shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use Quirkos?

Quirkos makes qualitative data analysis software that's simple to learn and use, and affordable. - quirkos.com

Worth it. Buy if you're a student, academic, or small team coding modest text datasets on a budget. Skip it if you need advanced automation, AI-assisted coding, or documented enterprise security.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 10 public sources; mostly the vendor site and academic citations — little independent review data.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support quality
  • Security posture

Pricing

Not published in sources

Quirkos Cloud

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierNo
Quirkos Web + Desktop (Quirkos 2)Not published in sources

Best for

  • Students and PhD researchers
  • Small qualitative research teams
  • Nonprofits and public sector
  • First-time qualitative coders

Not for

  • Large mixed-methods teams needing advanced automation — use NVivo or MAXQDA
  • Buyers wanting AI-assisted coding — Quirkos refuses AI by design
  • Orgs requiring vendor security audits — no security page published
  • Teams analyzing big datasets — built for small qualitative sets

Gotchas - check before you buy

medium

Minimum 3-month subscription — no monthly-only commitment

medium

No dollar prices shown in sources; must register to learn cost

medium

No security page — take privacy and hosting claims on trust

low

Discount pricing may require eligibility proof; ask before committing

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Marketed as roughly half the price of rival QDA software
  • Discounts for students, academics, nonprofits, public sector, global majority
  • Unlimited simultaneous collaborators at no extra cost on cloud
  • Imports and exports NVivo, MAXQDA, projects — easy migration
  • No data sharing and no AI training on your data

Cons

  • Explicitly no AI analysis features, by design
  • Deliberately minimal toolset aimed at small datasets
  • No security page found on vendor site
  • Prices not published in reviewed sources; 3-month minimum lock-in
  • Few independent reviews found; evidence mostly vendor claims

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/21/2026 - 6 sources - No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

official x2review x2security x1news x1

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • Not published in sources

    Starting price

  • 6

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Half-price claim plus deep sector discounts
  • Ease of use: 5/5. Entire product built around simple learning curve
  • Feature depth: 2/5. Essential tools only, no AI analysis
  • Support quality: 4/5. Live chat claimed on cloud plans
  • Security posture: 2/5. No security page; privacy pledges only
  • ~50% Price vs rivals Vendor claims half the price of alternative QDA tools
  • Yes Free trial No free tier; 3-month minimum subscription
  • 3 months Minimum commitment Prices quoted as 1-year subscriptions
  • 25% Global majority discount Plus student, academic, nonprofit discounts

Pricing

Quirkos Cloud

Not published in sources

  • Browser plus tablet and phone access
  • Real-time collaboration, unlimited users
  • 3-month minimum; 1-year pricing quoted

Quirkos Web + Desktop (Quirkos 2)

Not published in sources

  • Browser-based, no download
  • Legacy desktop version included

Security

No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

What users say

Independent review evidence is thin; available testimonials praise ease of use and data visualisation.

“I thoroughly enjoyed using your software to analyze my data. I've enjoyed it so much that I sing your praises at my university.”
Vendor-site testimonial, quirkos.com
“Quirkos is the best tool for qualitative research - it really helps with visualising the data and identifying patterns within multiple datasets!”
Vendor-site testimonial, quirkos.com
Full analysis

Based on 10 public sources; mostly the vendor site and academic citations — little independent review data.

Simple, cheap QDA tool for students and small research teams; too minimal for big projects, zero AI features.

Methodology

Based on 10 public sources; mostly the vendor site and academic citations — little independent review data.

Sources

  1. Quirkos homepagequirkos.com
    official
  2. Quirkos index page (cloud, pricing, collaboration)quirkos.com
    official
  3. Quirkos security page (not found)quirkos.com
    security
  4. Trustlist UK directory listingtrustlist.uk
    review
  5. Article mentioning Quirkos and Delve as easy-to-learn QDA toolsskimle.com
    review
  6. Peer-reviewed COVID-19 qualitative study citing Quirkospmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
    news

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