A phenomenological analysis of $\eta$ and $\eta'$ photoproduction on the protons and the neutrons with EtaMAID model is presented. The model includes 23 nucleon resonances parameterized by Breit-Wigner functions with energy dependent widths. At high energies, $W > 3$ GeV, Regge cut phenomenology was applied with vector and axial-vector meson exchanges in the $t$ channel. In the resonance region, low partial waves with L up to 4 were subtracted from the $t$-channel contribution. Parameters of the resonances were obtained from a fit to available experimental data. The nature of the most interesting observations in the data is discussed.