CATMA

CATMA is a computer-assisted text markup and analysis application aimed at researchers working closely with textual material. It is most compelling when annotation and interpretation matter as much as pattern-finding, and less suited to projects built around very large-scale statistical analysis.

Overview

CATMA accommodates qualitative and quantitative work, from exploratory reading to projects organized around a taxonomy. Users can upload corpora, create tagsets, share projects, and apply annotations that overlap. That flexibility suits research in which categories develop during analysis or a passage needs multiple labels. Its stated focus is qualitative text studies, particularly literary research; it is not designed for massive-scale quantitative or statistical text mining.

Key features

Annotation and interactive analysis

CATMA's Analyze module offers interactive word clouds, distribution graphs, and Double Tree visualizations. These views can help researchers move between close reading and exploration of patterns across documents, rather than relying on annotation alone. Results and project materials can be exported as text, TEI-XML, or CSV. For programmatic access, CATMA also supports Git, the GitMA Python package, and a JSON API.

Teamwork and deployment

Shared projects make the hosted application suitable for collaborative annotation. CATMA Standalone can instead run on a local machine or private network, including in settings without internet access. That option is useful when keeping work within a local environment matters, but it defaults to single-user use. Registration, email invitations, and Google login require additional configuration or are unavailable, so Standalone is not a drop-in equivalent to hosted team use.

Data handling and support

The hosted service stores data in Germany and keeps automatic backups at least daily, with off-site backups in Germany or another EU member state. CATMA says data on its own servers is not encrypted at rest, although off-site backups are encrypted, and advises against uploading sensitive data. That warning should weigh heavily for confidential corpora. Users who need help can contact the CATMA team, which says it will respond as soon as possible.

Pricing

CATMA is free to use at no cost, with no free trial. The free plan has no stated cap on the number of projects or collaborations, making it practical for individual researchers and teams that want to work without a subscription. Its main trade-off is not a stated quota but scope: CATMA is not intended for massive quantitative or statistical text mining. There is no paid CATMA tier described here.

Platforms

CATMA is a web application for common browsers on macOS, Windows, and Linux, and requires a stable internet connection. Annotating text with touch devices is not supported, so it is a poor fit for tablet-first workflows. CATMA also supports API access and self-hosted deployment; Standalone provides local-machine or private-network use when an internet connection is not available.

Who it's for

CATMA is a strong fit for literary scholars and other researchers whose work depends on close reading, flexible tagging, and shared interpretation. Its visualization and export options extend that work without making large-scale computation its central purpose. Choose another tool if statistical text mining at massive scale is the priority, or if touch-based annotation is essential.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Overlapping annotations and configurable tagsets suit interpretive research where categories can evolve.
• Pros: Shared projects, interactive visualizations, and multiple export and data-access routes support collaboration and reuse.
• Pros: Free use without a stated project or collaboration count cap keeps it accessible for ongoing research.
• Cons: Its qualitative and literary-research focus makes it a poor choice for massive-scale statistical text mining.
• Cons: Hosted data is not encrypted at rest, so sensitive material should not be uploaded.
• Cons: Touch-device annotation is unsupported, and Standalone's single-user default limits out-of-the-box team work.

Alternatives

Browse text analytics software if you want to compare tools across the category. Choose spaCy instead when a free tool for Linux, macOS, Windows, or self-hosted use better fits your needs. KH Coder is another option, with a free Windows Starting Edition that has limited analysis data and features, or a $99, paid once Mac Edition for Apple silicon. Consider MAXQDA if you want a paid macOS or Windows product with a free trial. Taguette is a free alternative for web, desktop, or self-hosted use. Transana may suit readers seeking a paid macOS or Windows option with a trial. Voyant Tools is a free alternative available as a hosted web app or downloadable local server. QualCoder offers free qualitative data analysis for Linux, macOS, and Windows. Dovetail is a freemium web and API option whose free plan includes one channel, one project, basic chat, and AI summaries.

Verdict

Choose CATMA for qualitative text research that benefits from flexible annotation, shared projects, and interactive analysis. Its free plan, export formats, and local deployment option make it a useful fit for literary and interpretive work. Look elsewhere for massive-scale statistical text mining or touch-based annotation, and keep sensitive data off the hosted service.