MAXQDA vs Quirkos

MAXQDA9.3Visit Quirkos8.2Visit

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

vs

Quirkos #6 in Qualitative Data Analysis Software 8.2/10 14-day trial Free trial✓ 0 of 5 features Visit Quirkos

• MAXQDA fits best

  Researchers needing broad mixed-methods analysis

• Quirkos fits best

  Budget-conscious researchers needing flexible access

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Side by side

Feature	MAXQDA 9.3/10 Visit ↗	Quirkos 8.2/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.3	8.2
Ranking	#1 in Qualitative Data Analysis Software	#6 in Qualitative Data Analysis Software
Best for	Researchers needing broad mixed-methods analysis	Budget-conscious researchers needing flexible access
Pricing model	Paid	Paid
Starting price	—	$5/mo
Free plan	—	—
Free trial	14 days	14 days
Free trial length	14 days	14 days · card required
Deployment	Desktop, Self-hosted	Cloud, Self-hosted, Desktop, Mobile
Platforms	Windows, macOS	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Support	Phone, Email, Tickets, Docs, Live chat · 24/7	Email, Phone, Docs
Compliance	GDPR	ISO 27001, GDPR, PCI DSS
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market
Features MAXQDA 0/5 · Quirkos 0/5
Coding tools	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Audio/video analysis	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Team collaboration	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Mixed-methods analysis	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Transcription included	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Supported platforms	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
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	Hierarchical coding, comparisons, annotations and visualisations in one workspace Cloud collaboration plus offline desktop storage across major operating systems Imports and exports support Word, PDF, Excel, CSV, HTML and common QDA tools
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	No free plan, and the 14-day cloud trial requires credit-card details Automated transcription is limited to 100 free minutes on selected cloud plans No built-in AI features such as sentiment analysis or topic modeling
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 →	Quirkos is qualitative data analysis software for researchers, educators and research teams working with documents, conversations, surveys, audio or video transcripts. It supports grouped and hierarchical themes, source annotations,… 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

• Quirkos — where it wins

  • Hierarchical coding, comparisons, annotations and visualisations in one workspace
  • Cloud collaboration plus offline desktop storage across major operating systems
  • Imports and exports support Word, PDF, Excel, CSV, HTML and common QDA tools

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan, and the 14-day cloud trial requires credit-card details
  • Automated transcription is limited to 100 free minutes on selected cloud plans
  • No built-in AI features such as sentiment analysis or topic modeling

• MAXQDA9.3/10 · 14-day trial

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

  Visit MAXQDAFull verdict →
• Quirkos8.2/10 · 14-day trial

  Flexible qualitative analysis across cloud, desktop and mobile, with affordable student pricing.

  Visit QuirkosFull verdict →