The Keenious Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Keenious 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.
Keenious
The Insider’s Guide
Academic search that recommends papers from your own text
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI research tools, read from Keenious’s own pages.
Made by Keenious AS · checked Oct 5, 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 Keenious’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Keenious’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 5, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.6
GPA, above 15 of the 27 other AI research tools we grade
Keenious is an academic search tool that recommends published research based on text you type, paste or upload as a PDF. It has a Search mode and a Chat mode, draws on more than 250 million works from OpenAlex, and shows results both as a list and as a map grouped by research area. It also runs as a sidebar in Microsoft Word and Google Docs, and universities can license it for all students and staff.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Keenious, taken from its own pages and our grades.
It finds papers but doesn't write anything up, and its chat only explains methods and terms.
- 1
Best for finding sources that match your draft
Keenious recommends published papers that match a draft you paste or upload, and it sits in a sidebar in Word and Google Docs.
- 2
Paid plans start at $10 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $10 per month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly).
- 3
There is a free plan
All search results, 3 conversations a day with 5 AI responses each, and PDF uploads of up to 3 MB.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Search from your own text
Type a question, paste text or upload a PDF, and Keenious returns related papers. Results are retrieved from its index by meaning and keyword ranking; they are not written by a language model.
- 6
Chat about papers
Chat explains methods, statistics and terminology, including text you highlight in a paper. It runs on Google's Gemini 3.5 Flash, and there is no choice of model.
- 7
Search map
Shows each result as a dot placed by meaning, colored by research area and sized by citation count. Selecting an area filters the map and the list together.
- 8
A 2.6 GPA, above 15 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 Keenious 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.
Keenious at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $10 per month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Keenious AS
- Category
- AI Research Tools
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
Best for finding sources that match your draft
Keenious recommends published papers that match a draft you paste or upload, and it sits in a sidebar in Word and Google Docs. It finds papers but doesn't write anything up, and its chat only explains methods and terms. Free is 3 chats a day with 5 replies each and 3 MB uploads, Plus has no trial and no refund for early cancellation, files and chats are deleted after 1 day, and there's no phone or desktop app.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Plus is $10 a month if you pay the year up front ($120), which is where this category's prices start rather than below them. Month by month it's $20, the dear end here, and Plus has no trial, so you're committing blind. Students get 30% off the annual plan. |
| Free plan and trial | B | Every search result is free, and searching is the main product here, with no credits to count. The caps are on the chat: 3 conversations a day with 5 AI responses each, and uploads stop at 3 MB. One person could genuinely work on this. |
| Features | C | Its own trick: paste or upload a draft and get related papers from 250 million works, as a list and as a map by research area. But the chat only explains methods and terms, results are retrieved rather than written up for you, and conversations are deleted after 1 day. |
| Ease of use | B | No App Store rating on record, so this rests on the listing: there's no query to craft, you paste what you've already written, and the Word and Google Docs sidebars are add-ins you switch on. It works in nearly 100 languages, so a question in one can find research in another. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, plus sidebars inside Microsoft Word and Google Docs, with results exported as citations for a reference manager. Universities can wire it to their library holdings through EBSCO or Primo. No phone or desktop app on the listing, and no API. |
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 Keenious is for
- Fits if you have a draft essay and need sources that match it
- Works for people who write in Word or Google Docs and want papers suggested in the sidebar
Who it is not for
- Tight if you're staying free, at 3 conversations a day with 5 AI responses each and 3 MB uploads
- Pricey if you pay monthly, at $20 against $10 a month on the annual plan
- Watch out: Plus has no free trial, and the FAQ says early cancellations aren't refunded
- Not for you if you want to keep your chats, as uploads and conversations are deleted after 1 day
- Skip it if you want a review written for you or a choice of AI model, as results are retrieved and chat runs on Gemini only
Good to know
Good for
- Students looking for sources that match a draft essay or assignment
- Writers who want paper recommendations inside Word or Google Docs
- Researchers searching for literature across languages and disciplines
- Universities that want campus-wide access linked to library holdings
Worth knowing
- The free plan allows 3 conversations a day with 5 AI responses each, and PDF uploads stop at 3 MB.
- Keenious Plus has no free trial, and the pricing FAQ says early cancellations are not refunded.
- Uploaded files and conversations are deleted automatically after 1 day.
- The site lists a web app and add-ins for Microsoft Word and Google Docs, but 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
$10
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Keenious has a free plan. Paid plans start at $10 per month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly).
Every search result is free, and searching is the main product here, with no credits to count.
Free
$0
All search results, 5 AI responses per conversation, 3 conversations a day and a 3 MB file upload limit.
Plus for Individuals
$10
per month, billed annually ($120); $45 quarterly or $20 monthly
Unlimited conversations and responses, export of all results in formats such as RIS and BibTeX, and 20 MB file uploads.
Plus for Teams
$20
per user / month, billed annually ($240); $90 quarterly or $40 monthly
All Plus features with an admin console, centralized billing, two-factor authentication and dedicated support.
Institutions
Custom
Access for all students and faculty with SSO, SAML or IP-based access, library collection links and a data processing agreement.
The free plan
All search results, 3 conversations a day with 5 AI responses each, and PDF uploads of up to 3 MB.
Read from keenious.com on Oct 5, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Annual billing is half the monthly rate
The pricing page's price data lists Plus for Individuals at $120 a year, $45 a quarter or $20 a month, and Plus for Teams at $240, $90 or $40 per user.
Stated on keenious.comEducation
30% off annual billing for students
The pricing FAQ offers students a 30% annual discount. They email the verification address from their institution's email account and receive a discount code.
Stated on keenious.com
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
Academic search that recommends papers from your own text. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: chat assistant, AI search, research, citations.
Web, plus sidebars inside Microsoft Word and Google Docs, with results exported as citations for a reference manager.
- Search from your own text
- Type a question, paste text or upload a PDF, and Keenious returns related papers. Results are retrieved from its index by meaning and keyword ranking; they are not written by a language model.
- Chat about papers
- Chat explains methods, statistics and terminology, including text you highlight in a paper. It runs on Google's Gemini 3.5 Flash, and there is no choice of model.
- Search map
- Shows each result as a dot placed by meaning, colored by research area and sized by citation count. Selecting an area filters the map and the list together.
- Word and Google Docs add-ins
- Keenious runs as a sidebar in Microsoft Word and Google Docs, so related research appears beside the document being written.
- Search across languages
- The site says Keenious can be used in nearly 100 languages, and a question in one language can find research written in another.
- Bookmarks and citation export
- Papers can be bookmarked, and results or bookmarks exported as citations for a reference manager; the help center points EndNote users to the RIS format.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Microsoft Word
- Google Docs
- OpenAlex
- Unpaywall
- EBSCO
- Primo
Keenious is made by Keenious AS.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
15/27
Other AI research tools it is graded above
Keenious's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 15 of the 27 other AI research tools we grade, and level with 5.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 21 of 27) and worst on features (C, above 1).
Its paid plans start at $10 a month, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 9 of the 20 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 3 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. Keenious’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 4 of 27
- BFree plan and trialAbove 21 of 27
- CFeaturesAbove 1 of 27
- BEase of useAbove 13 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. Keenious 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 Keenious 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.
It costs $120 a year.
What you could not
- A library of papers and sources to search.
- A search engine with an AI model behind it.
- An AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make.
- Citation records for millions of papers.
- It plugs into other products, Microsoft Word, Google Docs and OpenAlex among them.
What this rests on. Keenious’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
ResearchRabbit, Semantic Scholar, Consensus, Litmaps and Elicit
The 5 tools Keenious is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.2GPA
ResearchRabbit
Free plan · from $10/mo
Literature discovery tool that maps how papers connect.
- Keenious also covers chat assistant and AI search.
- 3.2GPA
Semantic Scholar
Free
Free AI-powered search engine for scientific literature.
- Only Semantic Scholar lists a browser extension.
- Keenious also covers chat assistant.
- 2.6GPA
Consensus
Free plan
AI search engine that answers questions from peer-reviewed papers.
- Only Consensus lists an Android app.
- Keenious also covers chat assistant.
- Consensus also covers AI agents.
- 2.0GPA
Litmaps
Free plan · from $10/mo
Literature review tool that maps papers by their citations.
- Keenious also covers chat assistant and AI search.
- 2.4GPA
Elicit
Free plan · from $49/mo
AI research assistant for literature search and systematic reviews.
- Only Elicit lists a browser extension.
- Keenious also covers chat assistant.
- Elicit also covers AI agents.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
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 Keenious free?
Keenious has a free plan. All search results, 3 conversations a day with 5 AI responses each, and PDF uploads of up to 3 MB.
How much does Keenious cost?
Keenious lists 4 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Keenious work on?
Keenious is available on Web.
Does Keenious offer any discounts?
Keenious publicly lists the following: Annual billing is half the monthly rate; 30% off annual billing for students.
Does Keenious have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Keenious is listed for Web.
Does Keenious have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Keenious is listed for Web.
Is Keenious open source?
Keenious is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 5, 2026.
What does Keenious integrate with?
Keenious's listing names Microsoft Word, Google Docs, OpenAlex, Unpaywall, EBSCO and Primo.
Does Keenious have a student discount?
30% off annual billing for students. The pricing FAQ offers students a 30% annual discount.
Who makes Keenious?
Keenious is made by Keenious AS.
What are the alternatives to Keenious?
The closest alternatives to Keenious in our directory are ResearchRabbit, Semantic Scholar, Consensus, Litmaps and Elicit.
How does Keenious compare with other AI research tools?
Keenious's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 15 of the 27 other AI research tools we grade, and level with 5.
Is Keenious good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Keenious C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $10 a month, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 9 of the 20 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Keenious?
To replace Keenious 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 Keenious’s own pages on Oct 5, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Keenious's own pages on 5 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-08-30.
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 Keenious AS. Prices change, so check keenious.com before you buy.
- keenious.com/pricing
- keenious.com/landing
- keenious.com/about
- keenious.com/legal/terms-of-use
- help.keenious.com/en/articles/185112-what-is-keenious
- help.keenious.com/en/articles/726997-how-keenious-uses-generative-ai
- help.keenious.com/en/articles/755412-the-search-map-a-visual-view-of-your-results
- help.keenious.com/en/articles/185126-export-results-bookmarks
- help.keenious.com/en/articles/751676-plus-for-teams-seats-and-billing
- help.keenious.com/en/articles/185082-how-to-verify-student-status-and-get-a-discount-code
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
- Keenious, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/keenious
- 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, "Keenious: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 5, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/keenious
Know someone choosing between AI research tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/keenious/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded AI research tools after Keenious, 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 Keenious’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. Keenious is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Keenious AS. Prices and plans change: check keenious.com before you buy.