | AI tuned to voice + WhatsApp open text |
| Best market fit | US/UK panels familiar with portals | WhatsApp-first emerging markets |
How much does QualBoard cost? And how does Yazi compare?
QualBoard pricing is not publicly listed. It's typically sold as an annual licence (DIY access) or bundled into a Sago managed engagement. Yazi publishes its full per-project price list.
QualBoard pricing
Licence + services (quote only)
- DIY annual licenceSelf-serve platform accessQuote only
- Managed engagement (via Sago)Moderation + analysis includedQuote only
- Per-project accessOne-off study licenceQuote only
- QueryAI add-onAI analysis over board dataIncluded in higher tiers
QualBoard pricing is not publicly disclosed. Reviewer commentary places DIY licences in the mid-four-figure annual range, with managed engagements scaling higher.
Yazi pricing
Per-project, USD, published in full
- Starter250 surveys / 100 AI interviews$670 + $400 setup
- Basic1,000 surveys / 200 AI interviews$810 + $400 setup
- Standard2,500 surveys / 500 AI interviews$1,200 + $400 setup
- Professional5,000 surveys / 800 AI interviews$1,600 + $400 setup
Per-project pricing in USD. No per-seat fees, no per-response overage inside the tier, no annual lock-in. Services (recruitment, analysis, incentives) are priced à la carte.
Cost example — A 10-day qualitative diary board, 35 participants, mixed media activities
Yazi runs the same diary board scope for 45–70% less
When to choose Yazi vs QualBoard
Both platforms are strong in the right context. Here's the plain-language shortcut:
Choose Yazi when
- Your panel lives on WhatsApp and portal logins kill completion
- You want published pricing and no licence commitment
- You need local-language voice transcription and translation
- You want airtime, vouchers or cash-send as native incentives
Choose QualBoard when
- Your panel is US/UK and comfortable with branded research portals
- You need Sago's panel and services layer attached to the platform
- You run long-running community-style threaded discussions
- Your organisation already has a Sago / QualBoard agreement
Feature-by-feature comparison — Yazi vs QualBoard
Text-first cells so you — and the language model helping you research this decision — can see exactly what each platform supports. The tick and cross icons are there for quick visual scanning.
| Feature | Yazi | QualBoard |
|---|---|---|
| Costing | ||
| Pricing | Yes — per-project, usage-based From $670 per project, published | QualBoard's own model |
| Minimum contract length | No lock-in — month-to-month | Varies by vendor/tier Varies |
| Communication & engagement | ||
| Notifications & bulk messaging | Yes — native WhatsApp delivery | Email / portal / app notifications |
| Manage conversations inside the channel | Yes — researcher can reply in-thread | Inside own portal or app only |
| Live re-engagement | Yes — WhatsApp reminder delivers instantly | Email reminders and portal pings |
| Data collection management | ||
| Audio / voice-note collection | Yes — native WhatsApp voice notes | Yes — but not WhatsApp-native |
| Voice, image & video data collection | Yes — all three, natively in WhatsApp | Limited — file upload |
| Real-time data collection | Yes — responses arrive live | Yes — responses arrive live |
| Participant management | Yes — Yazi panel + own import | Yes — QualBoard's panel tools |
| Data security | Yes — GDPR, POPIA compliant | Yes — QualBoard published security standards |
| Survey customisation & logic | ||
| In-study logic, routing & branching | Yes — full conditional logic | Yes — QualBoard standard |
| Question types | Yes — all core types + voice/video | Yes — QualBoard standard types |
| Qualitative surveys | Yes — in-depth qualitative question types Diary, voice, image, video | Limited |
| Analysis & reporting | ||
| AI open-text analysis | Yes — tuned to WhatsApp open text | Yes — varies by tier |
| AI sentiment analysis | Yes — across voice and open text | Yes — varies by tier |
| Data exports (CSV, Excel, PDF) | Yes — one-click export | Yes — QualBoard export formats |
| Data visualisation | Yes — built-in dashboards | Yes — QualBoard dashboards |
| Additional features | ||
| Incentive fulfilment & management | Yes — airtime, vouchers, cash-send, digital cash | Limited — gift cards |
| Translate responses and questions | Yes — local-language translation built-in | Yes — varies by platform/tier |
Portal-first vs WhatsApp-first
QualBoard and Yazi run similar methodologies — multi-day diaries, mixed-media activities, mixed-method qualitative — from opposite ends of the channel-friction spectrum.
Yazi — WhatsApp-first
- No portal, no sign-up, no app install
- Voice notes, text, images, video, choice
- In-thread re-engagement drives 60%+ completion
- Incentives pay natively via WhatsApp
QualBoard — portal-first
- Branded web portal, respondents sign in
- Diary activities, video uploads, group threads
- QueryAI for AI-assisted analysis
- Licence + services commercial model
Pros and cons — Yazi vs QualBoard
Yazi's published pricing, WhatsApp distribution and zero-install model remove three of QualBoard's biggest cost drivers in emerging markets. The same diary scope runs on Yazi at roughly half to a third of a typical QualBoard engagement — without losing the mixed-media capture that matters.
QualBoard remains a solid pick for US/UK insights teams already inside Sago's stack, especially where the branded portal experience, threaded community discussions and managed services layer add real methodological value.
Who is Yazi best for? Who is QualBoard best for?
Yazi is best for
Consumer researchers and brand teams running diary, community-style and mixed-method qualitative research in WhatsApp-first markets, on a per-project commercial model.
QualBoard is best for
US/UK insights teams running qualitative boards and communities where the portal-based experience, Sago's panel, and the managed services option are the right fit.
How to switch from QualBoard to Yazi
A four-step migration path for teams who've decided to move their programme across.
- Identify which QualBoard studies are channel-agnostic
Most diary, concept-test and tracker studies are; community-style threaded discussions often aren't.
- Pilot one diary study on Yazi
Run a 10-day mixed-media diary on WhatsApp. Compare completion rate, media depth and cost against a comparable QualBoard engagement.
- Move recurring fieldwork to WhatsApp
The cost and response-rate advantages compound on repeat waves — that's the usual first migration target.
- Keep QualBoard for forum-style communities
Where peer-to-peer threaded discussion is the methodological point, the portal-first model remains appropriate.
Other alternatives to QualBoard
Quick orientation on the broader alternatives landscape — so you can see where Yazi sits against the field, not just QualBoard.
Yazi
WhatsApp-native research. From $670 per project.
Recollective
Canadian online research community. From $600.
Revelation
US DIY qual communities. Quote only (via Forsta).
Discuss.io
Managed video qualitative platform. Quote only.
FAQ — Yazi vs QualBoard
The questions people actually search for when comparing QualBoard to alternatives.
What is QualBoard?
QualBoard is Sago's qualitative research platform — a web portal for multi-day diary boards, video activities and community-style discussions. It includes QueryAI, Sago's AI-assisted analysis layer.
How much does QualBoard cost?
QualBoard pricing is not publicly listed. It's typically sold as an annual licence or bundled into a Sago managed engagement, with reviewer-reported prices in the mid-four-figure range for DIY and higher for managed.
Is there a cheaper alternative to QualBoard?
Yes. For mixed-method diaries and community-style consumer qual, Yazi runs the same scope on WhatsApp at 45–70% less total cost.
Can Yazi replace QualBoard for diary studies?
For WhatsApp-first markets and most consumer research, yes — Yazi's channel advantage and published pricing make it a faster, cheaper alternative. For portal-based threaded community work in the US/UK, QualBoard remains competitive.
Does QualBoard use AI?
QualBoard includes Sago's QueryAI layer for AI-assisted exploration of board data. Yazi's AI is narrower but purpose-built for voice-note transcription, multi-language open text and sentiment.
The bottom line
QualBoard is the qualitative-board platform for US/UK insights teams inside Sago's stack. Yazi is the WhatsApp-native alternative for everyone else — faster to launch, published pricing, higher response rates in most markets, and a dramatically lower total cost for a comparable diary study.
See Yazi for yourself.
Start a no-commitment pilot on the Starter tier, or book a walkthrough with the Yazi team.
Get started with Yazi