Intro: Why Choosing the Right Research Partner Matters

Whether you're launching a new product, testing brand messaging, or trying to truly understand shifting customer behaviors, one thing is clear: high-quality research drives better business decisions. But with hundreds of market research companies across the U.S.—each claiming to be “the best”—it can be overwhelming to know where to start.

This guide breaks down the Top 30 Market Research Companies in the USA, categorized by strengths (speed, strategic depth, niche audiences, tech innovation), and gives you a clear framework for selecting the right partner based on your goals. Whether you’re a startup, mid-sized brand, or Fortune 500, there’s a research company on this list that fits your needs.

Top 30 Market Research Companies in the USA (2025 Edition)

To make this list more actionable, we’ve grouped the companies by what they’re best at.

1–10: Best Full-Service Research Firms (Enterprise-Grade)

These firms offer end-to-end services: from design to delivery, across quant and qual, often at a global scale.

1. NielsenIQ – Retail and CPG powerhouse for media, brand, and shopper data.
2. Ipsos – Broad capabilities across sectors, strong in political and consumer research.
3. Kantar – Experts in brand, media, innovation, and cultural trends.
4. GfK (an NIQ company) – Consumer behavior and product innovation specialists.
5. Dynata – Massive panel access with survey and sampling expertise.
6. Forrester – B2B tech and CX research with consulting-backed insights.
7. Gartner – Known for market sizing, competitive analysis, and decision-maker data.
8. Westat – Research-heavy approach, often used by government and policy orgs.
9. ICF – Blends research, analytics, and implementation across public/private sectors.
10. SSRS – Strong in health, social science, and custom polling.

11–20: Tech-Driven & Agile Research Companies

If speed, automation, and iterative testing matter, these firms offer modern, self-serve or semi-automated research models.

11. Attest – On-demand quant platform with built-in consumer panels.
12. Momentive (SurveyMonkey Enterprise) – Easy to use, with templates and analytics for agile teams.
13. Qualtrics – Enterprise-grade platform for surveys, CX, and employee feedback.
14. Remesh – AI-led group conversations for real-time qualitative insights at scale.
15. UserTesting – Rapid user feedback with video-based UX and usability tests.
16. Pollfish – Mobile-first micro-surveys with real-time results.
17. SurveySparrow – Conversational surveys, automation, and NPS tools for lean teams.
18. Discuss.io – Live video interviews with global participants, plus insights tools.
19. dscout – Diary studies and in-the-moment qual via mobile apps.
20. UserCall – AI-moderated voice interviews that feel natural and generate instant themes, quotes, and insights without any manual effort.

21–30: Specialized & Boutique Research Firms

These firms go deep into specific industries or audiences—great for B2B, healthcare, UX, or highly targeted research needs.

21. Cascade Insights – B2B tech specialists offering competitive and buyer research.
22. SIS International – Global qual and quant, with industry-specific expertise.
23. Kelton Global (a Material company) – Innovation and branding strategy through storytelling.
24. Bellomy – CX research with a focus on data-driven dashboards.
25. ThinkNow – Multicultural and diverse audience research, including Hispanic market.
26. Savanta – Mid-size firm with full-service capabilities, particularly strong in financial and B2B sectors.
27. IDEO CoLab – Design-led research for innovation teams.
28. Civis Analytics – Combines data science with public opinion polling.
29. Luth Research – Digital tracking panels and behavioral analytics.
30. Burke, Inc. – Custom research and segmentation, often used by Fortune 100 brands.

US Market Research Firm Comparison Table

How to Choose the Right Research Partner

Here’s a simple framework I use when guiding product and insights teams:

1. Clarify Your Objective

Are you validating a new idea? Tracking brand health? Testing messaging? Understanding churn? Your research goal should shape your vendor shortlist.

2. Pick Your Depth vs. Speed Tradeoff

If you need insights next week, tools like Attest or UserCall offer agile approaches. If you need statistical rigor, segmentation, or deep qual, full-service firms like Ipsos or Burke might be better.

3. Match to Your Audience

Consumer? B2B decision-maker? Multicultural segments? Teens? Ask each firm where their panel comes from and how they source high-quality participants.

4. Ask How They Handle Open-Ends

Not all insights are numbers. Strong research companies will help you analyze qualitative feedback, not just hand over a raw transcript or spreadsheet.

5. Request Case Studies

A great research company will show you how their insights translated into action. Ask for real stories or client examples.

Future Trends: AI Is Changing the Game

Many of the top firms are now integrating AI—not just to save time, but to surface deeper insights:

• Automated theming and sentiment detection for open-ends
• AI-moderated interviews that ask smart follow-ups based on what the user just said
• Predictive insight generation from multiple datasets
• Synthetic Data AI generated datasets that expand on smaller samples and segements of consumer insights

In one of our recent projects, switching from traditional interviews to an AI voice researcher shaved 3 weeks off our timeline—and revealed themes we hadn’t seen in earlier studies. It’s not about replacing researchers, but augmenting them to scale quality.

Final Thoughts

The U.S. has no shortage of market research firms—but not every company will be the right fit for you. Some are fast and scrappy. Others are deep and strategic. Many are adapting fast to AI and automation.

Your best move? Start with this list of the Top 30 Market Research Companies in the USA, define your goal, shortlist 2–3 options, and test one. A good research partner should feel like an extension of your team—not just a vendor.

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