Dedoose alternative
A Dedoose alternative for thematic analysis, without a monthly plan
Dedoose is a solid choice for research teams. It runs in the cloud, handles mixed methods and descriptors, and lets a whole lab code one project together. But whether it's a thesis, a research paper or a public health evaluation, you still have to set up the project, build a code tree and code every excerpt by hand, while a monthly plan runs in the background.
thematicanalysis.ai does the part most students and researchers actually came for. You paste or upload transcripts and get codes with definitions, named themes, and the verbatim quote behind each code, checked against your own text. Then you review it, change what you disagree with, and write it up.
No account. The first 3 participants are free.
Dedoose and thematicanalysis.ai side by side
They are different kinds of tool. Dedoose is a full qualitative analysis workbench. thematicanalysis.ai does one job: getting from transcripts to themes you can defend.
| Dedoose | thematicanalysis.ai | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A cloud-based workbench for qualitative and mixed-methods data, with descriptors, charts and team projects | A browser tool for thematic analysis of text: interview and focus group transcripts, open survey answers, published studies |
| Getting access | An account and a 30-day free trial, then a monthly plan | No account. Free tier: 2 runs a month, up to 3 participants each; a pass covers 30 days |
| Price | Individual and student plans are billed for each month you log in; group plans per user. See Dedoose's pricing page for current figures | Free to start · $9 for up to 20 sources · $15 for up to 50. Nothing renews |
| Setup | Create a project, set up descriptors and a code tree, then code excerpts by hand | Open the page, paste or upload. Codes and themes come back in under 5 minutes |
| Automation | Auto-Code Wizard codes excerpts around keywords you choose; text analytics show word frequency | AI does the first coding pass: codes with definitions and named themes, each code tied to a verbatim quote checked against your text |
| Method | Method-neutral: you build the codes and the analysis | Reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke) by default; framework analysis, thematic synthesis, grounded theory, content analysis or your own codebook as options |
| What you take away | Your Dedoose project, charts and exported excerpts | Codebook, themes, theme-by-participant table, thematic map (PNG/SVG), Word report, Excel tables and a REFI-QDA (.qdpx) project file |
Which one should you use?
Stay with Dedoose if
- your study mixes qualitative coding with survey or demographic data and you need charts by descriptor
- you need to code audio, video or images directly
- a research team codes the same project together over months
- your lab or grant already pays for Dedoose seats
Use thematicanalysis.ai if
- your data is interview, focus group or survey text and you need themes with evidence for your findings
- you'd rather not pay month after month while you write up
- you want a first coding pass done for you, then review and change it yourself
- you want to start today without setting up a project or code tree
Using both: first pass here, project in Dedoose
If your team works in Dedoose, you can still use this for the first pass. Check the codes against your transcripts here, then export the codebook and theme tables to Word or Excel and use them to set up your code tree in Dedoose.
Still choosing software? The software comparison sets Dedoose beside NVivo, ATLAS.ti, MAXQDA and the lighter tools, and the NVivo alternative page covers the most common switch.
See what it makes of your own data
Paste or upload a transcript. Codes, themes and the quotes behind them in under 5 minutes.
Questions people ask before switching
Is there a free Dedoose alternative?+
Yes, with limits. The free tier gives you 2 runs a month of up to 3 participants or studies each, with no account. For a full project a pass costs $9 for 30 days and up to 20 sources per analysis, or $15 for up to 50 sources plus the Advanced tools. Nothing renews. QualCoder and Taguette are free open-source options if you want to code entirely by hand.
Does Dedoose have AI coding?+
Dedoose's own pages describe the Auto-Code Wizard, which codes excerpts around keywords or phrases you choose, and text analytics for word frequency. Here the AI reads each transcript and proposes codes with definitions and named themes, and every quote is checked against your uploaded text. You then edit, merge and rename everything.
What kinds of projects is it a good fit for?+
Any project where the data is text and the method is thematic: a thesis or dissertation, a DNP or EdD project, a journal article, a program or public health evaluation, or a UX or market research study. You get a codebook, themes with participant quotes, a theme-by-participant table and a Word report you can build your findings section from. The interpretation is still yours to write.
Can I use it alongside Dedoose?+
Yes. Many people run the first pass here to see the themes quickly, then carry on in Dedoose if their committee or team expects it. The codebook and theme tables export to Word and Excel, so you can set up your Dedoose code tree from them.
Will my committee or reviewers accept AI-assisted analysis?+
Many will if you report it honestly and the interpretation is yours. Check codes against the transcripts, put the themes into your own words, and describe the tool's role in your methods section.
What happens to my transcripts?+
We keep no copy, and your participants' words are never used to train an AI model. The privacy page covers what an IRB or ethics application usually asks.