Sonal π
Sonal π is free, open-source software for collecting, organizing, and analyzing qualitative research materials in a corpus.
What Sonal π is
Sonal π is free, open-source software for collecting, organizing, and analyzing qualitative research materials in a corpus. It runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows. Researchers can use colored markers to structure text coding and filter materials, add metadata such as sex and age, and build a database associated with a corpus. The software can identify proper names in transcripts and help pseudonymize them to protect confidentiality. It does not transcribe audio, but it can help correct transcripts produced by AI; speaker identification is available. Users can filter and export data according to their needs. Sociologist Alex Alber conceived and developed Sonal from 2008 at the University of Tours, with help from Philippe Cibois. The maker says the software remains under development and is not completely stable, and recommends regular updates and frequent backups. The download page lists version 1.0.80 as current. Students in the University of Tours sociology master's program tried shared corpus-coding features during the 2025–2026 academic year. The maker lists [email protected] for questions, suggestions, and contributions.
Good
- Free and open-source
- Runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows
- Supports colored text markers and corpus filtering
- Can help pseudonymize proper names in transcripts
Watch out
- Does not transcribe audio files
- Maker says it is not completely stable
- Maker recommends regular updates and frequent backups
Who it suits
It suits qualitative researchers who need to organize corpus materials, code text, add metadata, or pseudonymize names. Users should be prepared to maintain backups while the software remains under development.
Verdict
Sonal π brings corpus organization, text coding, metadata, and pseudonymization together at no cost. Its development status and lack of audio transcription are important considerations for research workflows.
Plans and prices
From Sonal π's own pricing page, checked 11 Oct 2001.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Sonal π | Free | free · open-source qualitative research software |
The facts
Each one read from Sonal π's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Creator
- Sonal was conceived and developed from 2008 by sociologist Alex Alber at the University of Tours, with help from Philippe Cibois.checked 11 Oct 2001
- Current version
- The download page lists version 1.0.80 as the current version.checked 11 Oct 2001
- Development status
- The maker says Sonal π is still under development and is not completely stable, and recommends regular updates and frequent backups.checked 11 Oct 2001
- Filtering and export
- Users can filter and export their data according to their needs.checked 11 Oct 2001
- Metadata
- Users can add metadata such as sex and age to research materials and build a database associated with a corpus.checked 11 Oct 2001
- Privacy
- The maker says the site does not track personal data and sets no cookies on the visitor's computer.checked 11 Oct 2001
- Pseudonymization
- It helps identify and pseudonymize proper names in transcripts to protect data confidentiality.checked 11 Oct 2001
- Purpose
- Sonal π is free, open-source software for qualitative research that collects, organizes, and analyzes research materials in a corpus.checked 11 Oct 2001
- Shared coding
- The maker says students in the University of Tours sociology master's program tried shared corpus-coding features during the 2025–2026 academic year.checked 11 Oct 2001
- Speaker identification
- It helps users identify and distinguish speakers in transcripts.checked 11 Oct 2001
- Support
- Questions, suggestions, and contributions can be sent to [email protected].checked 11 Oct 2001
- Text coding
- Users can add colored markers to text to structure analysis and filter materials.checked 11 Oct 2001
- Transcript correction
- It does not transcribe audio files, but helps correct transcripts made by AI.checked 11 Oct 2001
The company
- Founded
- 2008checked 4 Oct 2001
Money
- Free plan
- Yeschecked 23 Sep 2001
Where it runs
- Platforms
- The maker provides installers for Windows, Linux, and macOS, with macOS support listed as starting at OS 15.checked 11 Oct 2001
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