Alternatives · AI Research
Explainpaper alternatives
As of Nov 13, 2026, the best Explainpaper alternative for most people is ChatPDF (2.8 GPA), second in our ranking of AI research tools. It's also the best free one.
Explainpaper compared with 7 alternatives: SciSpace, ChatPDF, Humata, Paperguide, AskYourPDF and 2 more.
Explainpaper has a free plan. Paid plans start at $12 per month, billed yearly ($16 billed monthly). 6 of the 7 alternatives are free or have a free plan. One more offers a free trial.
Listings checked up to Nov 12, 2026 · Where the facts come from
Black Friday: is there a Explainpaper sale?
At a glance
| Tool | Price | Free plan | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| ExplainpaperThis tool | Free plan · from $12/mo | Yes | Web |
| SciSpace | Free plan · from $12/mo | Yes | Web, iOS, Browser extension |
| ChatPDF | Free plan · from $89.99/yr | Yes | Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android |
| Humata | Free plan · from $9.99/mo | Yes | Web |
| Paperguide | Free plan · from $12/mo | Yes | Web, Browser extension |
| AskYourPDF | Free plan · from $11.99/mo | Yes | Web, iOS, Android, Browser extension |
| Moonlight | Free plan · from $10/mo | Yes | Web, Browser extension |
| SciSummary | Free trial · from $12.50/mo | Trial only | Web |
Price against what you get
Explainpaper starts at $12 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. 2 of the 7 alternatives on this chart score higher and start lower: ChatPDF and AskYourPDF.
SciSpace and Paperguide score higher without starting lower. Humata and Moonlight start lower without scoring higher.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
How each one differs from Explainpaper
SciSpace
AI research platform for literature review and reading papers
- SciSpace starts at $12 per month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly).
- SciSpace also lists an iOS app and a browser extension.
- SciSpace also covers AI search, AI agents and citations.
- SciSpace does not cover documents and highlights, which Explainpaper does.
Suits: Students and researchers who want search, reading and writing tools in one place
ChatPDF
Ask questions about PDFs and get answers with citations
- ChatPDF starts at $89.99 per year or $14.99 per month (US App Store in-app purchase).
- ChatPDF also lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- ChatPDF also covers AI search and citations.
- ChatPDF does not cover documents and highlights, which Explainpaper does.
Suits: Students and researchers who want quick answers from a paper or textbook chapter
Humata
Document Q&A with cited answers across your uploaded files
- Humata starts at $9.99 per month, billed monthly (covers up to 3 users).
- Humata also covers citations.
- Humata does not cover documents and highlights, which Explainpaper does.
Suits: Asking questions across many long PDFs and getting cited answers
Paperguide
AI research platform for literature and systematic reviews
- Paperguide starts at $12 per seat / month, billed annually ($8 with the academic discount).
- Paperguide also lists a browser extension.
- Paperguide also covers AI search, AI agents, citations and long-form writing.
- Paperguide does not cover documents and highlights, which Explainpaper does.
Suits: Teams running systematic reviews that need documented screening decisions
AskYourPDF
Chat with PDFs and other documents and get cited answers
- AskYourPDF starts at $11.99 per month, billed yearly ($14.99 billed monthly).
- AskYourPDF also lists iOS and Android apps and a browser extension.
- AskYourPDF also covers citations.
- AskYourPDF does not cover documents and highlights, which Explainpaper does.
Suits: Students and researchers who want cited answers from long papers and books
Moonlight
AI reader for research papers with explanations and translation
- Moonlight starts at $10 per month, billed annually ($12 billed monthly).
- Moonlight also lists a browser extension.
- Moonlight also covers citations.
- Moonlight does not cover documents, which Explainpaper does.
Suits: Graduate students reading papers in a second language
SciSummary
AI summaries, figure explanations and chat for scientific papers
- SciSummary starts at $12.50 per month, billed yearly ($15 billed monthly).
- SciSummary has no free plan, only a free trial, unlike Explainpaper.
- SciSummary also covers citations.
- SciSummary does not cover documents and highlights, which Explainpaper does.
Suits: Students and researchers triaging long reading lists
Limits worth knowing in Explainpaper
- Free accounts get basic AI models; the stronger model needs Pro.
- Saved highlights and figure explanations are Pro only.
- The Teams plan has no published price.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to Explainpaper?
The alternatives to Explainpaper in this directory are SciSpace, ChatPDF, Humata, Paperguide, AskYourPDF, Moonlight and SciSummary. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Explainpaper.
Is there a free alternative to Explainpaper?
Yes. SciSpace, ChatPDF, Humata, Paperguide, AskYourPDF and Moonlight have a free plan alongside paid ones.
Which Explainpaper alternatives work on Windows?
The Explainpaper listing does not include a Windows app. ChatPDF lists one.
Which Explainpaper alternatives work on macOS?
The Explainpaper listing does not include a macOS app. ChatPDF lists one.
When were these prices checked?
Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 5, 2026 to Nov 12, 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.