QualCoder

What QualCoder is

QualCoder is free, open-source software for qualitative data analysis, available for Linux, macOS, and Windows. It supports coding text, images, audio, and video, organising codes in hierarchies, and writing journals and memos. Users can generate reports, most of which can be exported as HTML, ODT, plain text, or Excel files. Projects and codebooks can be exchanged using the REFI-QDA standard; codebooks can also be imported from plain text or CSV. Coding data is stored in a SQLite database in the project data folder. QualCoder is designed for one person at a time, and simultaneous access to a project can corrupt its database. VLC is optional for general use but required for audio or video coding. Optional AI tools cover topic exploration, AI-assisted coding, text analysis, and code chats. AI features are off by default; setup supports services including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Mistral, DeepSeek, and local models such as Ollama. Cloud provider API access may incur per-request charges. QualCoder lists the LGPL-3.0 license and links to forums and language-specific support materials.