BORIS vs MAXQDA
BORIS
boris.unito.itMAXQDA
maxqda.comSide by side
| Figure | BORIS | MAXQDA |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $41/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 9 |
| Spec score · Video Annotation Software | 8.4 (#9) | 8.8 (#6) |
| Headquarters | Torino, Italy | Berlin, Germany |
| Purpose | BORIS is event-logging software for video and audio coding and live observations. | MAXQDA is qualitative data analysis software for qualitative and mixed methods research, including literature reviews, content analysis, interviews, questionnaires, and focus groups. |
| Support | The site provides a user guide, video tutorials and workshops, an FAQ, a user forum, and channels for bug reports and feature requests. | Free online support is provided for the current and preceding versions, with context-sensitive help linked from dialog windows. |
Plans
MAXQDA
- AI Assist FreeFree
- MAXQDA Tailwind Free TrialFree
- MAXQDA Tailwind Pro$41 a month
- AI Assist Premium (12 months)Priced on request
- AI Assist Premium (6 months)Priced on request
- MAXQDAPriced on request
- MAXQDA Analytics ProPriced on request
- MAXQDA Tailwind EnterprisePriced on request
- MAXQDA TeamCloudPrice not published
In their own words
BORIS
BORIS is free and open-source software for coding video and audio and recording live observations. Media tools include frame-by-frame navigation, playback speeds from 0.1× to 100×, and synchronized playback of up to eight files. Users can define unlimited behaviors, subjects, modifiers, and independent variables, with behaviors recorded as state or point events. Analysis options include Cohen’s Kappa inter-rater reliability, transition matrices, flow diagrams, time-budget analysis, and graphical views of coded data. Coded events can be exported in formats including TSV, CSV, HTML, ODS, XLSX, SQL, Pandas and R dataframes, SDIS, Praat TextGrid, and JWatcher formats. BORIS also imports JWatcher Global Definition Files and Noldus The Observer XT templates. Live event logging is available in the desktop program and Android app. The Android app is version 0.13 and marked beta for testing only. Data is stored in JSON; download files are GPG-signed, with a public key available for integrity checks. The project warns that backward compatibility of project files is not guaranteed and recommends regular backups.
MAXQDA
MAXQDA is desktop software for qualitative and mixed methods research, including literature reviews, content analysis, interviews, questionnaires, and focus groups. Its tools include qualitative and mixed methods analysis, quantitative text analysis with MAXDictio, and statistical analysis with Stats. Analytics Pro can import and connect Excel or SPSS data and includes descriptive statistics, crosstabs, ANOVA, independent-samples t-tests, cluster analysis, Pearson and Spearman correlations, and scale calculations. MAXQDA Transcription can automatically transcribe audio and video in over 50 languages without a MAXQDA license, though analyzing transcripts in MAXQDA requires a valid MAXQDA or Analytics Pro license. TeamCloud provides a protected cloud workspace with 25GB storage for one team lead and up to four team members per license. The desktop product runs on Windows and Mac with the same interface and functions on both. A 14-day free trial is available for either system. The page does not expose prices for MAXQDA licenses or Analytics Pro; AI Assist has Free and Premium options, with limited capacity.