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ChatPDF

Ask questions about PDFs and get answers with citations

Free plan · from $89.99/yrAI ResearchChecked Oct 5, 2026
Visit chatpdf.com
ChatPDF, as pictured on chatpdf.com
How ChatPDF presents itself. Image from chatpdf.com.

Our verdict

Second of our top three AI research tools

For: Anyone with a document to question, not papers to find

ChatPDF answers questions about a file you bring: a PDF, Word, PowerPoint, Markdown or text file, or a YouTube or website link, with the answer shown beside the source and clickable citations. The free plan covers 2 documents and 20 messages a day and works without an account, and it runs on the web, Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android. It is second because it reads what you give it more than it searches: its paper summaries are built from abstracts, and chatting with a full paper works only for open-access papers. Free files stop at 120 pages or 10 MB. Plus is $14.99 a month or $89.99 a year on the US App Store, and the website sets its own price per visitor.

See all three and how we rank

What is ChatPDF?

ChatPDF is an AI tool for asking questions about documents. You upload a PDF, Word, PowerPoint, Markdown or text file, or paste a YouTube or website link, and chat with it in a view that shows the answer beside the source, with clickable citations. It also includes a paper search with cited summaries, flashcard and slide generators, an AI writer and an AI detector, and it has mobile and desktop apps.

ChatPDF has a free plan. Paid plans start at $89.99 per year or $14.99 per month (US App Store in-app purchase). See every plan

Good for

  • Students and researchers who want quick answers from a paper or textbook chapter
  • Asking questions across several files kept in one folder
  • Trying a document chat tool without creating an account
  • Turning course material into flashcards or slides

Worth knowing

  • The website shows Plus prices only in an upgrade dialog and sets them per visitor; the prices here are US App Store in-app purchases, and web checkout may differ.
  • The free plan covers 2 documents a day, and the site's limits cap free use at 20 messages a day and files of 120 pages or 10 MB.
  • AI Research summaries are built from abstracts, and chatting with a full paper works only for open-access papers.
  • The best model is reserved for Plus; ChatPDF says it routes queries between GPT-4o and GPT-4o-mini.

Key features

Chat with documents
Ask questions about a PDF, Word, PowerPoint, Markdown or text file with the chat and the document side by side. Clickable citations scroll to the passage an answer came from.
Multi-file folders
Put files in a folder to ask questions across all of them in one conversation. Folders and saved chat history need a free account.
AI Research
Ask a question to find academic papers and get a summary with citations, built from the papers' abstracts. Filters narrow results to recent or influential work.
YouTube and website chat
Paste a YouTube or website link to ask questions about it. Video answers include clickable timestamps and an interactive transcript.
Flashcards, slides and writing
Makes flashcards that export to Anki, Quizlet, Brainscape or CSV, and slides that export to PowerPoint. The AI Writer drafts text with citations and exports to Word or Markdown.
Developer API
A backend API adds PDFs by URL or file upload and answers questions about them, with optional page references. API files are limited to 2,000 pages or 32 MB.

ChatPDF pricing

Starts at
$89.99 per year or $14.99 per month (US App Store in-app purchase)
Free plan
2 documents a day, usable without an account. A free account adds saved history and multi-file folders. Free files are capped at 120 pages or 10 MB.
Free trial
None listed
Free$02 documents and 20 messages a day, with files of up to 120 pages or 10 MB and folders of up to 5 files.
Plus$14.99per month on the US App Store; $89.99 for the yearly planUnlimited questions and documents, files of up to 2,000 pages or 150 MB, 50 PDFs per folder and the higher-quality model.

Read from apps.apple.com on Oct 5, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with ChatPDF before you buy.

Pricing in detail

Ways to pay less

  • Annual discountAbout 50% off with the yearly plan

    On the US App Store the yearly Plus plan is $89.99 against $14.99 a month. That works out to about $7.50 a month, half the monthly rate.

    Stated on apps.apple.com

Works with

ChatPDF alternatives

All ChatPDF alternatives comparedAll AI research tools

Common questions

Is ChatPDF free?

ChatPDF has a free plan. 2 documents a day, usable without an account. A free account adds saved history and multi-file folders. Free files are capped at 120 pages or 10 MB. Paid plans start at $89.99 per year or $14.99 per month (US App Store in-app purchase).

How much does ChatPDF cost?

ChatPDF lists 2 plans. Free: $0. Plus: $14.99 per month on the US App Store; $89.99 for the yearly plan. Prices were read from apps.apple.com on Oct 5, 2026.

What platforms does ChatPDF work on?

ChatPDF is available on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.

Does ChatPDF offer any discounts?

ChatPDF publicly lists the following: About 50% off with the yearly plan.

Does ChatPDF have a Linux app?

No Linux app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. ChatPDF is listed for Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.

Is ChatPDF open source?

ChatPDF is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 5, 2026.

Does ChatPDF have an API?

Yes. ChatPDF offers a public API, according to its own site.

What does ChatPDF integrate with?

ChatPDF's listing names YouTube, Anki, Quizlet and Brainscape. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.

Who makes ChatPDF?

ChatPDF is made by ChatPDF GmbH.

What are the alternatives to ChatPDF?

The closest alternatives to ChatPDF in our directory are AskYourPDF, Humata, ChatDOC, Gemini Notebook and SciSpace. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with ChatPDF.

Sources for this page

The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 5, 2026.