A UX audit can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars for an automated heuristic scan to tens of thousands for a full multi-week research engagement. The price difference usually maps directly to depth, not quality.
What drives the price
Three variables matter most: whether real users are tested or just heuristics are applied, how many flows are covered, and whether the deliverable includes prioritized engineering-ready recommendations or just observations.
- Automated/heuristic-only audits: $1,000–$5,000
- Freelance UX consultant audits: $3,000–$15,000
- Boutique agency audits with user testing: $10,000–$40,000
- Enterprise research firm audits: $30,000–$75,000+
For most product teams under 50 people, a mid-tier consultant audit with 5–8 user sessions and a prioritized backlog gives the best return — you get real signal without the enterprise research overhead.
When to invest in a full audit
A full audit with user testing pays for itself when you are about to invest 6+ months in a product redesign. The cost of building the wrong thing is far higher than the cost of learning what is currently broken.
- Before a major redesign initiative
- When conversion rates are consistently below industry benchmarks
- After launching a new feature that isn't being adopted
- When user support tickets repeatedly mention confusion
