Alternatives · AI Research
Rayyan alternatives
As of Nov 13, 2026, the best Rayyan alternative for most people is Elicit (2.4 GPA), first in our ranking of AI research tools. The best free one is Consensus (2.6 GPA).
Rayyan compared with 7 alternatives: Elicit, Scite, Undermind, Consensus, Iris.ai and 2 more.
Rayyan has a free plan. Paid plans start at $4.99 per seat / month, billed annually ($8.33 billed quarterly). 4 of the 7 alternatives are free or have a free plan. 2 more offer a free trial.
Listings checked up to Nov 12, 2026 · Where the facts come from
Black Friday: is there a Rayyan sale?
At a glance
| Tool | Price | Free plan | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| RayyanThis tool | Free plan · from $4.99/mo | Yes | Web |
| Elicit | Free plan · from $49/mo | Yes | Web, Browser extension |
| Scite | Free trial · from $20/mo | Trial only | Web, Browser extension |
| Undermind | Free plan · from $16/mo | Yes | Web |
| Consensus | Free plan | Yes | Web, Android |
| Iris.ai | Paid | No | Web |
| Covidence | Free trial · from $339/yr | Trial only | Web |
| Silvi | Free plan · from €19/mo | Yes | Web |
Price against what you get
Rayyan starts at $4.99 a month for each person and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. None of the 5 alternatives on this chart both scores higher and starts lower.
Elicit, Scite, Undermind, Covidence and Silvi 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 Rayyan
Elicit
AI research assistant for literature search and systematic reviews
- Elicit starts at $49 per user / month, billed annually ($11 on academic pricing).
- Elicit also lists a browser extension.
- Elicit also covers AI search and AI agents.
Suits: Researchers running systematic reviews with screening and data extraction
Scite
Research assistant that shows how papers have been cited
- Scite starts at $20 per month, billed monthly.
- Scite has no free plan, only a free trial, unlike Rayyan.
- Scite also lists a browser extension.
- Scite also covers chat assistant and AI search.
Suits: Checking whether a paper's findings were supported or disputed by later work
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).
- Undermind also covers chat assistant, AI search and AI agents.
Suits: Complex research questions where keyword search misses relevant papers
Consensus
AI search engine that answers questions from peer-reviewed papers
- Consensus also lists an Android app.
- Consensus also covers AI search and AI agents.
Suits: Checking what peer-reviewed studies say about a specific question
Iris.ai
Enterprise tools that turn documents into AI-ready data
- Iris.ai has no free plan, unlike Rayyan.
- Iris.ai also covers AI agents and documents.
- Iris.ai does not cover citations, which Rayyan does.
Suits: Large companies structuring document archives for AI
Covidence
Web platform for screening and extracting data in systematic reviews
- Covidence starts at $339 per year for one review.
- Covidence has no free plan, only a free trial, unlike Rayyan.
Suits: Review teams whose library or institution already holds a license
Silvi
Literature review platform with AI screening and data extraction
- Silvi starts at €19 per month for 1 seat, billed as €230 yearly.
Suits: Individual researchers who want a free review tool
Limits worth knowing in Rayyan
- The free plan stops at 3 active reviews and 2 invited free reviewers.
- ResearchPilot AI, 250 reviewers and organization-wide management need the Business / Academic plan, sold from 5 licenses.
- SSO / SAML and API access are listed only on the Enterprise plan.
- The site mentions a mobile app, but the pages read do not say which platforms it covers.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to Rayyan?
The alternatives to Rayyan in this directory are Elicit, Scite, Undermind, Consensus, Iris.ai, Covidence and Silvi. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Rayyan.
Is there a free alternative to Rayyan?
Yes. Elicit, Undermind, Consensus and Silvi have a free plan alongside paid ones.
Which Rayyan alternatives work on Android?
The Rayyan listing does not include an Android app. Consensus 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.