The Scholarcy Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Scholarcy 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.
Scholarcy
The Insider’s Guide
Summarizes research papers into interactive flashcards
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI research tools, read from Scholarcy’s own pages.
Made by Scholarcy Limited · 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 Scholarcy’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Scholarcy’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
Scholarcy is a summarizer for research papers, book chapters and other long documents. It turns each one into an interactive summary flashcard with key concepts, highlights, a structured summary and a comparison with earlier research, and saves the flashcards to a searchable library. Browser extensions for Chrome, Edge and Firefox summarize articles as you browse, and flashcards export to Word, Excel, Markdown and reference managers.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Scholarcy, taken from its own pages and our grades.
No store rating on record, so B is the ceiling.
- 1
Best for deciding which papers to read in full
Scholarcy turns each paper you give it into a summary flashcard with key concepts, highlights and how the study compares with earlier research.
- 2
Paid plans start at $7.50 a month when paid by the year
As its pricing page puts it: $90 per year, or $9.99 per month billed monthly.
- 3
There is a free plan
Free Article Summarizer: the pricing page lists a limit of 10 summaries with flashcards exported one at a time, and its FAQ gives the limit as 1 summary per day.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web, with a browser extension too.
- 5
Summary flashcards
Each imported document becomes a structured flashcard with key concepts, highlights, a summary and a sidebar of important points that jump to the relevant section.
- 6
Enhance modes
A summary can be rewritten in seven styles, among them school level, general reader, undergrad level, researcher, a bulleted list, a one-liner or around your own question.
- 7
Research comparison
Shows how a study differs from, builds on, confirms or counters earlier research. References carry Scite data on how often a cited paper has been supported or disputed.
- 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 Scholarcy 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.
Scholarcy at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $90 per year, or $9.99 per month billed monthly
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 7-day free trial of the paid plan; billing starts afterward unless you cancel first.
- Runs on
- Web, Browser extension
- Made by
- Scholarcy Limited
- Category
- AI Research Tools
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
Best for deciding which papers to read in full
Scholarcy turns each paper you give it into a summary flashcard with key concepts, highlights and how the study compares with earlier research. It won't find papers for you, and the free limit is given two ways: 10 summaries on the pricing page, 1 a day in the FAQ. Free files stop at 11 MB, the 7-day trial bills unless you cancel, enhanced summaries come out in English only, and prices could only be read from archived pages.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | Scholarcy Plus is $90 a year, which works out at $7.50 a month, or $9.99 billed monthly. That sits in the cheapest quarter of this category, and summaries are unlimited. One caution: Scholarcy's site turns automated readers away, so these prices come from archived copies from March and April 2026. |
| Free plan and trial | C | There's a free Article Summarizer, but its limit is given two ways: 10 summaries on the pricing page, 1 a day in the FAQ. Either way you'll hit it. Files are capped at 11 MB too, and the 7-day trial of the paid plan starts billing unless you cancel first. |
| Features | C | It summarizes: flashcards with key concepts and highlights, seven rewrite styles from school level to researcher, a comparison with earlier research, a paper's tables as one Excel file, several cards combined into a literature matrix. That's one job, though. It won't find a paper for you. |
| Ease of use | B | No store rating on record, so B is the ceiling. There's nothing to set up, though: import a file or paste a link and a flashcard comes back, and the extensions summarise whatever page you have open. Worth knowing that enhanced summaries come out in English whatever the source language. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | A web app with extensions for Chrome, Edge and Firefox. It imports from Zotero, Dropbox, Google Drive and OneDrive, and exports to Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Markdown for Obsidian, Roam and Notion. No phone or desktop app is on the listing. |
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 Scholarcy is for
- Fits if you have a stack of papers and need to decide which ones to read in full
- Works for building a literature matrix or one bibliography from many papers
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you need a tool that finds papers, as this one summarizes what you give it
- Tight if you're staying free, with 10 summaries on the pricing page or 1 a day in the FAQ, and 11 MB files
- Watch out: the 7-day trial of Plus starts billing unless you cancel first
- Not for you if you want summaries in your own language or a phone app: enhanced summaries are in English, and no app is listed
- Watch out: the site turns automated readers away, so the prices here come from archived copies from March and April 2026
Good to know
Good for
- Screening a stack of papers before deciding which to read in full
- Students who want a paper explained at a simpler reading level
- Building a literature matrix or bibliography from many papers
Worth knowing
- Scholarcy's site turned automated readers away, so prices come from Internet Archive copies of its price data (April 2026) and pricing page (March 2026).
- The free Article Summarizer is limited to 10 summaries on the pricing page and 1 summary per day in its FAQ.
- Free accounts can import files of up to 11 MB; a subscription raises the limit to 50 MB.
- The synopsis and enhanced summaries are written in English even when the source is in another language.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$7.50
A month to start, paid by the year. There is a free plan too
Scholarcy has a free plan. Paid plans start at $90 per year, or $9.99 per month billed monthly.
That sits in the cheapest quarter of this category, and summaries are unlimited.
Free Article Summarizer
$0
Imports a range of file formats, with a limit of 10 summaries and flashcards exported one at a time.
Scholarcy Plus
$9.99
per month, billed monthly; $90 billed yearly
Unlimited and enhanced summaries, a saved flashcard library with notes and highlights, export of up to 100 flashcards at once and literature matrices.
The free plan
Free Article Summarizer: the pricing page lists a limit of 10 summaries with flashcards exported one at a time, and its FAQ gives the limit as 1 summary per day.
Trying it first
7-day free trial of the paid plan; billing starts afterward unless you cancel first.
Read from web.archive.org on Oct 5, 2026, where its own pages could not be read.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
25% off with yearly billing
The archived pricing page labels the yearly Scholarcy Plus plan with a 25% discount: $90 a year against $9.99 a month.
Stated on web.archive.org
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
Summarizes research papers into interactive flashcards. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, research, citations.
A web app with extensions for Chrome, Edge and Firefox.
- Summary flashcards
- Each imported document becomes a structured flashcard with key concepts, highlights, a summary and a sidebar of important points that jump to the relevant section.
- Enhance modes
- A summary can be rewritten in seven styles, among them school level, general reader, undergrad level, researcher, a bulleted list, a one-liner or around your own question.
- Research comparison
- Shows how a study differs from, builds on, confirms or counters earlier research. References carry Scite data on how often a cited paper has been supported or disputed.
- Tables, figures and references
- Extracts figures with their captions, downloads a paper's tables as one Excel file, and exports the reference list as RIS or BibTeX for a reference manager.
- Import and browser extensions
- Takes PDF, Word, PowerPoint, HTML, XML, LaTeX and text files, article and YouTube URLs, and imports from Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive and Zotero. Extensions summarize the page you have open.
- Export and literature matrix
- Flashcards export to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, RIS and Markdown for Obsidian, Roam and Notion. Several flashcards can be combined into a literature matrix or one bibliography.
Where it runs
- Web
- Browser extension
What it works with
- Zotero
- Google Drive
- Dropbox
- OneDrive
- Notion
- Obsidian
- Hypothes.is
- Scite
Scholarcy is made by Scholarcy Limited.
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
Scholarcy'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 value for money (B, above 18 of 27) and worst on free plan and trial (C, above 1).
Its paid plans start at $7.50 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 4 of the 20 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 2 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. Scholarcy’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 18 of 27
- CFree plan and trialAbove 1 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. Scholarcy 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 Scholarcy 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 $90 a year.
What you could not
- A library of papers and sources to search.
- Citation records for millions of papers.
- It plugs into other products, Zotero, Google Drive and Dropbox among them.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
What this rests on. Scholarcy’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
SciSpace, ChatPDF, Paperguide, Anara and Elicit
The 5 tools Scholarcy is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
SciSpace
Free plan · from $12/mo
AI research platform for literature review and reading papers.
- Only SciSpace lists an iOS app.
- SciSpace also covers chat assistant, AI search and AI agents.
- 2.8GPA
ChatPDF
Free plan · from $89.99/yr
Ask questions about PDFs and get answers with citations.
- Only Scholarcy lists a browser extension.
- Only ChatPDF lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- ChatPDF also covers chat assistant and AI search.
- 2.6GPA
Paperguide
Free plan · from $12/mo
AI research platform for literature and systematic reviews.
- Paperguide also covers chat assistant, AI search, AI agents 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.
- Anara also covers chat assistant, AI search, web clipper and AI agents.
- 2.4GPA
Elicit
Free plan · from $49/mo
AI research assistant for literature search and systematic reviews.
- Elicit also covers AI search and 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 Scholarcy free?
Scholarcy has a free plan. Free Article Summarizer: the pricing page lists a limit of 10 summaries with flashcards exported one at a time, and its FAQ gives the limit as 1 summary per day.
How much does Scholarcy cost?
Scholarcy lists 2 plans. Free Article Summarizer: $0.
What platforms does Scholarcy work on?
Scholarcy is available on Web. It also has a browser extension.
Does Scholarcy offer any discounts?
Scholarcy publicly lists the following: 25% off with yearly billing.
Does Scholarcy have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Scholarcy is listed for Web.
Does Scholarcy have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Scholarcy is listed for Web.
Is Scholarcy open source?
Scholarcy is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 5, 2026.
What does Scholarcy integrate with?
Scholarcy's listing names Zotero, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Notion, Obsidian, Hypothes.is and Scite.
Does Scholarcy have a free trial?
Yes. 7-day free trial of the paid plan; billing starts afterward unless you cancel first.
Who makes Scholarcy?
Scholarcy is made by Scholarcy Limited.
What are the alternatives to Scholarcy?
The closest alternatives to Scholarcy in our directory are SciSpace, ChatPDF, Paperguide, Anara and Elicit.
How does Scholarcy compare with other AI research tools?
Scholarcy's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 15 of the 27 other AI research tools we grade, and level with 5.
Is Scholarcy good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Scholarcy B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $7.50 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 4 of the 20 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Scholarcy?
To replace Scholarcy 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 Scholarcy’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 Scholarcy's own pages on 5 October 2026. Its prices come from archived copies of its pricing pages from March and April 2026, because the live site turned our reader away then and again on 9 October. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-04-20.
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 Scholarcy Limited. Prices change, so check scholarcy.com before you buy.
- web.archive.org/web/20260402184946/https://library.scholarcy.com/x/pricing
- web.archive.org/web/20260326213245/https://www.scholarcy.com/pricing
- web.archive.org/web/20260508130320/https://www.scholarcy.com/faq
- web.archive.org/web/20260918201012/https://www.scholarcy.com/
- help.scholarcy.com/
- help.scholarcy.com/guide/import
- help.scholarcy.com/guide/supercharge-your-reading
- help.scholarcy.com/guide/assimilate-and-analyse
- help.scholarcy.com/guide/export
- help.scholarcy.com/guide/organise-and-customise
- chromewebstore.google.com/detail/scholarcy-browser-extensi/oekgknkmgmaehhpegfeioenikocgbcib
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
- Scholarcy, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/scholarcy
- 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, "Scholarcy: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 5, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/scholarcy
Know someone choosing between AI research tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/scholarcy/guide
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See our other guides
The best-graded AI research tools after Scholarcy, 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 Scholarcy’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. Scholarcy is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Scholarcy Limited. Prices and plans change: check scholarcy.com before you buy.