Comparing Qualitative Coding Software: ATLAS.ti vs. NVivo vs. Delve
What’s the best software for qualitative data analysis?
NVivo vs. ATLAS.ti. vs Delve.
Qualitative data analysis (QDA) software is an indispensable companion for researchers. Also called computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS), these tools streamline research tasks, including data coding, organization, and theme identification.
The challenge is picking the right qualitative data analysis software for your needs. Many factors often go into that critical but daunting decision. The types of data to analyze, research methodology, collaborative expectations, and budget usually come into play.
In this article, we compare three popular QDA software options: ATLAS.ti, NVivo, and Delve. We will discuss their strengths and weaknesses and help you decide which suits you best.
How to Choose the Right Qualitative Coding Software
Before making direct comparisons, let’s explore some ways to pick the best qualitative software for your specific research needs. Not only to streamline your decision process but also to avoid wasting time and money on ineffectual or overly sophisticated coding tools.
Let's look at a few of the key considerations:
Your budget: Coding software ranges widely in price. Some offer student or educator discounts. Others do not. Some are month-to-month, others annual subscriptions. You want a tool to help facilitate your research without busting your budget.
Your time: Qualitative analysis takes time, and usually more than we think. Do you have tight deadlines or hard due dates to meet? If so, don’t forget to factor in learning (or training others) how to use a new coding software.
Your needs: What features are important to you? Do you need software that can handle mountains of data? Do you need software that makes it easy to collaborate with others? Try to pinpoint characteristics or features that will simplify your qualitative research.
Your experience level: New to qualitative analysis? Look for software that helps uncover nuanced insights from your data but is easy to learn. If you're more experienced, you may want software with more complex features and functionality.
Once you've considered these factors, you can move on to select a specific tool.
Comparing ATLAS.ti vs. NVivo vs. Delve
Now, let's delve into a thorough comparison of ATLAS.ti, NVivo, and Delve. While these well-established QDA programs all share common functions, their distinctive user interfaces, features, pricing, operating systems (OS), and collaborative capabilities set them apart.
ATLAS.ti Overview
ATLAS.ti has been around for over 20 years. It is a powerful tool with sophisticated functionality that can be used for various qualitative research methods. The tool is designed to assist qualitative researchers with grounded theory, thematic analysis, and discourse analysis.
While ATLAS.ti edges other tools on this list in the number of features, the benefits tend to offer diminishing returns. In other words, learning how to use the program can be time-consuming, especially for novice researchers who often don’t require extra bells and whistles.
Best For
In-depth research projects. ATLAS.ti is powerful and sophisticated, sometimes to a fault. It is suited for experienced researchers with a firm understanding of qualitative analysis.
Licensing Model
Desktop (device-specific)
Need to update software
Need upgrades for all features
Web version (limited functionality ⚠️)
Price
$895+/year
⚠️ You can use both the desktop and web versions of ATLAS.ti together but they don’t automatically synchronize. Another issue is that ATLAS.ti Web (the more affordable option) does not support all ATLAS.ti features. Because of this, you cannot set up a mixed-team project where some people work in the desktop version and others in the web version.
NVivo Overview
NVivo is a CAQDAS software known for processing huge amounts of data. Qualitative researchers, mixed-methods researchers, and students use the program, allowing them to work with different file formats such as text, audio, and video.
NVivo is a good option for experienced researchers with a sizeable budget. Most qualitative researchers, or anyone looking for user-friendly coding software, find this option cumbersome, complex, and time-consuming.
A common rebuff from NVivo users is that the program is not collaboration-friendly. It is a desktop application and is not Mac/PC compatible. There is a web-based collaboration add-on but it is costly and files often get corrupted going from desktop to the web-based program, which often leads to lost work and research setbacks.
Best For
NVivo is geared towards well-funded academics and research professionals handling exceptionally large datasets. It is ideal for solo researchers, not collaborative analysis.
Licensing Model
Desktop (device-specific)
Requires software updates
NVivo Cloud Collaboration (web-based add-on to desktop version)
Price
$1195+/year
Delve Overview
Delve is a student-friendly CAQDAS software that is easy to use, collaborative, and affordable. It is a top choice for researchers new to qualitative data analysis who expect to work with other researchers or are looking for a cost-effective coding solution.
Delve offers user-favorite features that make it stand out, including:
An intuitive interface
Web-based connection (think Google Drive but for QDA)
Side-by-side coding comparisons
Automated intercoder reliability scores
Keep reading for a more comprehensive list
Best For
Students, academics, market researchers, research analysts, social science professionals, and just about any other QDA projects. Delve is ideal for anyone new to qualitative data analysis or who doesn’t have the time or budget to learn a more complex, higher-priced alternative.
Licensing Model
100% web-based (accessible from any device)
No need for software updates
No need for software upgrades
Price
$432/year (with annual discount)
$18 / month or $200 / year (with academic discount)
This table summarizes how these CAQDAS software stack up:
| Feature | Atlas.ti | NVivo | Delve |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal Pricing | $895+/year | $1195+/year | $432/year (with annual discount) |
| Education Pricing | $120+/year (web-app with limited features) | $1,019+/year (desktop only) | $200/year (full features and functionality) |
| Upgrades | $220+/year (desktop and web-app) | $1,519+/year (desktop with web-based add-on) | No upgrade required |
| Ease of use | Complex | Cumbersome | Intuitive |
| Licensing | Desktop, limited web-based option | Desktop, web-based add-on | Web-based |
| Best for | Experienced researchers who need a sophisticated coding tool. | Solo researchers who work with huge amounts of data. | Researchers who are new to qualitative data analysis, work in groups, or work remotely. |
[Check out how Delve and NVivo stack up against Dedoose, another popular QDA tool. ]
User Reviews: ATLAS.ti vs. NVivo vs. Delve
Now let’s take a look at what actual users of ATLAS.ti, NVivo, and Delve say about each QDA software. To make it easier to compare quickly, we organize these comparisons based on what most researchers consider important when they pick the right QDA tool for themselves.
Collaboration
❌ What Customers Say About ATLAS.ti
“The functionality for teams is CLUNKY! Not easy to work together at all in my opinion.” Read more.
❌ What Customers Say About NVivo
“If you want to work in a team look elsewhere.” Read more.
✅ What Customers Say About Delve
“Delve is very easy to learn and use individually or as a team. Using Delve has shortened our time to process text for coding and organizing for presentations. Used with time codes, it can also shorten video editing times. We've used several other products and found Delve to be a perfect complement to our workflow.” Read more.
“We were up and running with Delve within minutes. It was very intuitive to use, with very quick setup. We were able to easily collaborate and facilitate our thematic analysis process without a steep learning curve and at a very reasonable price.” Read more.
“Wonderful user interface and coding process, loved how easy it is to collaborate with others.” Read more.
User Interface
❌ What Customers Say About ATLAS.ti
“It is difficult to use because of the multiple buttons on its entrance platform. In addition, making interpretations can be complicated if you do not handle it frequently.” Read more.
❌ What Customers Say About NVivo
“The design seemed quite old-fashioned and difficult to navigate.” Read more.
✅ What Customers Say About Delve
“The UI is very straightforward and simple to use. Coding text is very easy and tags are automatically compiled into a list for easy access. You can navigate/sort your transcripts by code, meaning it's easy to cross-reference.” Read more.
Operating System & Accessibility
❌ What Customers Say About ATLAS.ti
“The gap between Mac and Windows is significant and creates the most issues for users. When training a hybrid course, switching back and forth is tedious and it's always a little awkward when I have to say, "sorry Mac users, this isn't as easy or isn't available..." Read more.
❌ What Customers Say About NVivo
“The biggest problem with NVivo for our team was incompatibility between NVivo versions. As a team, we used different versions of NVivo on both Windows and Mac, and it turned out that exchanging the data was not so easy.” Read more.
✅ What Customers Say About Delve
“I enjoy the ease of use and the ability to access my projects from anywhere. There is no need to download software and no need to worry about not being able to work on your project on the go.” Read more.
Remote Qualitative Research
❌ What Customers Say About ATLAS.ti
“Web version works too slowly and errors occur when encoding PDF files. There are also problems when exporting projects so that it is not even possible to continue working in the desktop version.” Read more.
❌ What Customers Say About NVivo
“It does not offer a portable version that users can use when travelling or in the field on someone else's computer. This is a drawback and restricts use to the user's computer only.” Read more.
✅ What Customers Say About Delve
“I enjoy the ease of use and the ability to access my projects from anywhere. There is no need to download software and no need to worry about not being able to work on your project on the go.” Read more.
Customer Support
❌ What Customers Say About ATLAS.ti
"Worst customer support I've ever experienced!" Read more.
❌ What Customers Say About NVivo
“I believe that it is totally unacceptable to run a company with NO access to software support.” Read more.
✅ What Customers Say About Delve
“The customer support is superb! Support from Delve was so responsive, I was extremely pleased with the level of services I received.” Read more.
“One of the things that I like most about this software is that the support team is incredibly responsive and helpful. They answer questions quickly.” Read more.
Tutorials
❌ What Customers Say About ATLAS.ti
“The YouTube videos explaining how to use Atlas.ti are TERRIBLE.” Read more.
❌ What Customers Say About NVivo
“I understand there is always learning curves to be expected when it comes to using a new tool, but I would expect more build-in example, guideline within NVivo for that.” Read more.
✅ What Customers Say About Delve
“It has very good tutorials that explain in detail how to use the product. Also, the tutorials are short so you don't have to spend lots of time to understand how the tool works. This aspect was very important for me, as I didn't had lots of time to work with the data.” Read more.
Learning Curve
❌ What Customers Say About ATLAS.ti
“This software requires specific training and a learning curve to assimilate its features and get the most out of it.” Read more.
❌ What Customers Say About NVivo
“It is not very user friendly, there are plenty of options but you need a whole course to learn to work with it.” Read more.
✅ What Customers Say About Delve
“Delve has made coding qualitative data so simple and fast. The user-friendliness makes it a must-have for any qualitative researcher.” Read more.
“Delve was very easy to use and it was quick to pick up. All of the functions I used were user-friendly and perfect for my research project.” Read more.
“There is no steep learning curve involved. You simply upload or paste your transcripts and start coding.” Read more.
Academic Pricing
❌ What Customers Say About ATLAS.ti
“Student licenses are valid for only 2 year and will expire. If you are a grad student who expends hundreds of hours on coding and analyzing your data with AtlasIT, you'll find that you are unable to continue to work on your project after you graduate unless you buy a commercial license. The expenses will add up rapidly. Student licenses should not expire and prevent users from continuing to work with their data using their purchased version of the software.” Read more.
❌ What Customers Say About NVivo
“Cons: NVivo is pricy especially for graduate students and early career researchers, if their institutions or organizations do not provide access to it.” Read more.
✅ What Customers Say About Delve
“The education pricing is so inexpensive that Delve would be highly appropriate for students just learning how to code as well as seasoned researchers. It's also flexible enough that you only pay for the time that you're using the program - in my case I used it all the time at first, then paused my membership and reopened it when I had new data and analysis to do.” Read more.
Lost Work vs. Reliability
❌ What Customers Say About ATLAS.ti
“Crashes and loses data! After reporting, the problem has not been fixed…” Read more.
❌ What Customers Say About NVivo
“I spend more time troubleshooting than coding because the software (which requires a yearly license, and prevents me from sharing data with teammates) is so buggy. Frequently crashes, losing unsaved data. The auto-save feature on mac is not reliable. NOTHING on the mac version is reliable - it should never have shipped in the current state.” Read more.
✅ What Customers Say About Delve
“Since I use the software to analyze my data directly through the website, I don't need worry about losing my progress when my computer breaks down. It happened several times during my dissertation, but the work on Delve was always perfectly saved.” Read more.
Comparing Delve to ATLAS.ti and NVivo
Take a look at how QDA tools like ATLAS.ti and NVivo stack up to Delve.
ATLAS.ti vs Delve
NVivo vs. Delve
What You Get With Delve
Intuitive Interface, Less Learning Curve
Delve users appreciate its user-friendly nature. There's no need to grasp specialized jargon or acquire new skills. Instead, it's about quickly understanding where tools are and how they interact. You can spend weeks learning other QDA software or get straight to work with Delve.
Simple Project Sharing
Collaborative research requires collaborative tools. Delve’s sharing function makes sharing your project with co-researchers and peer-reviewers easy. You can add or delete users by email and assign roles (“Can Edit” or “Can View”) in just a few clicks, making teamwork more efficient.
Can Edit: Gives full project access for adding content, coding, memos, and inviting others. Requires the user to have an active subscription.
Can View: Allows project viewing without editing rights. It's free, and users do not require a subscription to view the project.
Memos Made Easy
Analytical memos help keep your research organized and glean more nuanced research results. Delve’s memo feature lets you record brief notes about the thoughts, ideas, and questions that come to the researcher's mind during data gathering, coding, or data analysis.
Automated Intercoder Reliability Scores
Delve simplifies the coding process with automated intercoder reliability scores. You save time from manual calculations but also enhance the accuracy and consistency of your qualitative analysis. With Delve, you can trust that your coding process is efficient and reliable.
Side-By-Side Coding Comparisons
Delve coding comparisons foster collaborative coding on the same transcript, allowing users to compare coding approaches without initially seeing each other's work. You can code separately from your team and then view side-by-side comparisons of everyone’s coding decisions.
Help You Can Count On
Delve users give the highest marks for customer service. Whether by email or live chat, the responsive support team is there to help whenever you encounter questions or challenges. Timely support with fewer delays ensures that your research proceeds on schedule.
Qualitative Analysis Learning Center
Qualitative analysis can be complicated. Delve makes it easy to learn about the process. Whether you need coding tips, Delve YouTube tutorials, or introductions to qualitative research methods, Delve's Learning Center provides the information you need to tackle your research project.
Code Descriptions to Align on Codes
Delve code descriptions let you jot down thoughts directly within the code detail page. Or share them with co-researchers. When you read them, they're within the context of all the quotes that led to it, tracing notes back to the moment in research that inspired you to write it down.
No-charge Account Pause
Delve recognizes the financial constraints faced by students. That's why it offers a budget-friendly policy, allowing you to pause or cancel your account as needed. This flexibility aligns with the realities of student life, providing peace of mind as you manage your expenses.
Made for Remote Research and Collaboration
Remote research is becoming the norm. Having research tools that facilitate this mode of work is essential. With Delve, you aren’t tethered to a single location. The web-based software meets the demands of modern research practices with features that enhance remote collaboration.
Operates the Same On All Operating Systems
Unlike NVivo and ATLAS.ti, Delve offers uniform performance across all operating systems. You can seamlessly transition between devices without worrying about compatibility issues. Whether using Windows, macOS, or Linux, Delve ensures you can work from anywhere.
Final Decision: Delve
The people have spoken: Delve is ideal for researchers who want “a coding program without the nonsense!” As more and more researchers look for alternatives to ATLAS.ti, NVivo, or other QDA software, Delve is where many are finding a happy home.
Accelerated Research Workflow – Powered by Delve
Watch this two-minute demo to see how easy it is to streamline your qualitative analysis with Delve. When you’re ready to get started, check out Delve’s 14-day free trial. Get started today.