FieldNotes vs ATLAS.ti

An independent alternative
to ATLAS.ti.

FieldNotes applies your codebook to new transcripts automatically — deductive coding, browser-based, GDPR-first, and built by a small independent team, not a larger acquisition portfolio. ATLAS.ti was acquired by Lumivero (the company behind NVivo) in September 2024 — if that's part of why you're looking around, here's how FieldNotes compares.

FieldNotes vs ATLAS.ti

Same job — coding transcripts — built on a different premise.

Feature FieldNotes ATLAS.ti
Ownership Independent (Unpinned B.V.) Lumivero (also owns NVivo)
Pricing (individual) From €9.99/month ~€400–500/year
Browser-based (no install)
Coding direction Deductive — applies your codebook Inductive — generates codes from material
Human-in-the-loop review
Saturation tracking
GDPR-compliant, cookieless analytics Varies
Citable methods snippet

ATLAS.ti doesn't publish exact prices publicly — figures above are commonly cited ranges for individual commercial licenses; check atlasti.com for current pricing.

What independence actually buys you

One roadmap, not a portfolio

FieldNotes is built by a small independent team focused on one thing — deductive transcript coding — not managed as one line item in a larger corporate acquisition portfolio.

Deductive coding, by design

You define the codebook. FieldNotes applies it consistently across every new transcript — the workflow theory-driven researchers actually need, not a retrofit onto inductive tooling.

GDPR-first, provably

Cookieless analytics (Plausible, not Google Analytics), EU hosting, and a Dutch legal entity — privacy as a structural choice, not a checkbox.

Try FieldNotes free for 7 days

Card required, no charge until the trial ends. Cancel any time.

See pricing

Common questions

ATLAS.ti's AI generates codes from your material (inductive). FieldNotes applies codes you define to new material (deductive) — you build the codebook, and the AI proposes matches consistently across every transcript. FieldNotes is also browser-based, starts at €9.99/month, and remains an independently owned Dutch company.
Yes. FieldNotes is developed and hosted by Unpinned B.V., a Dutch company operating fully within EU jurisdiction, and uses cookieless, GDPR-compliant analytics (Plausible) instead of tools like Google Analytics. A Data Processing Agreement (DPA) is available for institutional users on request.
No. Lumivero, the company behind NVivo, acquired ATLAS.ti in September 2024. The two largest QDA tools on the market are now owned by the same parent company, having previously competed as separate, independent products.
No — Lumivero has said it intends to keep developing ATLAS.ti, and a new CEO took over in February 2025. The relevant question isn't discontinuation, it's reduced independent choice: two tools that used to compete now share one owner.