Alternatives · AI Research
Scholarcy alternatives
Scholarcy compared with 5 alternatives: SciSpace, ChatPDF, Paperguide, Anara and Elicit.
Scholarcy has a free plan. Paid plans start at $90 per year, or $9.99 per month billed monthly. All 5 alternatives are free or have a free plan.
5 tools · Listings checked up to Oct 5, 2026 · Where the facts come from
At a glance
| Tool | Price | Free plan | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| ScholarcyThis tool | Free plan · from $90/yr | Yes | Web, Browser extension |
| SciSpace | Free plan · from $12/mo | Yes | Web, iOS, Browser extension |
| ChatPDF | Free plan · from $89.99/yr | Yes | Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android |
| Paperguide | Free plan · from $12/mo | Yes | Web, Browser extension |
| Anara | Free plan · from $8/mo | Yes | Web, macOS, iOS, Browser extension |
| Elicit | Free plan · from $49/mo | Yes | Web, Browser extension |
How each one differs from Scholarcy
- Free plan · from $12/mo
SciSpace
AI research platform for literature review and reading papers
- SciSpace starts at $12 per month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly). Scholarcy starts at $90 per year, or $9.99 per month billed monthly.
- Only SciSpace lists an iOS app.
- SciSpace also covers chat assistant, AI search and AI agents.
Suits: Students and researchers who want search, reading and writing tools in one place
- Free plan · from $89.99/yr
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). Scholarcy starts at $90 per year, or $9.99 per month billed monthly.
- Only ChatPDF lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Only Scholarcy lists a browser extension.
- ChatPDF also covers chat assistant and AI search.
Suits: Students and researchers who want quick answers from a paper or textbook chapter
- Free plan · from $12/mo
Paperguide
AI research platform for literature and systematic reviews
- Paperguide starts at $12 per seat / month, billed annually ($8 with the academic discount). Scholarcy starts at $90 per year, or $9.99 per month billed monthly.
- Paperguide also covers chat assistant, AI search, AI agents and long-form writing.
Suits: Teams running systematic reviews that need documented screening decisions
- Free plan · from $8/mo
Anara
AI research assistant that cites the exact source passage
- Anara starts at $8 per seat / month, billed yearly ($10 billed monthly). Scholarcy starts at $90 per year, or $9.99 per month billed monthly.
- Only Anara lists macOS and iOS apps.
- Anara also covers chat assistant, AI search, web clipper and AI agents.
Suits: Researchers who want answers grounded in their own library of papers
- Free plan · from $49/mo
Elicit
AI research assistant for literature search and systematic reviews
- Elicit starts at $49 per user / month, billed annually ($11 on academic pricing). Scholarcy starts at $90 per year, or $9.99 per month billed monthly.
- Elicit also covers AI search and AI agents.
Suits: Researchers running systematic reviews with screening and data extraction
Limits worth knowing in Scholarcy
- Scholarcy's site turned automated readers away, so prices come from Internet Archive copies of its price data (April 2026) and pricing page (March 2026).
- The free Article Summarizer is limited to 10 summaries on the pricing page and 1 summary per day in its FAQ.
- Free accounts can import files of up to 11 MB; a subscription raises the limit to 50 MB.
- The synopsis and enhanced summaries are written in English even when the source is in another language.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to Scholarcy?
The alternatives to Scholarcy in this directory are SciSpace, ChatPDF, Paperguide, Anara and Elicit. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Scholarcy.
Is there a free alternative to Scholarcy?
Yes. SciSpace, ChatPDF, Paperguide, Anara and Elicit have a free plan alongside paid ones.
Which Scholarcy alternatives work on Windows?
The Scholarcy listing does not include a Windows app. ChatPDF lists one.
Which Scholarcy alternatives work on macOS?
The Scholarcy listing does not include a macOS app. ChatPDF and Anara 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.