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A buyer's rubric for synthetic research
Last updated: October 2, 2026
Ask four questions of any vendor. Does it publish an error rate? Against which benchmarks? At what n? How does a buyer start? Competitor facts on these pages are quoted from each vendor's site and dated October 2, 2026. If that read did not confirm a funding figure or a certification, the page leaves it out. Pricing is scoped to your audiences and study volume on a short call. Your first qualified U.S. consumer Blind Challenge is free. Enterprise teams start with an 8-week pilot that rolls into an annual engagement.
01
Does it publish an error rate?
02
Against which benchmarks?
03
At what n?
04
How does a buyer start?
VS
→Lewsearch vs Simile
Simile publishes 7,000+ evaluations and does not publish a percentage-point MAE (simile.com, checked October 2, 2026). On the calibrated 50-state benchmark, the average miss is 7.07 points on the best 80% of 1,521 scored questions, and 10.02 points across all of them.
VS
→Lewsearch vs Aaru
Aaru publishes TVD and MAE on 2,993 questions (aaru.com, checked October 2, 2026). Lewsearch publishes a public-poll MAE on 1,521 scored questions.
VS
→Lewsearch vs Synthetic Users
Synthetic Users publishes a thematic-parity range (syntheticusers.com, checked October 2, 2026). Lewsearch publishes the calibrated 50-state benchmark.
VS
→Lewsearch vs Minds
Minds is not in the October 2, 2026 vendor read. This page does not quote an agreement range or a price. Lewsearch publishes a public-poll MAE.
VS
→Lewsearch vs FishDog (formerly Ditto)
FishDog (formerly Ditto) publishes a census population of 340,000 US individuals and says it publishes misses (fish.dog, checked October 2, 2026). Lewsearch publishes a public-poll MAE.
NEUTRAL
→Simile vs Aaru
What Simile and Aaru publish on their own sites, checked October 2, 2026, beside Lewsearch's public-poll MAE.
ALTERNATIVES
→Simile alternatives
Vendors adjacent to Simile, scored on the metric each site publishes, the sample it names, and how a buyer starts. Checked October 2, 2026.
ALTERNATIVES
→Aaru alternatives
Vendors adjacent to Aaru, scored on the metric each site publishes, the sample it names, and how a buyer starts. Checked October 2, 2026.
GUIDE
→AI market research platform buyer guide
A field overview of synthetic research platforms. Each vendor cell names the metric, the scope, and the page, checked October 2, 2026.
On the calibrated 50-state benchmark, the average miss is 7.07 points on the best 80% of 1,521 scored questions, and 10.02 points across all of them. The file is on the 50-state benchmark. Book a demo. The team sets up your first study with you. Your first qualified U.S. consumer Blind Challenge is free. Read the Blind Challenge.