An honest side-by-side. These two tools differ on one axis more than any other, and everything else follows from it: Dedoose runs in the browser and stores your project on its servers, and Quala runs on your Mac and keeps everything local. That single choice determines who each one suits.
| Quala | Dedoose | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | A native Mac app | In the browser, on any platform |
| Where data lives | On your Mac, in local project files | On Dedoose servers, which is what enables collaboration |
| IRB implications | No third-party data transfer to describe for analysis | Requires the usual cloud storage and processing wording |
| Offline use | Fully offline | Requires a connection |
| Team coding | No; single researcher | A core strength, with multiple coders in one project |
| Inter-rater reliability | No | Yes, with built-in agreement testing |
| Transcription | Built in, on device, no per-minute fees | Not the focus; transcripts are usually imported |
| Mixed methods | Hands the coded strand to MM Studio, where integration is the foundation | Qualitative and quantitative descriptors in one place, with charting |
| AI | ReliCheck Intelligence suggests from your own codebook and never applies a code without you | Assistive features vary by plan |
| Cost model | Individual Mac app; see pricing | Low monthly per user, with student rates; among the cheapest in the category |
| Longevity of your files | Local files you keep regardless of subscription | Export before a subscription lapses |
If you code with other people, this is not a close call. Dedoose is built for collaborative coding with agreement statistics, and Quala does not do that at all. It is also inexpensive and runs anywhere with a browser, which solves real problems for teams spread across institutions and operating systems.
Quala's case is the opposite situation. One researcher, interviews that are sensitive enough that uploading them means a longer conversation with an ethics board, and a preference for files that stay on the machine. On-device transcription is the part that matters most there, because it is usually the audio, not the transcript, that makes a protocol complicated.
Neither tool is trying to be the other. Pick based on whether your project has one coder or several, and on whether your data can live on someone else's server.