I just wanted to clarify a point that's usually overlooked - none of the qualitative software discussed here (nVivo, Atlas.ti, Maxda, dedoose. nudist) actually "analyze" the data for you in the way that quantitative software does. They are more tools for systematically organizing, coding, annotating, visualizing, etc. In essence, you are still doing the analysis yourself, just using the software for assistance in managing and exploring the data. This chart provides a good (though slightly outdated) comparison of what each of the QDA programs are better suited for, depending on what kind of data you're analyzing, what you want to do with it, how much time you have to learn the software, etc: http://website.education.wisc.edu/qdatools/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Software-Comparison.pdf. In my experience nVivo is most widely used; though it's relatively pricey - there are some open-source packages too.
(For quantitative analysis of qualitative data, regressions etc, if you're even interested in doing those - and a lot of people explicitly are not - you would probably be best off learning R). Answer from Tamara Pavasovic Trost on researchgate.net
Delve
delvetool.com › blog › easiest-qda-software-to-learn
Which Qualitative Data Analysis Software is Easiest to Learn? — Delve
July 22, 2025 - Choose MAXQDA when you need powerful analysis capabilities but want more intuitive workflows than NVivo. The software bridges mixed method research well, making it ideal for researchers who work across methodologies.
Berkeley
live-dlab.pantheon.berkeley.edu › sites › default › files › training_materials › QDA comparison table.pdf pdf
Atlas.TI MaxQDA NVivo Dedoose QDA Miner Website www.atlas.com www.maxqda.co m
Atlas.TI · MaxQDA · NVivo · Dedoose · QDA Miner · Website · www.atlas.com · www.maxqda.co · www.qsr.com.au · www.dedoose.c
Videos
SaaSHub
saashub.com › home › ai › market research
MAXQDA VS Dedoose - compare differences & reviews?
Remarkably scalable, MAXQDA employs a database architecture that can handle research projects ranging in size from several dozen pages to tens of thousands of pages. Many projects today involve identifying connections found among information stored in PDF, Powerpoint presentations, Word documents, photos, videos, and audio recordings.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/professors › qualitative software suggestions
r/Professors on Reddit: Qualitative software suggestions
April 19, 2019 -
Hi all,
I’m curious as to which qualitative software you think is best for text analysis of legal documents, newspaper article and other large, policy-related documents. I have previous experience using NVIVO but I’m worried about it slowing down due to the size of the different (and many) documents I’ll be analyzing. Thoughts on MaxQDA? Others?
Also- open to any suggestions on text- analysis workshops that you recommend.
Thanks!!
Top answer 1 of 5
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I am a qualitative scholar that uses/has used NVivo, Dedoose, MAXQDA, and Atlas. I think which software you use is entirely dependent on what you want to do with it. Are you wanting the software to do the analysis for you (word counts/ word frequency / word proximity)? Are you wanting to code the data (themes, open coding, etc.)? I would say that I used NVivo for several recent projects that included organizational documents, video, audio, and transcripts. It worked well to code everything. I used Dedoose for my dissertation which was great as my advisor took a job across the country during my final year and is web based (the UI for Dedoose is awful though).
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If used maxqda on document and image analysis. I find it much easier to used than nvivo. I've never messed with Atlas, so I can't speak to that and I don't really care for the UI of Dedoose.
CivicomMRS
civicommrs.com › home › best of the best: the top 8 qualitative analysis tools out right now
Top 8 Qualitative Analysis Tools Out Right Now
November 12, 2024 - Key Strength: MAXQDA allows you to import and analyze diverse data formats (e.g., Text documents, Excel sheets, PDFs)
Top answer 1 of 16
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I just wanted to clarify a point that's usually overlooked - none of the qualitative software discussed here (nVivo, Atlas.ti, Maxda, dedoose. nudist) actually "analyze" the data for you in the way that quantitative software does. They are more tools for systematically organizing, coding, annotating, visualizing, etc. In essence, you are still doing the analysis yourself, just using the software for assistance in managing and exploring the data. This chart provides a good (though slightly outdated) comparison of what each of the QDA programs are better suited for, depending on what kind of data you're analyzing, what you want to do with it, how much time you have to learn the software, etc: http://website.education.wisc.edu/qdatools/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Software-Comparison.pdf. In my experience nVivo is most widely used; though it's relatively pricey - there are some open-source packages too.
(For quantitative analysis of qualitative data, regressions etc, if you're even interested in doing those - and a lot of people explicitly are not - you would probably be best off learning R).
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I did not use it, but NUDIST is one of good softwares to analyze qualitative data.
The NUDIST qualitative data analysis system
Tom Richards
, Lyn Richards
University of Oregon Libraries
researchguides.uoregon.edu › c.php
Qualitative Analysis Software - How to Choose Data Analysis Software - Research Guides at University of Oregon Libraries
A comparative guide to qualitative and quantitative data analysis software.
George Mason University
infoguides.gmu.edu › qual › software › choose
Choosing - QUALitative Research & Tools - InfoGuides at George Mason University
Dedoose - Designed for mixed methods projects with fewer but more complex codes (allows ratings), this full-featured online software is a solid choice in some circumstances, especially distributed groups with somewhat complex projects, or those ...
Royal Roads University
libguides.royalroads.ca › researchsoftware
Qualitative analysis - Research software - LibGuides at Royal Roads University
Dedoose · Taguette · QDA Miner · MAXQDA · Quantitative analysis · Spatial analysis · Visualization · Transcription · Data management · Have a question? = Free · = Subscription cost · = Works on Windows · = Works on Mac · = Works on Linux · NVivo - Organize and analyze qualitative data sources such as text and multimedia.
MERIT
merit.education.wisc.edu › qualitative-software-support › choosing-a-qda-package
Choosing a QDA Package - MERIT
November 18, 2024 - When it comes to the cost of the software licenses, the time needed to learn the software, getting help when you run into trouble, and how well they handle the specific types of data and methods you use there can be significant differences. This guide will compare and contrast four popular programs; NVivo, MaxQDA, Atlas.ti, and Dedoose.
Wiley Online Library
onlinelibrary.wiley.com › doi › 10.1002 › 9781119678816.iehc0604
Qualitative Data Analysis Software (Dedoose, ATLAS, NVivo, MAXQDA) - Hart - Major Reference Works - Wiley Online Library
September 29, 2022 - Retrieved from ftp://ftp.qualisresearch.com/pub/qda.pdf ... Tracy, S. J. (2019). Qualitative research methods: Collecting evidence, crafting analysis, communicating impact ( 2nd ed.). Malden, MA: Wiley Blackwell. ... VERBI Software. (2019). MAXQDA 2020 [computer software]. Berlin: VERBI Software.
Usercall
usercall.co › post › top-5-qualitative-data-analysis-software-tools
Top 5 Qualitative Data Analysis Software Tools
Dedoose – Affordable, cloud-based solution for geographically distributed teams. NVivo – Comprehensive features for analysis and visualization, plus strong mixed methods support.
MAXQDA
maxqda.com › faq › imports-from-dedoose-fail
Imports from Dedoose fail : MAXQDA Support
When exporting from Dedoose, projects can be assigned a password. Project files saved in this way cannot be imported into MAXQDA. A solution is to export your Dedoose project as a REFI-QDA Project and import it as such in MAXQDA. The REFI-QDA St...
Johns Hopkins University
guides.library.jhu.edu › c.php
Other QDAS Software - Qualitative Data Analysis Software (nVivo, Atlas.TI, and more) - Guides at Johns Hopkins University
With a monthly per-user pricing, Dedoose can be relatively less expensive for research teams than nVivo and Atlas.TI collaboration products, especially for short-term projects. The security features are strong, and have been approved for certain Homewood projects.
George Mason University
infoguides.gmu.edu › qual › software
QDAS Software - QUALitative Research & Tools - InfoGuides at George Mason University
Which Qualitative Data Analysis Software is Easiest to Learn? (Delve) - NVivo, ATLAS.ti, MAXQDA, Delve, Quirkos, Taguette, Dedoose.
VWO
vwo.com › home › visitor behavior analytics › 8 best qualitative data analysis tools in 2026 (ranked by industry experts)
8 Best Qualitative Data Analysis Tools in 2026 | VWO
December 31, 2024 - AI integration: MAXQDA leverages AI for qualitative data analysis, including automatic transcription of audio and video recordings in multiple languages. Versatile data import: It supports importing various data types such as text, audio, video, surveys, social media content, PDFs, Word documents, Excel files, and note-taking apps.
Temple University
guides.temple.edu › qda › choosing
Choose QDA software - Qualitative Data Analysis and QDA Tools - Research Guides at Temple University
This online workshop recording introduces and compares Taguette, QualCoder, Dedoose, ATLAS.ti, and NVivo. How does QualCoder compare with NVivo, ATLAS.ti, and MAXQDA?
Iup
libraryguides.lib.iup.edu › c.php
Working Collaboratively - Qualitative Data Analysis - LibGuides at Indiana University of PA
Dedoose projects can be exported in several different ways for use in other QDA programs and spreadsheet software. Quirkos: Quirkos also offers a cloud-based option for using their software with web-based data. You can export your coded data from Quirkos to spreadsheet files or PDF and Word reports.
ResearchGate
researchgate.net › publication › 370290300_Qualitative_Data_Analysis_Software_Dedoose_ATLAS_NVivo_MAXQDA
Qualitative Data Analysis Software (Dedoose, ATLAS, NVivo, MAXQDA)
September 29, 2022 - Download Citation | Qualitative Data Analysis Software (Dedoose, ATLAS, NVivo, MAXQDA) | Qualitative data analysis is a rigorous, complex, iterative, nonlinear, and intellectually demanding method of discerning and describing emergent... | Find, read and cite all the research you need on ...