MAXQDA vs QDAcity

MAXQDA9.3Visit QDAcity7.8Visit

Higher score MAXQDA #1 in Qualitative Data Analysis Software 9.3/10 14-day trial Free trial✓ 0 of 5 features Visit MAXQDA

vs

QDAcity #8 in Qualitative Data Analysis Software 7.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 5 features Visit QDAcity

• MAXQDA fits best

  Researchers needing broad mixed-methods analysis

• QDAcity fits best

  Researchers seeking web coding and transcription

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Side by side

Feature	MAXQDA 9.3/10 Visit ↗	QDAcity 7.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.3	7.8
Ranking	#1 in Qualitative Data Analysis Software	#8 in Qualitative Data Analysis Software
Best for	Researchers needing broad mixed-methods analysis	Researchers seeking web coding and transcription
Pricing model	Paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	—	€12/mo
Free plan	—	✓ (best)
Free trial	14 days	—
Deployment	Desktop, Self-hosted	Cloud
Platforms	Windows, macOS	Web
Support	Phone, Email, Tickets, Docs, Live chat · 24/7	Email, Phone, Docs
Compliance	GDPR	GDPR, PCI DSS
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features MAXQDA 0/5 · QDAcity 4/5
Coding tools	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Audio/video analysis	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Team collaboration	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Mixed-methods analysis	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Transcription included	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Specs
Supported platforms	Not checked yet	web
Our review
Pros	Analyzes text, PDFs, surveys, audio and video Combines coding with quantitative text and statistical analysis Includes AI document chat, coding and transcription features	Free plan includes full coding and project and codebook export Personal adds 3 hours of automated transcription monthly Team includes intercoder agreement and unlimited validation projects
Cons	Desktop software for Windows and macOS, not a web-based workspace Its broad toolset may be more than focused qualitative projects need Paid product with a 14-day free trial rather than a free plan	Personal and Team plans are billed monthly in EUR Automated transcription is included in Personal, not Free Cloud-based access is limited to the web platform
Our verdict	MAXQDA is desktop software for researchers who need to analyze qualitative and mixed-methods material across text, PDF, survey, audio and video sources. It is used by researchers, universities, research institutions and corporations, and… Read the review →	QDAcity is a cloud-based qualitative data analysis application for students, individual researchers, research groups and institutions. Its browser interface supports coding with codes and codebooks, project organization and concurrent work… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• MAXQDA — where it wins

  • Analyzes text, PDFs, surveys, audio and video
  • Combines coding with quantitative text and statistical analysis
  • Includes AI document chat, coding and transcription features

  Where it doesn't

  • Desktop software for Windows and macOS, not a web-based workspace
  • Its broad toolset may be more than focused qualitative projects need
  • Paid product with a 14-day free trial rather than a free plan

• QDAcity — where it wins

  • Free plan includes full coding and project and codebook export
  • Personal adds 3 hours of automated transcription monthly
  • Team includes intercoder agreement and unlimited validation projects

  Where it doesn't

  • Personal and Team plans are billed monthly in EUR
  • Automated transcription is included in Personal, not Free
  • Cloud-based access is limited to the web platform

• MAXQDA9.3/10 · 14-day trial

  A desktop research suite combining qualitative coding, text analysis and statistical tools.

  Visit MAXQDAFull verdict →
• QDAcity7.8/10 · Free plan

  A web-based QDA tool with a free coding tier and paid transcription and team features.

  Visit QDAcityFull verdict →