The Paperguide Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Paperguide 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.
Paperguide
The Insider’s Guide
AI research platform for literature and systematic reviews
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI research tools, read from Paperguide’s own pages.
Made by Paperguide · 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 Paperguide’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Paperguide’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
Paperguide is a research platform that combines AI search over more than 200 million papers with a reference manager, data extraction tables, a research agent and a citation-aware writer. Its systematic review workflow screens papers against a protocol, records the evidence behind each decision and produces a PRISMA diagram. AI features draw on a monthly pool of credits that grows with the plan.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Paperguide, taken from its own pages and our grades.
It does import a Zotero or Mendeley library, so your references don't start from nothing.
- 1
Best for search, references and reviews in one workspace
Image and table extraction is still marked coming soon.
- 2
Paid plans start at $12 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $12 per seat / month, billed annually ($8 with the academic discount).
- 3
There is a free plan
2,000 AI credits and 20 AI searches a month, 500 MB of reference storage, extraction tables of up to 10 papers and 5 columns, and 10 Search API requests a month.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web, with a browser extension too.
- 5
AI Search
Ask a research question in plain language and get a synthesized answer drawn from more than 200 million papers, with each claim linked to its source.
- 6
Systematic reviews
Screens papers against a predefined protocol with cited evidence for each criterion, then produces verified extraction tables, a report and a PRISMA diagram. Dual-reviewer screening is on the Evidence plan.
- 7
Reference manager
Imports from Zotero or Mendeley, or by DOI, URL, PDF, BibTeX or RIS, fetches metadata and open-access PDFs, and formats citations in more than 1,000 styles.
- 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 Paperguide 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.
Paperguide at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $12 per seat / month, billed annually ($8 with the academic discount)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, Browser extension
- Made by
- Paperguide
- Category
- AI Research Tools
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
Best for search, references and reviews in one workspace
Paperguide combines AI search over more than 200 million papers with a reference manager, extraction tables, a writer and a systematic review workflow that records the evidence behind each screening decision. Every AI feature draws on one monthly credit pool, the free plan has no systematic reviews or shared workspaces, and dual-reviewer screening needs Evidence at $89 a seat. Image and table extraction is still marked coming soon.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Plus is $12 a seat a month billed annually, or $19 monthly, which is the middle of this category exactly. It does carry systematic reviews of up to 1,000 papers, unlimited AI searches and 12,500 credits a month, and a university email takes 30% off. Dual-reviewer screening is another matter: Evidence, at $89. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Free gives you 2,000 AI credits and 20 AI searches a month, 500 MB of reference storage and extraction tables of up to 10 papers and 5 columns. Enough to learn the tool, not to run a project on: there are no systematic reviews and no shared workspaces. |
| Features | A | Two parts rivals like Elicit and Consensus don't list: screening that ends in a PRISMA diagram with dual-reviewer checking, and a full reference manager with 1,000-plus citation styles. Then AI search across 200 million papers, extraction tables, an agent and a writer. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record, and the work is front-loaded: a protocol to define for screening, columns to set up for extraction, and one monthly credit pool that every AI feature draws on. It does import a Zotero or Mendeley library, so your references don't start from nothing. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | A web app with a browser extension, plus a Search API at 10 requests a month on Free and 500 on Pro. It imports from Zotero and Mendeley and connects to Claude and ChatGPT. No phone or desktop app is listed, so that API is what earns the B. |
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 Paperguide is for
- Fits if your team runs systematic reviews and needs every screening decision documented
- Works for students and academics, who get 30% off with a university email
Who it is not for
- Tight if you're staying free, with 20 AI searches and 2,000 credits a month, and no systematic reviews or shared workspaces
- Pricey if you need dual-reviewer screening, which sits on Evidence at $89 a seat a month billed annually
- Watch out: every AI feature draws on one monthly credit pool, 12,500 on Plus and 50,000 on Pro
- Skip it if you were counting on image and table extraction, as that's still marked coming soon
- Not for you if you want a phone or desktop app, as only a web app and browser extension are listed
Good to know
Good for
- Teams running systematic reviews that need documented screening decisions
- Researchers who want search, references and writing in one workspace
- Students and academics, who get 30% off with a university email
- Pulling the same data points out of many papers into one table
Worth knowing
- The Free plan has no systematic reviews or shared workspaces and is limited to 20 AI searches and 2,000 AI credits a month.
- AI features draw on a monthly credit pool: 12,500 on Plus, 50,000 on Pro and 150,000 on Evidence.
- Dual-reviewer screening for systematic reviews needs the Evidence plan, at $89 per seat / month billed annually.
- Image and table extraction is marked as coming soon on the pricing page.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$12
A month to start, for each person. There is a free plan too
Paperguide has a free plan. Paid plans start at $12 per seat / month, billed annually ($8 with the academic discount).
Enough to learn the tool, not to run a project on: there are no systematic reviews and no shared workspaces.
Free
$0
2,000 AI credits and 20 AI searches a month, 500 MB of reference storage, and extraction tables of up to 10 papers and 5 columns.
Plus
$12
per seat / month, billed annually ($144); $19 billed monthly
12,500 AI credits a month, systematic reviews of up to 1,000 papers, unlimited AI searches and reference storage, and shared workspaces.
Pro
$29
per seat / month, billed annually ($348); $49 billed monthly
50,000 AI credits a month, systematic reviews of up to 5,000 papers and 500 Search API requests a month.
Evidence
$89
per seat / month, billed annually ($1,068); $149 billed monthly
150,000 AI credits a month, PRISMA-grade dual-reviewer screening, a dedicated support channel and 1,500 Search API requests a month.
Enterprise
Custom
Custom AI credits, systematic reviews of up to 20,000 papers, dual-reviewer screening and a dedicated support channel.
The free plan
2,000 AI credits and 20 AI searches a month, 500 MB of reference storage, extraction tables of up to 10 papers and 5 columns, and 10 Search API requests a month.
Read from paperguide.ai on Oct 5, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Save up to 41% with yearly billing
Billed yearly, Plus is $12 a seat per month against $19 billed monthly, Pro is $29 against $49 and Evidence is $89 against $149. The pricing page labels the saving as 41%.
Stated on paperguide.aiEducation
30% academic discount with a university email
Verifying a university email takes 30% off: Plus becomes $8, Pro $20 and Evidence $62 per seat / month billed yearly, or $13, $34 and $104 billed monthly.
Stated on paperguide.ai
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
2
Places it runs: Web and Browser extension
AI research platform for literature and systematic reviews. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, chat assistant, AI search, AI agents, research, citations, long-form writing.
It imports from Zotero and Mendeley and connects to Claude and ChatGPT.
- AI Search
- Ask a research question in plain language and get a synthesized answer drawn from more than 200 million papers, with each claim linked to its source.
- Systematic reviews
- Screens papers against a predefined protocol with cited evidence for each criterion, then produces verified extraction tables, a report and a PRISMA diagram. Dual-reviewer screening is on the Evidence plan.
- Reference manager
- Imports from Zotero or Mendeley, or by DOI, URL, PDF, BibTeX or RIS, fetches metadata and open-access PDFs, and formats citations in more than 1,000 styles.
- Extract Data
- You define the columns and the AI fills them across the selected papers, with every value linked to the statement it came from. Tables export to CSV or Excel.
- Research Agent
- Investigates a topic across the paper database and your library, answers questions about one or several PDFs, and can generate a literature review of up to 50 papers.
- AI Writer
- Drafts and edits documents with citations from your library and the paper database, and exports them as Word, PDF or LaTeX files.
Where it runs
- Web
- Browser extension
What it works with
- Zotero
- Mendeley
- Claude
- ChatGPT
- EZproxy
Paperguide is made by Paperguide.
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
Paperguide'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 features (A, above 25 of 27) and worst on ease of use (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $12 a month for each person, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 13 of the 20 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 28 AI research tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Paperguide’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 4 of 27
- CFree plan and trialAbove 1 of 27
- AFeaturesAbove 25 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. Paperguide 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 Paperguide 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 $144 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.
- An AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make.
- Citation records for millions of papers.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- It plugs into other products, Zotero, Mendeley and Claude among them, and has an API.
- The depth: we grade its features A, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Paperguide’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, Anara and Undermind
The 5 tools Paperguide 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.
- Paperguide also covers chat assistant and 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.
- Paperguide also covers long-form writing.
- 2.6GPA
Consensus
Free plan
AI search engine that answers questions from peer-reviewed papers.
- Only Paperguide lists a browser extension.
- Only Consensus lists an Android app.
- Paperguide also covers chat assistant and long-form writing.
- 2.4GPA
Anara
Free plan · from $8/mo
AI research assistant that cites the exact source passage.
- Only Anara lists macOS and iOS apps.
- Paperguide also covers long-form writing.
- Anara also covers web clipper.
- 2.2GPA
Undermind
Free plan · from $16/mo
AI literature search agent that reads hundreds of papers.
- Only Paperguide lists a browser extension.
- Paperguide also covers long-form writing.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
15
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 Paperguide free?
Paperguide has a free plan. 2,000 AI credits and 20 AI searches a month, 500 MB of reference storage, extraction tables of up to 10 papers and 5 columns, and 10 Search API requests a month.
How much does Paperguide cost?
Paperguide lists 5 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Paperguide work on?
Paperguide is available on Web. It also has a browser extension.
Does Paperguide offer any discounts?
Paperguide publicly lists the following: Save up to 41% with yearly billing; 30% academic discount with a university email.
Does Paperguide have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Paperguide is listed for Web.
Does Paperguide have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Paperguide is listed for Web.
Is Paperguide open source?
Paperguide is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 5, 2026.
Does Paperguide have an API?
Yes. Paperguide offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Paperguide integrate with?
Paperguide's listing names Zotero, Mendeley, Claude, ChatGPT and EZproxy.
Does Paperguide have a student discount?
30% academic discount with a university email. Verifying a university email takes 30% off: Plus becomes $8, Pro $20 and Evidence $62 per seat / month billed yearly, or $13, $34 and $104 billed monthly.
Who makes Paperguide?
Paperguide is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to Paperguide?
The closest alternatives to Paperguide in our directory are Elicit, SciSpace, Consensus, Anara and Undermind.
How does Paperguide compare with other AI research tools?
Paperguide's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 15 of the 27 other AI research tools we grade, and level with 5.
Is Paperguide good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Paperguide C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $12 a month for each person, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 13 of the 20 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Paperguide?
To replace Paperguide 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 Paperguide’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 Paperguide's own pages on 5 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-03-19.
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 Paperguide. Prices change, so check paperguide.ai 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
- Paperguide, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/paperguide
- 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, "Paperguide: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 5, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/paperguide
Know someone choosing between AI research tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/paperguide/guide
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See our other guides
The best-graded AI research tools after Paperguide, 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
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- 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 Paperguide’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. Paperguide is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Paperguide. Prices and plans change: check paperguide.ai before you buy.