The ResearchHub Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about ResearchHub 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.
ResearchHub
The Insider’s Guide
Open-science platform with paid peer review and research funding
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI research tools, read from ResearchHub’s own pages.
Made by ResearchHub · checked Nov 13, 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 ResearchHub’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on ResearchHub’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.0
GPA, above 8 of the 69 other AI research tools we grade
ResearchHub is a platform for open-access publishing, paid peer review and a funding marketplace for scientific research. Funders pay with its ResearchCoin token, a donor-advised fund, a credit card or Apple Pay. Its About page names Brian Armstrong as cofounder and CEO.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about ResearchHub, taken from its own pages and our grades.
The pricing is not stated on the pages we could read, and a token economy will put some people off.
- 1
Best for funding and peer-reviewing open science
That is a different job from searching or summarising papers.
- 2
It is free
ResearchHub has no paid plan at all.
- 3
It runs on Web
Web.
- 4
Funding marketplace
Links funders with researchers through preregistration, open peer review, capital commitment and linked results.
- 5
Paid peer review
Reviewers are rewarded for reviews; the page cites under 10 days average turnaround.
- 6
Open publishing
Articles published openly with no paywall, through the RH Journal.
- 7
A 2.0 GPA, above 8 of 69
That is against the other AI research tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
ResearchHub is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
ResearchHub at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- It is free
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- ResearchHub
- Category
- AI Research Tools
- Our grade
- 2.0 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for funding and peer-reviewing open science
ResearchHub is an open-science site where researchers get funded, publish and are paid for peer review, with rewards running on a cryptocurrency token. That is a different job from searching or summarising papers. The pricing is not stated on the pages we could read, and a token economy will put some people off.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | No price on record: the pricing could not be verified from the pages read, so we leave it in the middle with no evidence either way. |
| Free plan and trial | C | The listing says free but marks it unverified, and the home page shows sign-up and log-in with no plan details. |
| Features | C | A funding marketplace, paid peer review and open publishing. It does not search, summarise or map the literature, so it covers a different part of the category. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record and you need an account, plus a token for the rewards and bounties. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Web only, with no apps, API or integrations 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 ResearchHub is for
- Fits if you want to fund or crowdfund a research project in the open
- Works for reviewers who would take token payment for peer review
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want to search or summarise papers, because that is not what it does
- Not for you if you would rather not deal with a cryptocurrency token, as rewards and bounties run on one
- Watch out: pricing could not be verified from the pages read
- Too light for a paper-reading workflow, as no reading or citation tools are listed
Good to know
Good for
- Researchers seeking funding or paid review
- Funders wanting low indirect costs
Worth knowing
- Pricing could not be verified from the pages read.
- Rewards and bounties run on a cryptocurrency token.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
ResearchHub's current pricing could not be confirmed from its own site.
No price on record: the pricing could not be verified from the pages read, so we leave it in the middle with no evidence either way.
We could not confirm ResearchHub’s current prices from its own site, so this guide lists no plans. researchhub.com has them.
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
Open-science platform with paid peer review and research funding. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: research, documents.
A funding marketplace, paid peer review and open publishing.
- Funding marketplace
- Links funders with researchers through preregistration, open peer review, capital commitment and linked results.
- Paid peer review
- Reviewers are rewarded for reviews; the page cites under 10 days average turnaround.
- Open publishing
- Articles published openly with no paywall, through the RH Journal.
- ResearchCoin
- An ERC20 token used for bounties and rewards.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
ResearchHub is made by ResearchHub.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
8/69
Other AI research tools it is graded above
ResearchHub's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 8 of the 69 other AI research tools we grade, and level with 7.
ResearchHub has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 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 70 AI research tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. ResearchHub’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 10 of 69
- CFree plan and trialAbove 9 of 69
- CFeaturesAbove 1 of 69
- CEase of useAbove 1 of 69
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 69
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 59 AI research tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. ResearchHub 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
ResearchHub is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 54 of the 69 other AI research tools grade higher.
What you could make
- Documents: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- A library of papers and sources to search.
What this rests on. ResearchHub’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
Semantic Scholar, alphaXiv, CORE and Open Knowledge Maps
The 4 tools ResearchHub is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.2GPA
Semantic Scholar
Free
Free AI-powered search engine for scientific literature.
- Only Semantic Scholar lists a browser extension.
- ResearchHub also covers documents.
- Semantic Scholar also covers AI search and citations.
- 2.4GPA
alphaXiv
Free plan · from $8/mo
arXiv reading and discovery site with an AI research assistant.
- Only alphaXiv lists an iOS app.
- Only alphaXiv lists a browser extension.
- ResearchHub also covers documents.
- 3.2GPA
CORE
Free
Open access research search backed by a free API.
- ResearchHub also covers documents.
- CORE also covers AI search.
- 3.0GPA
Open Knowledge Maps
Free
Free visual maps of a research topic from open scholarly sources.
- ResearchHub also covers documents.
- Open Knowledge Maps also covers mind mapping.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
10
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 ResearchHub free?
Yes. ResearchHub is free to use.
What platforms does ResearchHub work on?
ResearchHub is available on Web.
Does ResearchHub have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. ResearchHub is listed for Web.
Does ResearchHub have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. ResearchHub is listed for Web.
Is ResearchHub open source?
ResearchHub is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
Who makes ResearchHub?
ResearchHub is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to ResearchHub?
The closest alternatives to ResearchHub in our directory are Semantic Scholar, alphaXiv, CORE and Open Knowledge Maps.
How does ResearchHub compare with other AI research tools?
ResearchHub's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 8 of the 69 other AI research tools we grade, and level with 7.
Is ResearchHub good value for money?
ToolGPA grades ResearchHub C for value for money. On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4.
Could I make my own version of ResearchHub?
ResearchHub is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from ResearchHub’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from ResearchHub's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. Its home page loaded with little readable text and no pricing.
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 ResearchHub. Prices change, so check researchhub.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
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.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- ResearchHub, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/researchhub
- 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, "ResearchHub: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/researchhub
Know someone choosing between AI research tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/researchhub/guide
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See our other guides
The best-graded AI research tools after ResearchHub, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- AI Research Tools Insider's GuideEvery one of the 70 AI research tools we grade, compared
- Ai2 Asta Insider's GuideAI research assistant for finding papers and analyzing data3.2 GPA
- Brave Search Insider's GuidePrivate web search engine with its own index and AI answers3.2 GPA
- CORE Insider's GuideOpen access research search backed by a free API3.2 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 ResearchHub’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. ResearchHub is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by ResearchHub. Prices and plans change: check researchhub.com before you buy.