MAXQDA vs Web of Science
MAXQDA
maxqda.com
Web of Science
clarivate.comSide by side
| Figure | MAXQDA | Web of Science |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $41/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 9 | 7 |
| Spec score · Academic Research Databases | 8.9 (#1) | 8.1 (#11) |
| Founded | 1989 | 1997 |
| Headquarters | Berlin, Germany | London, United Kingdom |
| Integrations | Documented integrations include EndNote, Mendeley, Citavi, Zotero, SurveyMonkey, SPSS, Excel, YouTube and REFI-QDA exchange files. | Registered users can connect ORCID and send references directly to EndNote online from Web of Science. |
| Purpose | MAXQDA is qualitative data analysis software for qualitative and mixed methods research, including literature reviews, content analysis, interviews, questionnaires, and focus groups. | Web of Science is a research discovery platform built around scholarly literature and citation links. |
| Rating on G2 | 4.5 out of 5 from 38 reviews | 4.9 out of 5 from 11 reviews |
| Release news | MAXQDA 26.1, released February 10, 2026, added multi-document AI coding, AI translation and suggested subcodes. | The June 18, 2026 release let Research Assistant summarize across all Core Collection data while locking documents outside an institution’s entitlement and adding AI-generation disclaimers to exports. |
| Security | MAXQDA says AI Assist processes data in real time, deletes it immediately, stores encrypted data in the EU and operates under GDPR compliance. | Clarivate describes its security program as aligned with ISO 27001 and SOC 2, but says not all products are individually certified. |
| Support | Free online support is provided for the current and preceding versions, with context-sensitive help linked from dialog windows. | Clarivate provides Web of Science product and technical support through its Support Center. |
| System requirements | MAXQDA 26 on Windows requires Windows 11, at least 4 GB RAM and a two-core 1.6 GHz processor; macOS 11 through macOS 27 is listed with the same minimum RAM and processor. | The web application recommends current Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge or Safari browsers. |
| What it does | MAXQDA is qualitative and mixed-methods research software for organizing, coding, analyzing, visualizing and reporting text, multimedia, survey and bibliographic data. | Web of Science is a multidisciplinary citation and research-discovery platform covering journals, conference papers, books, grants, preprints, dissertations, datasets and patents. |
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
Web of Science
- Web of Science My Research Assistant free versionFree
- Web of Science API Expanded — AdvancedPriced on request
- Web of Science API Expanded — BasicPriced on request
- Web of Science API Expanded — IntermediatePriced on request
- Web of Science API Expanded — PremiumPriced on request
- Web of Science institutional subscriptionPriced on request
- Web of Science platformPriced on request
In their own words
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.
Web of Science
Web of Science is a paid research discovery platform built around scholarly literature and citation links. Its stated coverage includes more than 34,000 journals, 288 million metadata records, and 3.4 billion citation links. One search can span journal content, conference papers, grants, preprints, dissertations, books, datasets, and patents. The platform supports finding new research, potential partners, trending topics, and commercial opportunities. It offers multidisciplinary coverage, advanced search, full-text access, conference proceedings, and theses and dissertations. The Web of Science Research Assistant adds multilingual natural-language search, concise overviews, task guidance, and visualizations, with institutional subscription access required. Registered users can export records to EndNote, and researcher profiles can sync publications with ORCID. API Expanded provides REST access with JSON or XML output through a paid licence and registered application. Listed API plans allow 50,000 to 3,000,000 full records yearly, with request rates of two to five per second.