MBTI alternative

The alternative to being one of 16 types

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is the most widely known personality assessment, in use for more than 70 years. But it sorts everyone who takes it into one of 16 types, and gives you the description for that type. Polaris starts from the same Jungian roots and takes the opposite approach: it measures your position precisely, then writes about you.

Try Polaris for $14.99
One-off payment. No subscription. Around 15 minutes.

Why look for an alternative to MBTI?

People searching for an MBTI alternative usually want one of two things: a lower price than the official $59.95 assessment, or a result that does not round them into one of 16 types. Polaris Profile is an alternative to MBTI that answers both: it measures your precise position on the same Jungian dimensions, expresses it as a percentage mix across four colors, and writes a report of around 3,000 words from your answers, for $14.99.

MBTI and Polaris, side by side

The two are built for different purposes. The differences below are the ones that matter in practice.

MBTI
The 16 type classic

16 fixed types

Your result is a four letter type, and your report describes that type. Millions of people share your letters, and your description.

Either or preferences

MBTI reports how clear each preference is, but your type is still one of 16 four letter combinations. You are an I or an E, a T or an F, even if you sit close to the middle.

Official price

The official assessment costs $59.95 for the personal edition, with team versions at $99.95 per person.

A long research history

Built on Jungian type theory, with over 70 years of use.

Polaris Profile
The individually written profile

One profile per person

Instead of a type label, your result is a percentage mix across four colors and a position on the Polaris Map, and your report is written from it.

Positions, not binaries

Polaris measures where you sit on each axis. Near the center on Thinking and Feeling? Your profile says so, and explains how that tension shows up in practice.

Individual price

$14.99, one-off, at launch. A quarter of the official MBTI price.

The same roots, applied differently

Also grounded in Jungian type theory, combined with behavioral dimension theory and modern trait psychology, so preferences are treated as tendencies that vary with situation, not fixed labels.

The design difference is simple: MBTI tells you which of 16 types you are. Polaris tells you where you stand on each axis, and writes about the person at that position. Same Jungian foundations, opposite philosophy about what to do with them.

The details

MBTI Polaris Profile
Price $59.95 official personal edition $14.99 launch price, reduced from $49.00
Time Around 45 minutes including online type verification Around 15 minutes, 25 sets of four statements
Result A four letter type shared with millions A percentage mix across four colors and an exact map position
Report Your type description, with MBTIonline guides and courses Around 3,000 words plus your color mix, facet detail and Polaris Map position
Written for you? No. One description per type, plus your preference clarity scores Yes. Every profile is individually generated from your specific answers
How you buy Online at the official site, or through certified practitioners Buy online, complete it today, download your PDF

An honest guide to choosing

Choose MBTI if you

  • Are content to be one of 16 types with a shared description
  • Do not mind being assigned a letter when you sit close to the middle
  • Are prepared to pay four times the price for a type-based report

Choose Polaris if you

  • Sit near the middle on any preference and want that reflected in the profile itself
  • Want a report written about you rather than your type
  • Want more depth for a fraction of the price

Questions

Is Polaris based on the same theory as MBTI?
Both are grounded in Jungian type theory. Polaris uses two of Jung’s dimensions, the direction of energy and the basis of evaluation, and measures your position on each as a precise point rather than a binary letter. It then adds behavioral dimension theory and modern trait psychology, so your profile reflects how behavior shifts with context.
I already know my MBTI type. Will Polaris just tell me the same thing?
The axes will feel familiar, but the output is different in kind. Instead of the description of your type, you get around 3,000 words written from your specific answers, including where your results contradict each other, which is often where the most useful insight lies.

More comparisons

Polaris vs DISC Polaris vs CliftonStrengths Polaris vs 16personalities Polaris vs Hogan Polaris vs the Enneagram Polaris vs Big Five Polaris vs Eysenck All comparisons

So, what's your color?

One questionnaire. Fifteen minutes. Around 3,000 words written from your answers.

Start the questionnaire