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NVivo AI Cloud vs NVivo Desktop vs Evidano: what changes in 2027

Evidano6 min read

Lumivero launched NVivo AI Cloud at the end of September 2026, and individual researchers and students could buy it from 6 October (Lumivero). It sits beside NVivo Desktop, the installed, licence-based version of NVivo. Lumivero’s product page says access for teams and organisations is “arriving early 2027”, so an institution can’t yet buy AI Cloud for a group. This post sets out how the two NVivo products differ, what each costs on Lumivero’s shop as of 14 November 2026, and how Evidano compares. It is written by Evidano and cites Lumivero’s own pages, dated at the end.

NVivo AI Cloud and NVivo Desktop side by side

NVivo AI CloudNVivo Desktop
What it is“An AI-native qualitative data analysis (QDA) solution”, sold as “a separate, cloud-based subscription product”“Lumivero’s established, license-based qualitative data analysis software, installed on your computer”
Where it runsIn the browser, with no installation. Runs on Microsoft Azure, with data hosted in five regions: Europe, the US, Canada, Singapore and AustraliaInstalled on Windows or Mac (some features differ between them)
AIAURA, “a family of AI agents” that can set up a project, follow research methodology, identify key topics and keep a codebook up to date as data arrives. A Devil’s Advocate mode surfaces disconfirming evidence and negative casesNone: “NVivo Desktop does not include AI features” (Lumivero FAQ)
IncludedCollaboration, transcription, paper search and AI assistance are built inCollaboration and transcription are add-ons (see prices below)
TeamsIndividual subscriptions today; each collaborator needs their own licence. Teams and organisations of 2 or more can join a waitlist, with access “arriving early 2027”. Full real-time multi-user editing is planned for early 2027Teams work together through NVivo Collaboration Cloud or Collaboration Server. Organisations buying more than 10 licences are asked to contact sales
AI data use“Your research data is not used to train AI models”, and “AI processing uses zero data retention after each task”Not applicable (no AI features)

What they cost, as of 14 November 2026

Buyer typeNVivo AI Cloud, a yearNVivo Desktop, a yearEvidano Pro
ResearcherUSD 770USD 520USD 50 a month
Government / Non-ProfitUSD 770USD 710USD 50 a month
CommercialUSD 770USD 1,005USD 50 a month
StudentUSD 199USD 130USD 50 a month

Reading the price table

  • NVivo prices are the annual prices on Lumivero’s shop for each buyer type, viewed from the US on 14 November 2026. The AI Cloud plan includes an annual NVivo Desktop subscription, 1,000 AURA (AI) credits a month, 200 Paper Search searches a month and 5 hours of transcription a year; the student plan includes 500 credits, 100 searches and 2 hours.
  • One-time option: the shop also lists a perpetual NVivo Desktop licence at USD 1,100 (Researcher).
  • NVivo add-ons: NVivo Desktop Collaboration Cloud is USD 99 a year, and NVivo Desktop Transcription is USD 499 a year for 50 hours.
  • Evidano Pro is USD 50 per user per month on every buyer type, so 12 months cost USD 600 and a two-month project costs USD 100. AI interviews (USD 0.60 per minute after free internal testing) and transcription (1 hour free, then USD 1.00 per hour) are charged in addition. A free plan with no expiry covers 1 theme and 1 question per project.
  • Evidano for institutions: the Institution plan is annual only, with “Buy 5 get 15 free” in the first year. Request it from the plans page.

What changes for universities and teams in 2027

  • Individuals can move now; institutions wait. Lumivero says access to NVivo AI Cloud for teams and organisations arrives in early 2027, and teams of two or more join a waitlist until then. Until then, collaborating in AI Cloud means each team member holds their own individual licence.
  • NVivo Desktop stays without AI. Lumivero’s FAQ says NVivo Desktop does not include AI features and points people who want AI-assisted workflows to NVivo AI Cloud.
  • Collaboration is changing too. Real-time multi-user editing in AI Cloud is planned for early 2027. Desktop teams keep using Collaboration Cloud or Collaboration Server.
  • Licence renewals. If your NVivo licences renew in early 2027, you have time to compare AI-assisted options, including a pilot on your own data, before the renewal decision.

Where Evidano fits

Evidano is a web platform for AI-assisted qualitative analysis. Its Pro and Institution plans are available to buy today.

  • Analysis: AI thematic analysis, content analysis, coding and frequency analysis, cross-segment analysis, data visualisation, summaries and chat with your files, for docx, pdf, xlsx and csv data.
  • Evidence: Evidano achieves over 90% inter-rater reliability with human experts in independent peer-reviewed research, and has been used in journal publications by researchers at Stanford, Oxford, Cornell and UCLA (case studies).
  • Interviews and transcription: AI interviews by avatar video, voice or text in 100+ languages, and transcription, both in the same platform.
  • Procurement and security: SOC 2 Type II report; HECVAT completed; GDPR and UK GDPR compliant; DPA on the data security page. Data is encrypted and not used to train AI models, and research data is not sent to OpenAI, Anthropic or other third-party AI providers. EU data is hosted in Microsoft Azure West Europe, and US accounts in Azure US East.

Which one fits?

  • NVivo Desktop may suit you if you want an installed application on Windows or Mac, researcher-led coding without AI, and the option of a perpetual licence.
  • NVivo AI Cloud may suit you if you’re an individual researcher or student who wants NVivo with AI agents in the browser. Teams and institutions will need to wait until early 2027 for team access.
  • Evidano may suit you if your team wants AI-assisted analysis now, priced by the month, with AI interviews and transcription in the same place.

You can start on Evidano’s free plan with your own data, or contact us to plan an institutional pilot.

FAQ

Does NVivo Desktop include AI?

No. Lumivero’s FAQ says: “No. NVivo Desktop does not include AI features.” It directs people who want AI-powered workflows to NVivo AI Cloud.

When can universities buy NVivo AI Cloud for teams?

Lumivero’s product page says access for teams and organisations is “arriving early 2027”. Until then, teams of two or more can join a waitlist (checked 14 November 2026).

How much is NVivo AI Cloud?

On 14 November 2026 Lumivero’s shop listed NVivo AI Cloud at USD 770 a year for researcher, government, non-profit and commercial buyers, and USD 199 a year for students. Both include an NVivo Desktop subscription.

Is there an Evidano plan for institutions?

Yes. The Institution plan is annual only, with “Buy 5 get 15 free” in the first year. Individual Pro accounts are USD 50 per user per month. See the plans page.

Sources

Competitor facts and prices in this article come from the vendors’ own pages listed below, read on the dates shown. Prices are in US dollars as each vendor’s site showed them when viewed from the US, and may differ by region or change later, so check the linked page before you decide. Evidano’s prices are from www.evidano.com/plans.

Topics

  • NVivo AI Cloud
  • NVivo Desktop
  • NVivo pricing
  • NVivo alternative
  • NVivo vs Evidano
  • qualitative data analysis software
  • AI qualitative coding

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