The answer in two sentences. Choose MAXQDA if you need mixed methods, a statistics module, shared team projects or the same app on Windows and macOS. Choose Liminon if you work alone on a Mac, your interview recordings must not leave it, and you would rather pay once than renew a subscription. Facts below were read on 2026-10-16.
Side by side
| Liminon | MAXQDA | |
|---|---|---|
| License model | One-time: $129 early-bird, $179 standard, $79 student; free during the beta (pricing) | Annual, 3-year and 5-year terms by customer type (academia, non-profit, business, students); student licences of 6 or 12 months. Amounts not verified |
| AI add-on | On your Mac, through an optional local model in Ollama; suggestions stay pending until you accept them | AI Assist: a free level for single prompts and a Premium subscription; the add-on can only be purchased by subscription |
| Where the AI runs | On your Mac; nothing uploaded | Cloud on EU-based servers by default; Premium can use a model on your computer or server |
| Platforms | macOS 14+, Apple Silicon only | Desktop for Windows and macOS; vendor claims identical features on both |
| Transcription | On-device speaker-separated transcription; the first run downloads the models once | Separate packages (2 to 20 hours), 60 free minutes, over 50 languages |
| Team work | One person per project folder (.qproj); share by handing over the folder or exports | Shared team projects; TeamCloud add-on; free read-only Reader |
| Importing another tool's project | Not yet (REFI-QDA on the roadmap) | REFI-QDA import and export |
| Free trial | Free during the beta, no account | 14-day free trial per its comparison page |
What MAXQDA does well
- Mixed methods. Its comparison page calls it the only true mixed-methods software, with a built-in statistics module. That is a vendor claim we have not tested, but the feature set is real and Liminon has nothing equivalent.
- One interface on both systems. The page claims fully identical features and layout on Windows and macOS, which matters if your co-author is on the other platform.
- Sharing without a license. MAXQDA Reader is free and read-only, so a committee member can open your project without buying anything.
- Transcription as a purchasable service. Packages of 2, 5, 10 or 20 hours, with 60 free minutes for first use and over 50 languages listed.
- Exchange format. It supports REFI-QDA project import and export, and tells you to review an imported project after the transfer.
When to choose MAXQDA
- Your department already holds a campus license and your supervisor reviews work in MAXQDA.
- You code in teams and need shared projects or intercoder agreement features.
- You work on Windows, or need to hand a project to someone who does.
- You need to combine coded text with survey statistics in one project.
When Liminon is the better fit
- The protocol keeps recordings on one machine. Liminon transcribes, separates speakers and runs its optional AI on your Mac. The only network use is the one-time model download and the update check you start. MAXQDA's AI Assist uses cloud processing on EU-based servers by default, and its Premium tier can use a model on your own computer or server; that is a paid subscription tier we have not tested.
- You want a price that does not renew. MAXQDA's pricing page sells annual, 3-year and 5-year terms, and AI Assist can only be bought by subscription. Liminon is $179 once ($129 early-bird, $79 student) with updates through v1.x.
- You want the audit trail as a by-product. Every AI suggestion stays pending until you accept it, and each accept, reject and edit is recorded and exported in a methods report.
What you give up by switching
You lose mixed-methods tools, Windows, team projects and the free Reader. Liminon cannot import a MAXQDA project: REFI-QDA import is on our roadmap and is not in this build. English-language interviews work best, while MAXQDA lists a 12-language interface and multilingual lexical search.
Moving over
Export your transcripts and codebook from MAXQDA, then import the audio or video into a new Liminon project and re-transcribe it, or paste the transcripts in. Codes and coded segments will not carry across, so this suits a new study better than a half-finished one. If you are mid-project and your license is current, finish in MAXQDA.
Questions to ask MAXQDA before you buy
We could not read amounts on the pricing page, so we do not quote any. Ask for the price for your customer type and term, whether AI Assist Premium is needed for the local-model option, and what the transcription hours cost beyond the free 60 minutes. Our comparison of twelve tools and the longer three-way comparison show the same questions for NVivo and ATLAS.ti.
Sources
- maxqda.com/pricing (read 2026-10-16): customer types, terms, add-ons, transcription packages, free trial link.
- maxqda.com/nvivo-alternative (read 2026-10-16): MAXQDA's own comparison, so its claims about NVivo are the vendor's.
- What is AI Assist? (read 2026-10-13).
FAQ
Is Liminon a MAXQDA replacement?
For one researcher analyzing interviews on a Mac, it can be. It does not replace MAXQDA's mixed-methods tools, Windows support or team projects, and it cannot import a MAXQDA project yet.
Does MAXQDA send my data to the cloud?
Its AI Assist uses cloud processing on EU-based servers by default. The Premium tier can instead use a model on your own computer or your organization's server. Check the current AI Assist help page before you rely on either.
Is Liminon cheaper than MAXQDA?
We cannot compare amounts, because MAXQDA's pricing page did not show them when we read it. The difference we can state is structural: MAXQDA sells subscription and fixed-term licences, Liminon is a one-time purchase.
Can I open my MAXQDA project in Liminon?
Not yet. MAXQDA exports REFI-QDA, but Liminon's REFI-QDA import is still on the roadmap. For now you re-create the project from your recordings or transcripts.
Try Liminon free during the beta
Transcribe, code, and analyze interviews on your Mac.
macOS 14+ · Apple Silicon (M1 or later) · Free during beta