Covidence vs Silvi (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Silvi grades higher than Covidence: 2.6 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Silvi grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Covidence
Web platform for screening and extracting data in systematic reviews
Silvi
Literature review platform with AI screening and data extraction
Which one is for you
Pick Covidence if
- Fits if you're running a systematic review with two reviewers screening
- Works for a team that already keeps its references in EndNote, Zotero or Mendeley
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you're a student: the page says there's no separate student discount
- Tight if you run more than three reviews, as that means several packages or a site license
- Skip it if you just want to read papers, since it only does review screening
- Watch out: each license covers a set number of reviews for 12 months
- Watch out: the trial is 500 records, and there are no apps beyond the browser
Pick Silvi if
- Fits if you're running a literature review alone and want the basics free
- Works for a small team of up to 5 that wants AI screening and extraction
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you want AI screening or extraction, which need Plus at €19 a month
- Tight if you work with others, since multi-reviewer workflows are paid
- Watch out: prices are in euros, and monthly-billing prices didn't show on the page
- Watch out: a Rapid plan is in the table with no price, and there's no app
How we grade them
| 2.2GPACovidenceFair | 2.6GPASilviGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D$339 a year for one review, $907 for up to three. That works out to about $28 a month for one review, inside the research category's dearest tenth, which starts at $20. | CPlus Individual is €19 a month billed as €230 a year, near the top of the research category, whose dearest tenth starts at $20. A team of 5 is €55 a month. |
| Free plan and trial | CA free trial with 500 records. The page does not say whether a card is needed, and 500 records is smaller than most reviews. | BBasic is free with unlimited reviews and the core import, screening and extraction functions. One person can really live on that. |
| Features | BImport, dual screening, extraction, quality assessment, mobile screening and PRISMA numbers. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the review work itself. | BImport, screening, highlighted extraction, AI extraction, team workflows and tables. The AI parts and multi-reviewer workflows are paid, but the core review job is covered. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You set up a review, invite reviewers and set criteria before anything happens. | CNo store rating on record. You set up a review and import studies before it does anything. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, with EndNote, Zotero, Mendeley, RefWorks and RevMan. No desktop or app-store apps are listed. | BWeb, with PubMed, OpenAlex, ERIC, Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote and Web of Science. |
| Best for | screening and extracting data in systematic reviews | screening and extracting data for literature reviews |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Covidence and Silvi. How we grade
Price against what you get
Covidence starts at $28.25 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Silvi starts at about $21.23 a month and scores 2.7.
They score the same, and Silvi starts $7.02 a month lower. Of the other AI research tools on the chart, 6 score higher than Covidence for less, and 6 score higher than Silvi for less.
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
Where they differ
At a glance
| Covidence | Silvi | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $339 per year for one review | €19 per month for 1 seat, billed as €230 yearly |
| Free plan | None | Basic plan: unlimited reviews with the core functions. |
| Free trial | Free trial with 500 records | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Covidence | Silvi |
| Price read from | covidence.org | silvi.ai |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Covidence
- Each paid license covers a set number of reviews for 12 months: 1 for $339 or up to 3 for $907.
- The pricing page says there is no separate student discount, though it offers concessions to review teams in low and lower-middle-income countries.
- More than three reviews means buying several packages or an institutional license.
- The pages read show it as a browser-based service; no desktop or app-store apps are listed.
Silvi
- Prices are in euros, and the monthly figures shown are the yearly-billed rate; monthly and quarterly billing exist but their prices did not show on the page.
- The pricing table also lists a Rapid plan with no price displayed.
- AI screening, AI data extraction, multi-reviewer workflows and in-app chat support are not on the free Basic plan.
- The Plus Team plan covers 5 seats.
Key features
Covidence
- Import and deduplication
- References come in from EndNote, Zotero, Mendeley, RefWorks or RIS, CSV and PubMed XML files, with duplicates removed automatically.
- Dual screening
- Independent dual screening, blinding and structured conflict resolution are described as standard, and exclusion reasons are recorded at full-text stage.
- Data extraction and quality assessment
- Extraction and quality assessment are steps inside the same review, so the team works on one copy of the data.
- Mobile screening
- Every plan lists title and abstract screening on a phone.
- PRISMA numbers and export
- The site says PRISMA numbers and the audit trail build as the team works, and the review can be exported.
Silvi
- Study import
- Studies can be uploaded or imported through integrations with databases such as PubMed, OpenAlex and ERIC, and from Zotero, Mendeley and EndNote.
- Screening
- Include or exclude studies in bulk or one at a time, with a PRISMA flow chart. AI screening suggestions are listed on the paid tiers.
- Highlighted data extraction
- Data is extracted by highlighting text in a PDF, and the highlight is stored so each value links back to its source.
- AI extraction
- The AI proposes extracted data and highlights it in the PDF; the reviewer decides whether it is correct.
- Team workflows
- Assign tasks, require multiple reviewers, blind decisions and resolve conflicts, with a decision log.
- Tables and plots
- Extracted data appears in configurable tables and plots, and exports to Excel.
Plans
Covidence
Single$339
per year for 1 review
One review with unlimited collaborators, valid for 12 months.
Package$907
per year for up to 3 reviews
Up to 3 reviews with unlimited collaborators, valid for 12 months.
InstitutionsCustom
Departmental or organization-wide licenses with unlimited reviews and users, arranged through sales.
Silvi
BasicFree
Unlimited reviews and the core import, screening and extraction functions.
Plus Individual€19
per month for 1 seat, billed as €230 yearly
Unlimited reviews, AI functions and advanced collaboration.
Plus Team€55
per month for up to 5 seats, billed as €660 yearly
The Plus features for a team of 5 seats, with unlimited reviews.
Ways to pay less
Covidence
- Other savings
Concessions for low and lower-middle-income countries
Review teams based in a low or lower-middle-income country can contact Covidence about using it for their review.
Silvi
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Covidence or Silvi?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Silvi is cheaper to start with: about $21.23 a month, against $28.25 a month when paid by the year for Covidence. Covidence starts at $339 per year for one review, and Silvi starts at €19 per month for 1 seat, billed as €230 yearly.
Which has a free plan, Covidence or Silvi?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Silvi has a free plan. Covidence does not, though it has a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.