No. 2 of 33 ·Video Annotation Software

BORIS

Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · Self-hosted

Freedom report

Three barsScore 6.6

Free tierA free tier is on its own pricing page
Open codeNo open-source code on record
Runs widely4 of 6 device platforms
DocumentedPlans, terms and facts published

BORIS is ranked #2 of 33 in video annotation software on Freedom251. It runs on Android, Linux, macOS, Self-hosted, Windows. There is a free plan.

BORIS plans and pricing

All plans

BORIS Free Free and open-source software · distributed under GNU GPL v.3 boris.unito.it · 29 Sept 2026

Compared on video annotation software

Free plan: Yes
Frame-accurate marking: Yes
Drawing annotations: Yes
Custom labels or fields: Yes
Dataset export: Yes

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The record

Purpose: BORIS is event-logging software for video and audio coding and live observations.
Video and audio coding: It supports playback speeds from 0.1× to 100×, synchronous playback of up to eight media files, and frame-by-frame navigation.
Live observations: Live event logging is available in the desktop program and in the Android app.
Coding structure: Users can define unlimited behaviors, subjects, modifiers, and independent variables; behaviors can be state events or point events.
Analysis: Features include Cohen’s Kappa inter-rater reliability, transition matrices, flow diagrams, time-budget analysis, and graphical representation of coded data.
Exports: Coded events can be exported as TSV, CSV, HTML, ODS, XLSX, XLS, Pandas and R dataframes, SQL, SDIS, Praat TextGrid, behavioral strings, and JWatcher formats.
Interoperability: BORIS supports importing JWatcher Global Definition Files and Noldus The Observer XT OTX/OTB templates.
Platforms: The download page lists GNU/Linux, Windows, macOS, Raspberry Pi 4, Chromebook, VirtualBox, Docker, and Linux Python Package Index installation options.
Android app: The Android app is designed for live observations, and its current version is 0.13, marked as beta for testing only.
Security and integrity: The download page says all files are signed with GPG and provides a PGP public key for integrity verification.
Data handling: BORIS uses JSON, described as an open format for storing data to support further analysis.
Support: The site provides a user guide, video tutorials and workshops, an FAQ, a user forum, and channels for bug reports and feature requests.
Limitations: The project warns that backward compatibility of BORIS project files is not guaranteed and recommends regularly backing up project files.
Audience: The site describes BORIS as software for video/audio coding and live observations and asks users to cite it when disseminating results in publications.
Price from: Free

Where it ranks on Freedom251

Best Video Annotation Software in 2026#2 of 33

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Sources

boris.unito.it· checked 29 Sept 2026
boris.unito.it/features/· checked 29 Sept 2026
boris.unito.it/download/· checked 29 Sept 2026
boris.unito.it/download_android/· checked 29 Sept 2026
boris.unito.it/documentation/· checked 29 Sept 2026