The Rayyan Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Rayyan 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.
Rayyan
The Insider’s Guide
Systematic review screening with AI relevance predictions
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI research tools, read from Rayyan’s own pages.
Made by Rayyan · checked Nov 12, 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 Rayyan’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Rayyan’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.6
GPA, above 33 of the 49 other AI research tools we grade
Rayyan is a web platform for running systematic and literature reviews. Teams import references, remove duplicates, screen titles and abstracts together, and extract data. Higher plans add PRISMA diagrams, PICO extraction with AI and risk-of-bias tools, and the institutional plans add the ResearchPilot AI assistant.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Rayyan, taken from its own pages and our grades.
You set up a review, invite reviewers and run the samples.
- 1
Best for screening papers for systematic reviews
Rayyan screens papers for systematic reviews with AI relevance predictions, and it starts free.
- 2
Paid plans start at $4.99 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $4.99 per seat / month, billed annually ($8.33 billed quarterly).
- 3
There is a free plan
Free forever: 3 active reviews, 2 free reviewers, 1 sample, duplicate detection and AI relevance predictions.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Screening with AI relevance predictions
Reviewers include or exclude references while the tool predicts relevance. Every plan, including the free one, lists AI relevance predictions.
- 6
Duplicate detection
Duplicate detection is on every plan. Auto-resolving duplicates is listed from the Essential plan up.
- 7
Team workbench and samples
Reviews can be divided between team members and randomized into samples, with more than 15 workbench facets for analyzing decisions.
- 8
A 2.6 GPA, above 33 of 49
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 Rayyan 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.
Rayyan at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $4.99 per seat / month, billed annually ($8.33 billed quarterly)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Rayyan
- Category
- AI Research Tools
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
Best for screening papers for systematic reviews
Rayyan screens papers for systematic reviews with AI relevance predictions, and it starts free. But the free plan stops at 3 active reviews and 2 free reviewers, and the ResearchPilot AI is on the Business plan, sold from 5 licenses at $2,500 a year.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | Essential is $4.99 a seat a month billed yearly, and Advanced is $8.33. That's in the cheapest quarter, which starts at $7.50 for the category. Business is $41.67 per license, from 5 licenses. |
| Free plan and trial | B | Free forever with 3 active reviews, 2 free reviewers, a sample, duplicate detection and AI relevance predictions. One reviewer can live on that. |
| Features | B | Screening, duplicate detection, team samples, PRISMA diagrams, PICO extraction and risk-of-bias tools. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in screening itself, but PRISMA and PICO sit on paid plans. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. You set up a review, invite reviewers and run the samples. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Web, with a mobile app mentioned but no platforms listed. SSO and API access are Enterprise only, and no integrations are listed. |
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 Rayyan is for
- Fits if you're a student or researcher screening for a review without a budget
- Works for small review teams that need the duplicate check and AI ranking
Who it is not for
- Tight if you stay free: 3 active reviews and 2 free reviewers
- Pricey if you're an institution, as ResearchPilot AI is Business at $2,500 a year from 5 licenses
- Watch out: PRISMA diagrams need Essential, and PICO extraction needs Advanced
- Watch out: SSO and API access are on the Enterprise plan only
- Watch out: the mobile app is limited on Free, and its platforms aren't listed
Good to know
Good for
- Students and solo researchers running a first systematic review on a free plan
- Small review teams that need dual screening at a low per-seat price
- Universities buying licenses for many reviewers
Worth knowing
- The free plan stops at 3 active reviews and 2 invited free reviewers.
- ResearchPilot AI, 250 reviewers and organization-wide management need the Business / Academic plan, sold from 5 licenses.
- SSO / SAML and API access are listed only on the Enterprise plan.
- The site mentions a mobile app, but the pages read do not say which platforms it covers.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$4.99
A month to start, for each person. There is a free plan too
Rayyan has a free plan. Paid plans start at $4.99 per seat / month, billed annually ($8.33 billed quarterly).
Free
$0
3 active reviews, 2 free reviewers, 1 sample, limited mobile app access, duplicate detection and AI relevance predictions.
Essential
$4.99
per seat / month, billed annually ($8.33 billed quarterly)
Adds PRISMA flow diagrams, 5 free reviewers, auto-resolved duplicates and unlimited mobile app access.
Advanced
$8.33
per seat / month, billed annually ($13.33 billed quarterly)
9 active reviews, 10 free reviewers, unlimited samples, AI extraction of PICO data, priority support and extra risk-of-bias tools.
Business / Academic
$41.67
per license / month, billed annually
Starts at 5 licenses ($2,500 a year), sold through sales. Adds ResearchPilot AI, 250 free reviewers and 50 organization-wide reviews.
Enterprise
Custom
Unlimited reviews, SSO / SAML, API access, a management console and dedicated support.
The free plan
Free forever: 3 active reviews, 2 free reviewers, 1 sample, duplicate detection and AI relevance predictions.
Read from rayyan.ai on Nov 12, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Save up to 40% with annual billing
The pricing page says annual plans save up to 40% against quarterly billing; Essential is $4.99 a seat annually against $8.33 quarterly.
Stated on rayyan.aiEducation
Discounts for academic institutions
The pricing page notes that discounts are available for academics on the Business / Academic plan.
Stated on rayyan.ai
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
Systematic review screening with AI relevance predictions. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features, real-time collaboration, research, citations.
Screening, duplicate detection, team samples, PRISMA diagrams, PICO extraction and risk-of-bias tools.
- Screening with AI relevance predictions
- Reviewers include or exclude references while the tool predicts relevance. Every plan, including the free one, lists AI relevance predictions.
- Duplicate detection
- Duplicate detection is on every plan. Auto-resolving duplicates is listed from the Essential plan up.
- Team workbench and samples
- Reviews can be divided between team members and randomized into samples, with more than 15 workbench facets for analyzing decisions.
- PRISMA diagrams and PICO extraction
- PRISMA flow diagrams start on Essential. Advanced adds AI extraction of PICO data.
- Risk-of-bias tools
- The Advanced plan lists the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool, and the site announces a Risk of Bias feature.
- ResearchPilot for institutions
- The Business / Academic plan and above include ResearchPilot, which the site describes as AI search, screening and extraction for institutions.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
Rayyan is made by Rayyan.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
33/49
Other AI research tools it is graded above
Rayyan's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 33 of the 49 other AI research tools we grade, and level with 7.
It stands best on value for money (B, above 36 of 49) and worst on platforms and integrations (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $4.99 a month for each person, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 1 of the 35 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 2 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 50 AI research tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Rayyan’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 36 of 49
- BFree plan and trialAbove 36 of 49
- BFeaturesAbove 34 of 49
- CEase of useAbove 1 of 49
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 49
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 40 AI research tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Rayyan 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 Rayyan 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 is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.6 is higher than 33 of the 49 other AI research tools we grade. It costs $59.88 a year.
What you could not
- A library of papers and sources to search.
- Citation records for millions of papers.
- Several people working in it at the same moment.
- An API that other software can build on.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Rayyan’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, Scite, Undermind, Consensus and Iris.ai
The 5 tools Rayyan 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.
- Elicit also covers AI search and AI agents.
- 2.2GPA
Scite
Free trial · from $20/mo
Research assistant that shows how papers have been cited.
- Rayyan has a free plan. Scite does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Scite lists a browser extension.
- Scite also covers chat assistant and AI search.
- 2.2GPA
Undermind
Free plan · from $16/mo
AI literature search agent that reads hundreds of papers.
- Undermind also covers chat assistant, AI search and AI agents.
- 2.6GPA
Consensus
Free plan
AI search engine that answers questions from peer-reviewed papers.
- Only Consensus lists an Android app.
- Consensus also covers AI search and AI agents.
- 1.6GPA
Iris.ai
Paid
Enterprise tools that turn documents into AI-ready data.
- Rayyan has a free plan. Iris.ai does not.
- Rayyan also covers citations.
- Iris.ai also covers AI agents and documents.
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 Rayyan free?
Rayyan has a free plan. Free forever: 3 active reviews, 2 free reviewers, 1 sample, duplicate detection and AI relevance predictions.
How much does Rayyan cost?
Rayyan lists 5 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Rayyan work on?
Rayyan is available on Web.
Does Rayyan offer any discounts?
Rayyan publicly lists the following: Save up to 40% with annual billing; Discounts for academic institutions.
Does Rayyan have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Rayyan is listed for Web.
Does Rayyan have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Rayyan is listed for Web.
Is Rayyan open source?
Rayyan is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
Does Rayyan have an API?
Yes. Rayyan offers a public API, according to its own site.
Does Rayyan have a student discount?
Discounts for academic institutions. The pricing page notes that discounts are available for academics on the Business / Academic plan.
Who makes Rayyan?
Rayyan is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to Rayyan?
The closest alternatives to Rayyan in our directory are Elicit, Scite, Undermind, Consensus and Iris.ai.
How does Rayyan compare with other AI research tools?
Rayyan's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 33 of the 49 other AI research tools we grade, and level with 7.
Is Rayyan good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Rayyan B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $4.99 a month for each person, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 1 of the 35 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Rayyan?
To replace Rayyan 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 Rayyan’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Rayyan's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
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 Rayyan. Prices change, so check rayyan.ai before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
Tools graded, in 95 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.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Rayyan, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/rayyan
- 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, "Rayyan: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/rayyan
Know someone choosing between AI research tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/rayyan/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded AI research tools after Rayyan, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- AI Research Tools Insider's GuideEvery one of the 50 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 Rayyan’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. Rayyan is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Rayyan. Prices and plans change: check rayyan.ai before you buy.