CATMA

CATMA is a computer-assisted text markup and analysis application for researchers working with texts. It suits literary and other qualitative studies that need flexible annotation and interpretation, alone or in a team.

Its combination of overlapping annotations, visual analysis and export options is useful for close reading, but its limited fit for large-scale text mining and hosted-data security caveat matter when choosing it.

Overview

CATMA supports qualitative and quantitative workflows, whether exploratory or organized around a taxonomy. Users can upload corpora, build tagsets, share projects and annotate overlapping passages. This flexibility fits interpretive work where categories may evolve or a passage may merit more than one label. It is not designed for massive-scale quantitative or statistical text mining, so computational projects at that scale should look elsewhere.

Key features

Annotation and analysis

The Analyze module presents interactive visualizations, including word clouds, distribution graphs and Double Tree. These views can help researchers examine patterns in annotated text alongside interpretation. Exports in text, TEI-XML and CSV support reuse, while Git, the GitMA Python package and the JSON API provide other ways to access project data.

Collaboration and deployment

Shared projects support team work in the hosted application. CATMA Standalone can run on a local machine or private network, including in environments without internet access. That makes it the stronger option for offline settings, but Standalone defaults to single-user use; registration, email invitations and Google login require extra configuration or may be unavailable. It is not a turnkey substitute for hosted team collaboration.

Hosted data and security

The hosted service stores data in Germany, with off-site backups in Germany or another EU member state and automatic backups at least daily. CATMA says data on its own servers is not encrypted at rest, although off-site backups are encrypted, and advises against uploading sensitive material. Researchers handling sensitive data should favor a deployment they can control or choose another tool.

Pricing

CATMA costs nothing. The free plan has no listed project or collaboration count limit, and CATMA offers no free trial because the plan is free to use. It is a straightforward fit for individual researchers and teams who can work within the tool's text-research focus. Its key trade-off is not a quota but scope: it is not built for massive quantitative or statistical text mining.

Platforms

CATMA runs as a web application in common browsers on macOS, Windows and Linux, and requires a stable internet connection. Annotation with touch devices is not supported. Standalone offers local-machine or private-network deployment, including offline environments. The supported platform list also includes API access and self-hosting.

Who it's for

CATMA is best suited to researchers conducting qualitative text studies, particularly literary research, who want to combine flexible markup with interpretation and visual exploration. Its annotation and export options also suit projects that need to reuse their data through Git, Python or an API. It is a poor fit for massive-scale statistical text mining, touch-first annotation or hosted projects containing sensitive data.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Overlapping annotations and flexible workflows support interpretive projects where tags and categories need room to develop.
• Pro: Interactive visualizations, three export formats and programmatic data access support analysis and reuse beyond annotation.
• Pro: Standalone can run locally or on a private network where internet access is unavailable.
• Con: Standalone defaults to single-user operation, and some account and invitation features need configuration or are unavailable.
• Con: CATMA advises against uploading sensitive data because hosted server data is not encrypted at rest.
• Con: Its stated focus excludes massive-scale quantitative and statistical text mining, and touch annotation is unsupported.

Alternatives

Choose spaCy instead if you want a free tool for Linux, macOS, Windows or self-hosted use; its maker specializes in developer tools and services for AI and natural language processing.

Taguette is another free option, with use on a computer, on a server you install, or on its hosted server. Consider it if those deployment choices better match your workflow.

Voyant Tools offers a free, open-source text analysis environment as a hosted web app or downloadable local server, making it an alternative for readers seeking that combination.

KH Coder has a free Windows Starting Edition with limited analysis data and features and an older beta version, as well as a paid Mac edition. Consider it if those editions and platform options fit your needs.

MAXQDA is a paid option with a free trial, for readers who prefer to evaluate a paid product before choosing it.

QualCoder is free qualitative data analysis software for Linux, macOS and Windows; its optional AI features may require a separate provider account or paid usage.

Transana is a paid alternative with a free trial; its demo has tight data limits and is not intended for real analysis.

Dovetail offers a free plan with one channel, one project, basic chat and AI summaries, which may suit readers looking for those specific limits and features.

Browse more options in Text Analytics Software.

Verdict

Choose CATMA for qualitative text research, especially literary study, when flexible markup, collaborative projects and several ways to analyze or export data are priorities. Look elsewhere for massive-scale statistical mining, touch-based annotation or hosted storage of sensitive material; the unencrypted-at-rest hosted data is its clearest qualification.