NVivo vs. Quirkos vs. Delve: Comparing QDA Software
Qualitative data analysis (QDA) software helps us organize, code, and analyze non-numerical data like interviews and surveys. Also called computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS), these tools help uncover patterns and themes and support collaborative research, especially for remote teams.
Choosing the best QDA software for your project is challenging because it’s often not a one-size-fits-all decision. Budgetary constraints, research methodology, collaboration needs, the type of data you work with, and even your learning style all influence the best fit for your project.
In this article, we will compare three popular QDA tools: NVivo, Quirkos, and Delve. We will explore their features, strengths, and weaknesses to help you choose the best software for your research needs.
TL;DR Version: Nvivo vs. Quirkos vs. Delve
You can use this article to help you select the right QDA tool for your project. Before we dive into the deeper comparisons, here’s a quick summary of how this trio stacks up:
NVivo is the oldest and most widely used QDA tool. It handles huge datasets and supports a wide range of data types, including text, audio, and video. However, its complexity and price point can be a drawback for students working on simpler projects.
Quirkos is fairly easy to use but may not be suitable for complex analyses or analyzing big datasets. Its hyper-visual design may not suit those who prefer text-based options.
Delve offers a middle ground with versatile features that support many research methodologies, as well as collaborative qualitative analysis, without being overwhelming to users. It also includes features like data visualization, AI integrations, and more.
What Users Say About These QDA Tools
Comparing Quirkos vs. NVivo vs. Delve
Now, let's compare these three qualitative software options more closely. While these QDA tools share core functions and similar use cases, they differ significantly in their user interfaces, features, pricing, operating system compatibility, and collaborative capabilities.
Quirkos Overview
Quirkos is a QDA coding software targeted towards beginners. Though not widely used, it boasts a fairly user-friendly interface that works on almost any OS and visually represents data for easy exploration. This makes it a good option for student researchers or those starting qualitative projects with smaller datasets.
As its name suggests, Quirkos's interface is quite quirky. The highly visual interface uses unusual color and font choices, which might not appeal to everyone. The coding process involves a lot of dragging and dropping, which some users may find cumbersome or confusing.
Users with complex coding needs or large datasets also report limited functionality. The free and basic versions lack cloud storage, hindering collaboration and accessibility. While paid subscriptions offer some teamwork features, they might not be as powerful as those of competitors.
Overall, Quirkos is a good starting point for beginners or those with manageable projects. However, its limitations become more apparent if you are doing complex research or working with a team.
Best For
Quirkos heavily relies on visuals for data exploration, which can be great for beginners but might not suit all learning styles. While ideal for smaller projects, its functionality may be limited for complex research, research with larger teams, or working with large datasets.
Licensing Model
Desktop version
Cloud-based web application
Works on Mac, Windows & Linux
Price
Web app: $23 / month | $8 / month (with student discount)
Desktop: Lifetime subscription (1 computer) $490 / lifetime | $69 / lifetime (student discount)
NVivo Overview
NVivo is a QDA coding software known for handling large amounts of data and supporting various file formats, including text, audio, and video. It is widely used for qualitative and mixed-method research, and it is often used by students who are able to access the software through their supporting institution.
Ideal for experienced researchers with a substantial budget, NVivo is often criticized for being cumbersome, complex, and time-consuming. It is the most widely used and also the most widely chagrined option on this list. Many users find it challenging to navigate, especially first-time researchers who are often looking for more user-friendly coding software.
A common complaint is NVivo's lack of collaboration-friendly features. As a desktop application, it also struggles with Mac/PC compatibility. While a web-based collaboration add-on exists, it is costly and prone to file corruption, leading to lost work and research setbacks.
Best For
NVivo is perfect for academics and research professionals because of its ample funding and large datasets. It excels in individual research but is less suited for collaborative work.
Licensing Model
Desktop (device-specific)
License is specific to the operating system
NVivo Cloud Collaboration (web-based add-on to desktop version)
Price
$1195+/year
Delve Overview
Delve is a user-friendly QDA software designed with students in mind. It offers ease of use, collaboration capabilities, and affordability without sparing performance. It is an excellent choice if you are new to qualitative data analysis, particularly if you plan to work with others or seek a budget-friendly solution.
Delve offers data visualization tools like co-occurrence matrices and continuously updates the platform based on user feedback. The integration of AI (+1) elevates its capabilities even further, making it easier for users to uncover patterns and insights without needing overly complex tools. Another popular feature is automated intercoder reliability scores.
The platform's web-based functionality supports seamless collaboration, letting you work effortlessly with a team without requiring an offline desktop version or a specific OS. This makes Delve a convenient and accessible option for those seeking a straightforward, AI-enhanced, collaborative QDA solution.
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)
Works on any operating system
Price
$50/month or $432/year (with annual discount)
$18 / month or $200 / year (with academic discount)
Table: Comparing Quirkos vs. NVivo vs. Delve
This table summarizes how these CAQDAS software stack up:
| Feature | Quirkos | NVivo | Delve |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal Pricing | $23/month, $490/lifetime (desktop, offline only) | $1195+/year | $432/year (annual discount) |
| Education Pricing | $8/month (student discount) | $1,019+/year (desktop only) | $18/month or $200/year (academic discount) |
| Upgrades | Desktop version requires cloud upgrade | $1,519+/year (desktop + web) | No upgrade required |
| Licensing | Desktop and web-based | Desktop, web-based add-on | Web-based |
| Best For | Beginners, small projects | Solo researchers, large datasets | New researchers, group projects, remote work |
| Operating System | Mac, Windows, Linux | Specific to OS | Any OS |
| Collaboration | Limited in free version | Costly add-on, prone to issues | Seamless, built-in |
| AI Integration | No | Yes | Yes |
| Co-occurrence Matrices | No | Yes | Yes |
| Intercoder Reliability Scores | No | Yes | Yes |
User Reviews: Quirkos vs. NVivo vs. Delve
Now, let’s take a deeper look at what Quirkos, NVivo, and Delve users say about these platforms. To simplify the comparison, we have organized these QDA tools based on the key factors most researchers consider when choosing the right software.
User Interface
❌ What Customers Say About Quirkos
“Quirkos suffers from a lack of robust design that reduces its stability and made it essentially useless to me.” 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 Quirkos
“I had to change the colour of the source text to white sometimes when pasting in - this could be a Mac problem, because I didn't experience this problem using a PC. I had some issues using the drag feature, again I think this is a Mac problem." 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.
Customer Support
❌ What Customers Say About Quirkos
"If you forget your password, it’s a nightmare to resolve. Hope they fix this!" 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 Quirkos
“I didn't get to try out every single feature, but I do think I needed a more thorough introduction to be able to smoothly get around, even thought I watched the video and went through the little arrows. I need more than a quick start. I had a few problems with how to do certain things, and unfortunately didn't figure out how to do them before the trial ended.” 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 Quirkos
“I had some difficulty combining data points (quirks) and then separating them if I needed to, but this got easier as I kept going.” 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.
Lost Work vs. Reliability
❌ What Customers Say About Quirkos
“The software was at time a little slow to load all the data but I had a lot and the design is a little outdated.” 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.
What You Get With Delve
If you want QDA software that’s easy to use, cost-effective, and made for remote research, Delve might be right for your project. Here are nine reasons why researchers love it:
1. Intuitive Interface, Less Learning Curve
Delve’s design is user-friendly, so you can start working quickly without needing to learn specialized jargon or skills. Unlike other QDA tools that take weeks to master, Delve is straightforward and accessible.
2. Simple Project Sharing
Delve’s web-based platform supports seamless collaboration from any location as remote research becomes more common. Sharing your projects with co-researchers or peer reviewers is a key element of successful collaborative research. Delve lets you add or remove users by email and assign roles ("Can Edit" or "Can View") with just a few clicks.
3. AI Chat Assistant
Delve’s AI Chat Assistant [BETA] is like having a research assistant on hand. It helps you brainstorm, generate ideas for new codes and sub-codes, find quotes for your report, and write code descriptions. While it can't automate your research entirely, it offers valuable suggestions to enhance your analysis.
See the AI tool in action. Watch Intro to Qualitative Coding Using AI.
4. Automated Intercoder Reliability Scores
Delve simplifies the coding process with automated intercoder reliability scores. This feature saves you time and enhances the accuracy and consistency of your work.
5. Side-By-Side Coding Comparisons
Delve’s coding comparison feature allows you to independently code the same transcript and then compare your coding decisions side-by-side, fostering collaborative analysis.
6. High-Touch Customer Support
Delve’s customer service is highly rated. Whether you reach out by email or live chat, their support team is responsive and ready to help, ensuring your research stays on track.
7. Qualitative Analysis Learning Center
Delve makes it easy to learn about qualitative analysis. The Learning Center offers coding tips, tutorials, and introductions to qualitative research methods, providing all the resources you need. The Delve YouTube channel offers similarly practical insights.
8. Operating System Agnostic
Whether you use Windows, macOS, or Linux, Delve ensures consistent performance across all systems. You can switch devices without any compatibility issues and keep your work flowing smoothly. Unlimited sign-ons for unlimited devices.
9. Flexible Account Management
Delve understands the financial constraints faced by many students, researchers, and academics. That’s why we offer a budget-friendly policy that allows you to pause or cancel your subscription as needed. And it’s easy to do by design!
Final Decision: Delve
As more researchers switch to Delve, it's becoming the go-to choice for anyone seeking a straightforward, powerful QDA tool that’s easy to use. Its user-friendly interface and robust features make it a preferred alternative to other software options
Compare Other QDA Software Options
Streamline Your Research with Delve
Watch a quick demo to see how Delve can simplify your qualitative analysis. Start your journey with Delve’s 14-day free trial and experience the difference today. Get started today.