Alternatives · AI Research
Moonlight alternatives
As of Nov 12, 2026, the highest-graded Moonlight alternative is Paperguide (2.6 GPA). It's also the best free one.
Moonlight compared with 5 alternatives: SciSpace, Explainpaper, alphaXiv, Paperguide and OpenRead.
Moonlight has a free plan. Paid plans start at $10 per month, billed annually ($12 billed monthly). All 5 alternatives are free or have a free plan.
Listings checked up to Nov 12, 2026 · Where the facts come from
Black Friday: is there a Moonlight sale?
At a glance
| Tool | Price | Free plan | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| MoonlightThis tool | Free plan · from $10/mo | Yes | Web, Browser extension |
| SciSpace | Free plan · from $12/mo | Yes | Web, iOS, Browser extension |
| Explainpaper | Free plan · from $12/mo | Yes | Web |
| alphaXiv | Free plan · from $8/mo | Yes | Web, iOS, Browser extension |
| Paperguide | Free plan · from $12/mo | Yes | Web, Browser extension |
| OpenRead | Free plan | Yes | Web |
Price against what you get
Moonlight starts at $10 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. 1 of the 4 alternatives on this chart scores higher and starts lower: alphaXiv.
SciSpace and Paperguide score higher without starting lower.
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 Moonlight
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.
- SciSpace also covers AI search and AI agents.
- SciSpace does not cover highlights, which Moonlight does.
Suits: Students and researchers who want search, reading and writing tools in one place
Explainpaper
Highlight confusing text in a paper and get a plain explanation
- Explainpaper starts at $12 per month, billed yearly ($16 billed monthly).
- Explainpaper lists no browser extension, which Moonlight has.
- Explainpaper also covers documents.
- Explainpaper does not cover citations, which Moonlight does.
Suits: Students reading papers outside their own field
alphaXiv
arXiv reading and discovery site with an AI research assistant
- alphaXiv starts at $8 per month (alphaXiv Go).
- alphaXiv also lists an iOS app.
- alphaXiv also covers AI search.
- alphaXiv does not cover citations, which Moonlight does.
Suits: Following new machine learning and AI research on arXiv
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 covers AI search, AI agents and long-form writing.
- Paperguide does not cover highlights, which Moonlight does.
Suits: Teams running systematic reviews that need documented screening decisions
OpenRead
AI platform for searching, reading and comparing papers
- OpenRead lists no browser extension, which Moonlight has.
- OpenRead also covers AI search and notes.
- OpenRead does not cover citations and highlights, which Moonlight does.
Suits: Readers who want paper search, questions and notes in one place
Limits worth knowing in Moonlight
- The Free plan limits AI features to 3 papers a week, and several features are marked Limited there.
- Which AI models you can use depends on the plan: Premium adds the most expensive ones, including Claude and Gemini Pro models.
- Team plans are priced per user in seat tiers (1-3, 4-15, 16-29), with 30 or more seats handled through a partnership; the Team billing basis is not shown.
- The homepage source links a Chrome Web Store listing; no desktop or mobile app was found on the pages read.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to Moonlight?
The alternatives to Moonlight in this directory are SciSpace, Explainpaper, alphaXiv, Paperguide and OpenRead. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Moonlight.
Is there a free alternative to Moonlight?
Yes. SciSpace, Explainpaper, alphaXiv, Paperguide and OpenRead have a free plan alongside paid ones.
Which Moonlight alternatives work on iOS?
The Moonlight listing does not include an iOS app. SciSpace and alphaXiv list 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.