Chiasm

Chiasm converts participants’ webcam images into gaze measurements for browser-based studies. It is aimed at professional and academic teams integrating eye tracking with online experiments or surveys. The service is most compelling when event-linked data and remote scale matter more than a fully managed research service.

Overview

Chiasm is a remote eye-tracking platform for studies delivered through the web. It captures gaze from a participant’s webcam and associates the resulting measurements with events in the study, making it possible to relate where someone looked to a question, stimulus or task step. The product is intended for business, professional, academic, institutional and organisational use rather than personal consumer use.

Its browser and API orientation suits teams already building online studies. Qualtrics and jsPsych users can add gaze capture through Chiasm’s JavaScript library, while custom web applications can integrate directly. The seven-day trial gives prospective customers a short period to check whether their participant workflow and device setup are suitable before paying.

Key features

Chiasm processes webcam frames in real time and supplies timestamped gaze coordinates tied to study events, together with session metadata. That combination is more useful for task-based research than an unlabelled stream of coordinates, because analysis can be aligned to what participants were doing at each moment.

Studies can run with hundreds of participants simultaneously, which makes Chiasm a plausible option for sizeable remote cohorts. Participants use a laptop or desktop with a webcam, and Chrome is the supported browser. This requirement excludes phone-only participation and means researchers must account for webcam-equipped computer access when recruiting.

The JavaScript integration covers Qualtrics, jsPsych and custom web studies. Data can be downloaded from Chiasm or streamed to a researcher’s own server. In integrations such as Qualtrics, gaze data is held on Chiasm’s servers for later export; teams that need direct control of their own data pipeline should favour streaming where their implementation supports it.

Chiasm says webcam video is not stored by default. Limited calibration or validation recordings can be retained when participants explicitly opt in. Its privacy statement describes encryption in transit and at rest, role-based access control, segregated environments, and logging and monitoring. Personal data is primarily processed and stored in the European Economic Area on Google Cloud Platform servers in Europe. Chiasm says it follows GDPR requirements and offers a Data Processing Agreement when it acts as a processor.

Standard technical support is provided on a best-effort basis. It covers bug fixes, platform-use assistance, documentation and general guidance, but excludes study-design advice and data analysis. Research teams should therefore plan to handle methodological and analytical questions internally or through separate expertise.

Pricing

Chiasm is paid software with no free plan, but a seven-day trial is available. The Flex plan charges €0.25 per participant-minute with no monthly minimum. It is the sensible entry point for occasional pilots or irregular studies, since there is no recurring commitment; costs rise directly with every minute collected.

Starter costs €199 per month and includes 900 participant-minutes each month. It fits a team running predictable, modest-volume studies. Pro costs €499 per month and includes 3,000 participant-minutes, making it better suited to recurring programmes or larger cohorts. The included allowance is the main distinction from Flex: teams with consistently high usage can budget around a monthly plan, while light users may pay less by staying pay-as-you-go.

Custom uses volume-based custom pricing for requirements beyond the published tiers. The plans do not advertise a free allowance, and the listed terms do not describe rollover or overage treatment, so purchasers should confirm how usage outside included minutes is billed before committing.

Platforms

Chiasm is offered through web and API access. Studies run remotely in Google Chrome on laptops or desktops equipped with webcams. Export is available as a download from Chiasm or as a stream to a customer-owned server.

Who it's for

Choose Chiasm if your research team needs webcam-based gaze measures inside Qualtrics, jsPsych or a custom browser study, especially when event timestamps and concurrent participation are important. Flex is appropriate for occasional work; Starter and Pro are aimed at teams with repeatable monthly volume. It is less suitable for phone-first recruitment, consumer self-use, or teams expecting the vendor to provide study-design and analysis support.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Event-linked gaze output: Timestamped coordinates and session metadata connect eye behaviour to study events.
• Flexible data handling: Download or stream results to fit different analysis and infrastructure practices.
• Remote scale: Chiasm says hundreds of participants can run simultaneously.
• Privacy controls: Video is not stored by default, with opt-in recordings limited to calibration or validation use.
• Usage choices: Pay-per-minute Flex avoids a monthly minimum, while higher tiers include defined monthly allowances.

Cons

• Computer-and-Chrome dependency: Participants need a webcam-equipped laptop or desktop and supported browser, ruling out phone-only sessions.
• No free plan: Even small studies move to paid usage after the seven-day trial.
• Support boundary: Standard support does not include study-design advice or data analysis.
• Hosted storage in some integrations: Qualtrics workflows store data on Chiasm’s servers until export.

Alternatives

Browse the Eye Tracking Software directory for more options.

• GazePlotter is a free, GNU GPL v3 open-source tool spanning Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, web and Windows; choose it when zero licence cost and broad platform coverage matter more than Chiasm’s paid integration model.
• GazeRecorder offers free non-commercial use across Android, iOS, web and Windows; it is a better fit for non-commercial projects seeking no-cost access.
• Labvanced has a free tier with 300 MB storage, 10 recordings and one active recruiting link, plus paid options; consider it when those study limits and a freemium model fit your work.
• Hawkeye provides a free plan capped at one project and five sessions, with a $39.99-per-month Starter Plan; it suits small projects needing iOS and web access.
• iTrace is free, MIT-licensed and self-hosted for Linux; pick it when open-source deployment is the priority.
• PyGaze is a free open-source Python toolbox for Linux, macOS and Windows; it is aimed at teams wanting a code-based toolkit.
• OGAMA is free, open-source Windows software; choose it for a Windows-focused freeware option.
• OpenGazer is a free open-source Linux gaze tracker requiring a webcam and Linux build dependencies; it fits technically capable Linux users.

Verdict

Chiasm is a strong choice for research organisations running remote browser studies that need gaze coordinates tied to task events, JavaScript integration and the option to stream data into their own systems. Flex keeps occasional work accessible, while Starter and Pro provide clearer budgeting for recurring volume.