Can I open-source Aurelius?
KINDA · partial or early alternativesKinda. CATMA and QualCoder cover the core of Aurelius, but they're early or partial — expect gaps like research-specific tagging, collaboration, reporting, and import workflows and large participant panel.
People still pay for Aurelius because people pay either for access to participants or for a research repository that keeps evidence usable across an organization. The recurring cost buys recruitment, consent, scheduling, media storage, transcription, tagging consistency, notifications, search, and retention, not just the visible interface.
xresearch-specific tagging, collaboration, reporting, and import workflows
xlarge participant panel
xrecording and transcription infrastructure
xadvanced research repository
xenterprise governance
These projects already replace it, free.
QQualCoderSerious interview coding, memos and theme reports on your desktop, with serious desktop-software vibes.open source↗CCATMACollaborative text coding in a browser, built by academics and uninterested in your sales funnel.open source↗TTaguetteCode interview excerpts and export themes without recreating an enterprise research repository.open source↗all 4 open-source alternatives to Aurelius →· no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
Aurelius pricing
| plan | monthly | annual (per mo) | what you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| professional | — | $49/workspace | Unlimited users, projects, notes, insights, documents and storage. |
| premium | — | $199/workspace | Unlimited users, projects, notes, insights, documents and storage plus advanced capabilities. |
| enterprise | custom | — | Custom security, service and procurement terms. |
free tierno free tier
billingAnnual prices are public; a monthly toggle exists, but exact month-to-month rates were not exposed in the checked page output. A 30-day trial is offered.
verified 2026-08-12 · source ↗
Can I open-source Aurelius?
Kinda. QualCoder covers the core of Aurelius, but there are real gaps: research-specific tagging, collaboration, reporting, and import workflows, large participant panel. Read the honest list above before committing.
How much does Aurelius cost?
Aurelius costs about $49/month (Pro, checked 2026-07-31), which is $588 per year.
What do I lose by replacing Aurelius?
Honestly: research-specific tagging, collaboration, reporting, and import workflows; large participant panel; recording and transcription infrastructure; advanced research repository; enterprise governance. If any of those are load-bearing for you, keep paying.
Is there an open-source alternative to Aurelius?
Yes: QualCoder (Serious interview coding, memos and theme reports on your desktop, with serious desktop-software vibes.) CATMA (Collaborative text coding in a browser, built by academics and uninterested in your sales funnel.) Taguette (Code interview excerpts and export themes without recreating an enterprise research repository.) All 4 curated open-source alternatives are at caniopensourceit.online/aurelius/alternatives.