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Paperguide alternatives

Paperguide compared with 11 alternatives: Elicit, SciSpace, Consensus, Anara, Undermind and 6 more.

Paperguide has a free plan. Paid plans start at $12 per seat / month, billed annually ($8 with the academic discount). All 11 alternatives are free or have a free plan.

11 tools · Listings checked up to Oct 5, 2026 · Where the facts come from

At a glance

ToolPriceFree planRuns on
PaperguideThis toolFree plan · from $12/moYesWeb, Browser extension
ElicitFree plan · from $49/moYesWeb, Browser extension
SciSpaceFree plan · from $12/moYesWeb, iOS, Browser extension
ConsensusFree planYesWeb, Android
AnaraFree plan · from $8/moYesWeb, macOS, iOS, Browser extension
UndermindFree plan · from $16/moYesWeb
AnswerThisFree plan · from $14/moYesWeb
LinerFree plan · from $14.99/moYesWeb, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Browser extension
LogicallyFree plan · from $12/moYesWeb, Browser extension
OpenReadFree planYesWeb
R DiscoveryFree plan · from $69/yrYesWeb, iOS, Android, Browser extension
ScholarcyFree plan · from $90/yrYesWeb, Browser extension

How each one differs from Paperguide

  1. Elicit

    AI research assistant for literature search and systematic reviews

    • Elicit starts at $49 per user / month, billed annually ($11 on academic pricing). Paperguide starts at $12 per seat / month, billed annually ($8 with the academic discount).
    • Paperguide also covers chat assistant and long-form writing.

    Suits: Researchers running systematic reviews with screening and data extraction

    Elicit vs PaperguideElicit pricing and details

  2. SciSpace

    AI research platform for literature review and reading papers

    • SciSpace starts at $12 per month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly). Paperguide starts at $12 per seat / month, billed annually ($8 with the academic discount).
    • Only SciSpace lists an iOS app.
    • Paperguide also covers long-form writing.

    Suits: Students and researchers who want search, reading and writing tools in one place

    SciSpace vs PaperguideSciSpace pricing and details

  3. Consensus

    AI search engine that answers questions from peer-reviewed papers

    • Only Consensus lists an Android app.
    • Only Paperguide lists a browser extension.
    • Paperguide also covers chat assistant and long-form writing.

    Suits: Checking what peer-reviewed studies say about a specific question

    Consensus vs PaperguideConsensus pricing and details

  4. Anara

    AI research assistant that cites the exact source passage

    • Anara starts at $8 per seat / month, billed yearly ($10 billed monthly). Paperguide starts at $12 per seat / month, billed annually ($8 with the academic discount).
    • Only Anara lists macOS and iOS apps.
    • Anara also covers web clipper.
    • Paperguide also covers long-form writing.

    Suits: Researchers who want answers grounded in their own library of papers

    Anara vs PaperguideAnara pricing and details

  5. Undermind

    AI literature search agent that reads hundreds of papers

    • Undermind starts at $16 per month, billed annually, at the academic rate ($60 for industry). Paperguide starts at $12 per seat / month, billed annually ($8 with the academic discount).
    • Only Paperguide lists a browser extension.
    • Paperguide also covers long-form writing.

    Suits: Complex research questions where keyword search misses relevant papers

    Undermind vs PaperguideUndermind pricing and details

  6. AnswerThis

    AI literature review assistant with a library and writer

    • AnswerThis starts at $14 per month, billed yearly ($35 billed monthly). Paperguide starts at $12 per seat / month, billed annually ($8 with the academic discount).
    • Only Paperguide lists a browser extension.
    • Paperguide also covers chat assistant.

    Suits: Graduate students writing a literature review for a thesis

    AnswerThis vs PaperguideAnswerThis pricing and details

  7. Liner

    AI search with cited answers, research agents and a writer

    • Liner starts at $14.99 per month, billed annually ($17.99 billed monthly). Paperguide starts at $12 per seat / month, billed annually ($8 with the academic discount).
    • Only Liner lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
    • Liner also covers highlights.
    • Paperguide also covers chat assistant.

    Suits: People who want every line of an AI answer tied to a source

    Liner vs PaperguideLiner pricing and details

  8. Logically

    AI workspace for references, PDF notes and paper writing

    • Logically starts at $12 per user / month, billed yearly ($30 billed monthly). Paperguide starts at $12 per seat / month, billed annually ($8 with the academic discount).
    • Logically also covers highlights.
    • Paperguide also covers AI agents.

    Suits: Students who want references, notes and drafts in one workspace

    Logically vs PaperguideLogically pricing and details

  9. OpenRead

    AI platform for searching, reading and comparing papers

    • Only Paperguide lists a browser extension.
    • OpenRead also covers notes.
    • Paperguide also covers AI agents, citations and long-form writing.

    Suits: Readers who want paper search, questions and notes in one place

    OpenRead vs PaperguideOpenRead pricing and details

  10. R Discovery

    Paper discovery app with an AI assistant, PDF chat and audio

    • R Discovery starts at $69 per year, or $12 billed monthly (US prices). Paperguide starts at $12 per seat / month, billed annually ($8 with the academic discount).
    • Only R Discovery lists iOS and Android apps.
    • Paperguide also covers AI agents and long-form writing.

    Suits: Researchers who want a daily feed of new papers in their field

    R Discovery vs PaperguideR Discovery pricing and details

  11. Scholarcy

    Summarizes research papers into interactive flashcards

    • Scholarcy starts at $90 per year, or $9.99 per month billed monthly. Paperguide starts at $12 per seat / month, billed annually ($8 with the academic discount).
    • Paperguide also covers chat assistant, AI search, AI agents and long-form writing.

    Suits: Screening a stack of papers before deciding which to read in full

    Scholarcy vs PaperguideScholarcy pricing and details

Limits worth knowing in Paperguide

  • The Free plan has no systematic reviews or shared workspaces and is limited to 20 AI searches and 2,000 AI credits a month.
  • AI features draw on a monthly credit pool: 12,500 on Plus, 50,000 on Pro and 150,000 on Evidence.
  • Dual-reviewer screening for systematic reviews needs the Evidence plan, at $89 per seat / month billed annually.
  • Image and table extraction is marked as coming soon on the pricing page.
Paperguide pricing and details

Common questions

What are the alternatives to Paperguide?

The alternatives to Paperguide in this directory are Elicit, SciSpace, Consensus, Anara, Undermind, AnswerThis, Liner, Logically, OpenRead, R Discovery and Scholarcy. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Paperguide.

Is there a free alternative to Paperguide?

Yes. Elicit, SciSpace, Consensus, Anara, Undermind, AnswerThis, Liner, Logically, OpenRead, R Discovery and Scholarcy have a free plan alongside paid ones.

Which Paperguide alternatives work on Windows?

The Paperguide listing does not include a Windows app. Liner lists one.

Which Paperguide alternatives work on macOS?

The Paperguide listing does not include a macOS app. Anara and Liner list one.

When were these prices checked?

Every listing on this page was checked on Oct 5, 2026, against the pages it cites. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.