The AnswerThis Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about AnswerThis in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
AnswerThis
The Insider’s Guide
AI literature review assistant with a library and writer
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI research tools, read from AnswerThis’s own pages.
Made by AnswerThis · checked Oct 9, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from AnswerThis’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on AnswerThis’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 6 of the 27 other AI research tools we grade
AnswerThis is an AI research assistant built around literature reviews. It searches a database of papers that the site puts at 250 million or more in some places and 300 million in others, answers questions with citations that link to the exact passage, and keeps saved papers in a library that syncs with Zotero and Mendeley. An AI Writer drafts documents with citations in more than 2,000 styles, and higher plans add a systematic review pipeline with screening, data extraction and PRISMA reporting.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about AnswerThis, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Two pricing pages that disagree on plan names don't help either.
- 1
Best for literature reviews from search to draft
Its two pricing pages disagree on plans and limits, and there's no phone or desktop app.
- 2
Paid plans start at $14 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $14 per month, billed yearly ($35 billed monthly).
- 3
There is a free plan
Search across 250M+ papers with cited answers and summaries, 5 saved projects and export to Zotero, Mendeley and EndNote. No card required.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Cited search and chat
Ask a question or paste a protocol, then filter by database, journal quality, date and study type. Each answer carries clickable citations that jump to the passage they rely on.
- 6
Library
Collections, tags, highlights and full-text search across the papers you save or upload, with sync to Zotero and Mendeley.
- 7
AI Writer
Import a draft or start a new one, cite from the library in one click, check for AI-written or plagiarized text and switch between more than 2,000 citation styles.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 6 of 27
That is against the other AI research tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace AnswerThis you would be making a library of papers and sources to search. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
AnswerThis at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $14 per month, billed yearly ($35 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- AnswerThis
- Category
- AI Research Tools
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for literature reviews from search to draft
AnswerThis is built around the literature review: cited answers from a paper database the site puts at 250 million in some places and 300 million in others, a library that syncs with Zotero and Mendeley, and a writer with over 2,000 citation styles. Pro is $14 a month only if you pay for the year, $35 monthly, with 2 systematic reviews a month. Its two pricing pages disagree on plans and limits, and there's no phone or desktop app.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Pro is $14 a month billed yearly, $168 up front, which sits between this category's middle and its dear end. Pay month by month and it's $35, and unlimited systematic reviews mean Research at $30. Ordinary money if you pay yearly, dear if you won't pay a year ahead. |
| Free plan and trial | C | No card needed, and you get cited answers across 250M+ papers plus export to Zotero, Mendeley and EndNote. But it's 5 saved projects, and unlimited basic queries only start on Pro, so there's a ceiling here whose height you aren't told. Caps you'll hit, then. |
| Features | B | It covers the job end to end: filters for journal quality and study type, citations that jump to the passage they rest on, a library with full-text search, an AI Writer with 2,000+ styles, and a systematic review pipeline with screening and PRISMA reporting. Rivals here do each of those too, so no A. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record, and this isn't something you just start using: the systematic review pipeline asks you for screening and evidence-grading decisions, and the Research plan throws in an onboarding call. Two pricing pages that disagree on plan names don't help either. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web only — the site mentions no phone or desktop app at all. What lifts it off a C is what it plugs into: sync with Zotero and Mendeley, export to EndNote, and searches across PubMed, Embase and Cochrane. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who AnswerThis is for
- Fits if you're a graduate student with a literature review to write for a thesis
- Works for clinical teams running systematic reviews with screening and PRISMA reporting
Who it is not for
- Pricey if you pay month by month, at $35 against $14 on the yearly plan
- Tight if you run systematic reviews often, since Pro allows 2 a month and unlimited needs Research at $30
- Tight if you stay free: 5 saved projects, and unlimited basic queries only start on Pro
- Watch out: the marketing and in-app pricing pages disagree on plan names and limits, and Industry plans start at $90 a seat
- Not for you if you want a phone or desktop app, as only a web app is listed
Good to know
Good for
- Graduate students writing a literature review for a thesis
- Clinical and medical teams running systematic reviews
- Researchers who keep their references in Zotero or Mendeley
- Writers who want search, library and drafting in one tab
Worth knowing
- Pro includes 10 Max queries and 2 systematic reviews a month; unlimited systematic reviews start on Research.
- The marketing pricing page and the in-app pricing page disagree on tier names and limits; the plans here follow the in-app page.
- The marketing page also lists separate Industry plans at higher prices, starting at $90 per seat a month billed monthly.
- Only a web app is listed; the site mentions no mobile or desktop apps.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$14
A month to start. There is a free plan too
AnswerThis has a free plan. Paid plans start at $14 per month, billed yearly ($35 billed monthly).
Ordinary money if you pay yearly, dear if you won't pay a year ahead.
Free
$0
Search across 250M+ papers with cited answers and summaries, 5 saved projects and export to Zotero, Mendeley and EndNote.
Pro
$14
per month, billed yearly ($168); $35 billed monthly
Unlimited basic queries, 10 Max queries and 2 systematic reviews a month, unlimited library storage and the AI Writer on standard models.
Research
$30
per month, billed yearly ($360)
Unlimited systematic reviews, 50 Max queries a month on advanced research models, full-text AI screening and an onboarding call.
Max
$100
per month, billed yearly ($1,200)
300 Max queries a month on frontier models, unlimited systematic reviews and library, and priority support.
The free plan
Search across 250M+ papers with cited answers and summaries, 5 saved projects and export to Zotero, Mendeley and EndNote. No card required.
Read from app.answerthis.io on Oct 9, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Save 60% with annual billing
The in-app pricing page labels annual billing as saving 60%. Pro is $14 a month billed yearly ($168 up front) against $35 a month billed monthly.
Stated on app.answerthis.io
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
AI literature review assistant with a library and writer. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI search, AI agents, research, citations, long-form writing.
Rivals here do each of those too, so no A.
- Cited search and chat
- Ask a question or paste a protocol, then filter by database, journal quality, date and study type. Each answer carries clickable citations that jump to the passage they rely on.
- Library
- Collections, tags, highlights and full-text search across the papers you save or upload, with sync to Zotero and Mendeley.
- AI Writer
- Import a draft or start a new one, cite from the library in one click, check for AI-written or plagiarized text and switch between more than 2,000 citation styles.
- Systematic review pipeline
- Screening, data extraction, meta-analysis and evidence grading run in one workflow with each change logged. The site describes it as PRISMA and Cochrane compliant.
- Shared workspaces
- Co-authors can be invited into a shared workspace to suggest changes, with roles and permissions set by the owner.
- Research gaps and citation maps
- Separate tools look for research gaps, map citations, run bibliometric analysis and draw diagrams from the literature.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Zotero
- Mendeley
- EndNote
- PubMed
- Embase
- Cochrane
AnswerThis is made by AnswerThis.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
6/27
Other AI research tools it is graded above
AnswerThis's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 6 of the 27 other AI research tools we grade, and level with 8.
It stands best on features (B, above 15 of 27) and worst on ease of use (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $14 a month, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 16 of the 20 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 4 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 28 AI research tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. AnswerThis’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 4 of 27
- CFree plan and trialAbove 1 of 27
- BFeaturesAbove 15 of 27
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 27
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 8 of 27
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 25 AI research tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. AnswerThis is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace AnswerThis you would be making a library of papers and sources to search. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 13 of the 27 other AI research tools grade higher. It costs $168 a year.
What you could make
- Long-form writing: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- A library of papers and sources to search.
- A search engine with an AI model behind it.
- An AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it.
- Citation records for millions of papers.
- It plugs into other products, Zotero, Mendeley and EndNote among them.
- What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: roles and permissions.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. AnswerThis’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Elicit, SciSpace, Consensus, Paperguide and Undermind
The 5 tools AnswerThis is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Elicit
Free plan · from $49/mo
AI research assistant for literature search and systematic reviews.
- Only Elicit lists a browser extension.
- AnswerThis also covers long-form writing.
- 2.4GPA
SciSpace
Free plan · from $12/mo
AI research platform for literature review and reading papers.
- Only SciSpace lists an iOS app.
- Only SciSpace lists a browser extension.
- AnswerThis also covers long-form writing.
- 2.6GPA
Consensus
Free plan
AI search engine that answers questions from peer-reviewed papers.
- Only Consensus lists an Android app.
- AnswerThis also covers long-form writing.
- 2.6GPA
Paperguide
Free plan · from $12/mo
AI research platform for literature and systematic reviews.
- Only Paperguide lists a browser extension.
- Paperguide also covers chat assistant.
- 2.2GPA
Undermind
Free plan · from $16/mo
AI literature search agent that reads hundreds of papers.
- AnswerThis also covers long-form writing.
- Undermind also covers chat assistant.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is AnswerThis free?
AnswerThis has a free plan. Search across 250M+ papers with cited answers and summaries, 5 saved projects and export to Zotero, Mendeley and EndNote.
How much does AnswerThis cost?
AnswerThis lists 4 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does AnswerThis work on?
AnswerThis is available on Web.
Does AnswerThis offer any discounts?
AnswerThis publicly lists the following: Save 60% with annual billing.
Does AnswerThis have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. AnswerThis is listed for Web.
Does AnswerThis have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. AnswerThis is listed for Web.
Is AnswerThis open source?
AnswerThis is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 9, 2026.
What does AnswerThis integrate with?
AnswerThis's listing names Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote, PubMed, Embase and Cochrane.
Who makes AnswerThis?
AnswerThis is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to AnswerThis?
The closest alternatives to AnswerThis in our directory are Elicit, SciSpace, Consensus, Paperguide and Undermind.
How does AnswerThis compare with other AI research tools?
AnswerThis's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 6 of the 27 other AI research tools we grade, and level with 8.
Is AnswerThis good value for money?
ToolGPA grades AnswerThis C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $14 a month, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 16 of the 20 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of AnswerThis?
To replace AnswerThis you would be making a library of papers and sources to search.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from AnswerThis’s own pages on Oct 9, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from AnswerThis's own pages on 9 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-03-20.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by AnswerThis. Prices change, so check answerthis.io before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- AnswerThis, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/answerthis
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "AnswerThis: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/answerthis
Know someone choosing between AI research tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/answerthis/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded AI research tools after AnswerThis, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- AI Research Tools Insider's GuideEvery one of the 28 AI research tools we grade, compared
- Ai2 Asta Insider's GuideAI research assistant for finding papers and analyzing data3.2 GPA
- Semantic Scholar Insider's GuideFree AI-powered search engine for scientific literature3.2 GPA
- ChatPDF Insider's GuideAsk questions about PDFs and get answers with citations2.8 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what AnswerThis’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. AnswerThis is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by AnswerThis. Prices and plans change: check answerthis.io before you buy.