The answer in two sentences. If you want the lowest price, a visual way of working, Linux or Windows support, or no AI at all, Quirkos is the better pick. If you want transcription from your recordings and optional AI assistance inside one app that runs on your Mac, Liminon is the closer match. Facts below were read on 2026-10-16.
Side by side
| Liminon | Quirkos | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | One-time: $129 early-bird, $179 standard, $79 student; free during the beta (pricing) | Offline licence $69 lifetime (one or two computers); Cloud $5 per month on a 1-year subscription; 14-day Cloud trial |
| AI | On your Mac, through an optional local model in Ollama; suggestions stay pending until you accept them | No AI analysis; says customer data is not used for AI training |
| Platforms | macOS 14+, Apple Silicon only | Quirkos 3 on Windows, Mac, Linux; Cloud web app in a browser |
| Transcription | On-device speaker-separated transcription; the first run downloads the models once | Separate Transcribe service with 100 free minutes; processing location not stated |
| Team work | One person per project folder (.qproj); share by handing over the folder or exports | Cloud: unlimited simultaneous users at no extra cost |
| Importing another tool's project | Not yet (REFI-QDA on the roadmap) | NVivo, MAXQDA and ATLAS.ti projects, plus PDF, Word and spreadsheets |
| Your data offline | Yes, after the one-time model download | Offline licence: the page says no data leaves your computer |
| Outputs | Transcripts, codebook, Excel matrices, Word quotation table, Word/PDF methods report, one-click research package | Not verified in detail; visual theme views and word clouds |
What Quirkos does well
- Price. Its page shows a $69 lifetime offline licence for one or two computers, and a Cloud plan at $5 a month on a one-year subscription. That is lower than Liminon's $179 standard price, and the offline licence is a one-time purchase just as Liminon's is.
- Platforms. Quirkos 3 runs on Windows, Mac and Linux; the Cloud web app works in a browser and on tablets and phones.
- Import breadth. It lists import from PDFs, Word and spreadsheets, and from NVivo, MAXQDA and ATLAS.ti projects, which Liminon cannot do yet.
- Collaboration. The Cloud plan allows unlimited simultaneous users at no extra cost.
- Visual analysis. Word clouds, overlap and correlation views and theme hierarchies.
- A clear stance on AI. The page says Quirkos does not offer “unreliable AI” analysis and does not use customer data for AI training. For researchers who would rather not touch AI coding, that is a feature.
Price over three years
For one person over 36 months: Quirkos Cloud at $5 a month is $180, the offline licence is $69 once, and Liminon is $179 once at the standard price ($129 early-bird, $79 student). Quirkos is cheaper or about the same on every line, so the choice should rest on features, not cost. Quirkos also lists discounts for students, academics, non-profits and the public sector and a 25% discount for the global majority world; amounts for those categories are not shown on the page.
When to choose Quirkos
- You need Windows or Linux, or a browser version, or want collaborators in the same project without per-seat fees.
- You are bringing in an existing NVivo, MAXQDA or ATLAS.ti project.
- Your budget is tight, or you prefer to code by hand with no AI in the loop.
When Liminon is the better fit
- You start from audio or video. Liminon transcribes and separates speakers on your Mac, in the same project where you code. Quirkos sells a separate Transcribe service (100 free minutes); where that processing happens is not stated on its page.
- You want AI help that stays local. Liminon's optional code suggestions and theme discovery use a small local model through Ollama; each suggestion stays pending until you accept it and your decisions are written to an audit trail.
- You need research outputs. Excel matrices (code by recording, code by speaker), a Word quotation table and a Word/PDF methods report that includes the audit trail.
What you give up by switching
Windows and Linux, a browser version, the lowest price and import of other tools' projects. Liminon is Apple Silicon only and single-user.
Moving over
If you have only transcripts, the move is easy: create a Liminon project and bring in the recordings or text, then rebuild the codebook. If you have a coded Quirkos project, finish it there, since neither tool can read the other's project today. The twelve-tool comparison covers other options.
Sources
- quirkos.com (home page: pricing, platforms, privacy statements), read 2026-10-16.
FAQ
Is Quirkos cheaper than Liminon?
Yes on listed prices: $69 for the offline licence or $5 a month for Cloud on an annual plan, against Liminon's $179 standard, $129 early-bird or $79 student price.
Does Quirkos use AI?
Its page says it does not offer unreliable AI analysis and does not use customer data for AI training. It does offer an automated transcription service.
Does Liminon work on Windows or Linux like Quirkos?
No. Liminon runs on Apple Silicon Macs with macOS 14 or later.
Can Liminon import a Quirkos project?
No. Liminon does not import other tools' projects yet; REFI-QDA import is on the roadmap.
Try Liminon free during the beta
Transcribe, code, and analyze interviews on your Mac.
macOS 14+ · Apple Silicon (M1 or later) · Free during beta