The SciSpace Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about SciSpace 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.
SciSpace
The Insider’s Guide
AI research platform for literature review and reading papers
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI research tools, read from SciSpace’s own pages.
Made by PubGenius Inc. · 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 SciSpace’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on SciSpace’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
2.4
GPA, above 6 of the 27 other AI research tools we grade
SciSpace is a research platform that combines literature search, question answering over PDFs and writing tools. Its Literature Review tool answers questions from a repository of more than 270 million papers with cited sources, and Chat with PDF explains individual papers. Agents take on longer research tasks against a monthly credit allowance, and a Chrome extension and an iPhone and iPad app are also offered.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about SciSpace, taken from its own pages and our grades.
There's no Android app and no integrations on record.
- 1
Best for search, reading and writing in one place
SciSpace's site blocks automated readers, so the prices come from an archived page and the free tier's limits are unknown.
- 2
Paid plans start at $12 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $12 per month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly).
- 3
There is a free plan
Third-party listings report a free tier, but its current limits could not be read: SciSpace's site turned automated readers away, and the archived pricing data covers paid plans only.
- 4
It runs on 2 platforms
Web and iOS, with a browser extension too.
- 5
Literature Review
Ask a research question in plain language and get answers drawn from a repository of more than 270 million papers, each with references to its sources.
- 6
Chat with PDF
Ask questions about a paper or PDF and get answers backed by citations that point to where in the source they came from.
- 7
SciSpace Agent and Biomedical Agent
Agents take on research tasks and draw on the plan's monthly credits. Each plan also caps how many tasks run at once: 4 on Premium, 8 on Advanced and 16 on Max.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 6 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 SciSpace 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.
SciSpace at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $12 per month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Browser extension
- Made by
- PubGenius Inc.
- Category
- AI Research Tools
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for search, reading and writing in one place
SciSpace bundles a literature search over more than 270 million papers, chat with a PDF, writing tools and agents for longer research jobs. Everything paid runs on monthly credits, 1,200 on the $12 Premium plan, and the next step is Advanced at $70. SciSpace's site blocks automated readers, so the prices come from an archived page and the free tier's limits are unknown. There's no Android app and no integrations on record.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Premium is $12 a month billed annually, or $20 monthly, the middle of this category. That buys 1,200 credits and 4 tasks at once. The next step is a big one: Advanced at $70 for 10,000 credits. These figures come from an archived copy of the pricing page captured on 30 September 2026. |
| Free plan and trial | C | A free tier is reported by other listings, but SciSpace's own site turned automated readers away, so what it includes couldn't be confirmed on a SciSpace page. We'd sign up and look before planning a project around it. |
| Features | B | Literature Review answers from more than 270 million papers with references, Chat with PDF explains one paper, Extract Data pulls the findings out of several at once. Add agents, an AI writer, a paraphraser and a citation generator with 2,300+ styles and the whole job is covered. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record, and credits are the thing you have to keep in your head: every plan meters the agents by a monthly allowance and caps how many tasks run at once. Asking in plain language, or highlighting a table to have it explained, is the easy part. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, an iPhone and iPad app, and a Chrome extension that explains highlighted text on any page and replies in 13 languages. Phone and computer, then. No Android app was found on Google Play in the US when checked, and the listing shows nothing it connects to. |
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 SciSpace is for
- Fits if you want search, reading and writing tools on one subscription
- Works for research teams of 2 to 300 people who want to be billed per user
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you're on Android, as the mobile app is listed for iPhone and iPad only
- Pricey if you run agents a lot, since the step past 1,200 credits is Advanced at $70 a month billed annually
- Not for you if you need the free limits in writing first, as they couldn't be confirmed
- Tight if you start several jobs at once, as Premium runs 4 tasks at a time and Advanced 8
- Watch out: prices come from an archived copy of the pricing page from 30 September 2026, and no integrations are listed
Good to know
Good for
- Students and researchers who want search, reading and writing tools in one place
- Getting plain-language explanations of dense papers, equations and tables
- Research teams of 2 to 300 people billed per user
Worth knowing
- SciSpace's site blocked automated reading, so prices come from an Internet Archive copy of its pricing page captured on September 30, 2026.
- The limits of the free tier could not be confirmed on a SciSpace page.
- Paid plans meter usage in monthly credits: 1,200 on Premium, 10,000 on Advanced and 40,000 or more on Max.
- The mobile app is listed for iPhone and iPad; no Android app was found on Google Play (US) when checked.
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. There is a free plan too
SciSpace has a free plan. Paid plans start at $12 per month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly).
We'd sign up and look before planning a project around it.
Premium
$12
per month, billed annually ($144); $20 billed monthly
1,200 credits a month and up to 4 concurrent tasks.
Teams (Premium)
$15
per user / month, billed annually ($180); $25 billed monthly
For 2 to 300 users, each with 1,200 credits a month and up to 4 concurrent tasks.
Advanced
$70
per month, billed annually ($840); $90 billed monthly
10,000 credits a month and up to 8 concurrent tasks.
Teams (Advanced)
$75
per user / month, billed annually ($900); $100 billed monthly
For 2 to 300 users, each with 10,000 credits a month and up to 8 concurrent tasks.
Max
From $160
per month, billed annually ($1,920); from $200 billed monthly
Priced by credit tier, from 40,000 credits a month up to 300,000, with up to 16 concurrent tasks.
Teams (Max)
$175
per user / month, billed annually ($2,100); $220 billed monthly
For 2 to 300 users, each with 40,000 credits a month and up to 16 concurrent tasks.
The free plan
Third-party listings report a free tier, but its current limits could not be read: SciSpace's site turned automated readers away, and the archived pricing data covers paid plans only.
Read from web.archive.org on Oct 5, 2026, where its own pages could not be read.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Save 20% to 40% with annual billing
Annual billing brings Premium from $20 to $12 a month (40% off), Advanced from $90 to $70 (22% off) and the entry Max tier from $200 to $160 (20% off).
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
3
Places it runs: Web, iOS and Browser extension
AI research platform for literature review and reading papers. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: chat assistant, AI search, AI agents, research, citations.
No Android app was found on Google Play in the US when checked, and the listing shows nothing it connects to.
- Literature Review
- Ask a research question in plain language and get answers drawn from a repository of more than 270 million papers, each with references to its sources.
- Chat with PDF
- Ask questions about a paper or PDF and get answers backed by citations that point to where in the source they came from.
- SciSpace Agent and Biomedical Agent
- Agents take on research tasks and draw on the plan's monthly credits. Each plan also caps how many tasks run at once: 4 on Premium, 8 on Advanced and 16 on Max.
- Writing and citation tools
- AI Writer, Paraphraser and AI Detector sit beside a Citation Generator that formats references in APA, MLA and more than 2,300 other styles.
- Extract Data
- Pulls the summary, conclusions and findings out of several PDFs at once so papers can be compared side by side.
- Chrome extension
- Explains highlighted text, math and tables on any web page or PDF, answers follow-up questions with citations and replies in 13 languages.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
- Browser extension
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
SciSpace is made by PubGenius Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
6/27
Other AI research tools it is graded above
SciSpace's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 6 of the 27 other AI research tools we grade, and level with 8.
It stands best on features (B, above 15 of 27) and worst on ease of use (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $12 a month, 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 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. SciSpace’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 4 of 27
- CFree plan and trialAbove 1 of 27
- BFeaturesAbove 15 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. SciSpace 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 SciSpace 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.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 13 of the 27 other AI research tools grade higher. It costs $144 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 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.
- A real app for iOS. Something home-made would be a web page.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. SciSpace’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, Consensus, Paperguide, Scite and Anara
The 5 tools SciSpace 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 SciSpace lists an iOS app.
- SciSpace also covers chat assistant.
- 2.6GPA
Consensus
Free plan
AI search engine that answers questions from peer-reviewed papers.
- Only SciSpace lists an iOS app.
- Only SciSpace lists a browser extension.
- Only Consensus lists an Android app.
- 2.6GPA
Paperguide
Free plan · from $12/mo
AI research platform for literature and systematic reviews.
- Only SciSpace lists an iOS app.
- Paperguide also covers long-form writing.
- 2.2GPA
Scite
Free trial · from $20/mo
Research assistant that shows how papers have been cited.
- SciSpace has a free plan. Scite does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only SciSpace lists an iOS app.
- SciSpace also covers AI agents.
- 2.4GPA
Anara
Free plan · from $8/mo
AI research assistant that cites the exact source passage.
- Only Anara lists a macOS app.
- Anara also covers web clipper.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
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 SciSpace free?
SciSpace has a free plan. Third-party listings report a free tier, but its current limits could not be read: SciSpace's site turned automated readers away, and the archived pricing data covers paid plans only.
How much does SciSpace cost?
SciSpace lists 6 plans. Premium: $12 per month, billed annually ($144); $20 billed monthly.
What platforms does SciSpace work on?
SciSpace is available on Web and iOS. It also has a browser extension.
Does SciSpace offer any discounts?
SciSpace publicly lists the following: Save 20% to 40% with annual billing.
Does SciSpace have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. SciSpace is listed for Web and iOS.
Does SciSpace have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. SciSpace is listed for Web and iOS.
Is SciSpace open source?
SciSpace is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 5, 2026.
Who makes SciSpace?
SciSpace is made by PubGenius Inc.
What are the alternatives to SciSpace?
The closest alternatives to SciSpace in our directory are Elicit, Consensus, Paperguide, Scite and Anara.
How does SciSpace compare with other AI research tools?
SciSpace's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 6 of the 27 other AI research tools we grade, and level with 8.
Is SciSpace good value for money?
ToolGPA grades SciSpace C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $12 a month, 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 SciSpace?
To replace SciSpace 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 SciSpace’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 SciSpace's own pages on 5 October 2026. Its prices come from an archived copy of its pricing page, because the live site blocked our reader then and again on 9 October, and its free tier is only reported by third parties. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-09-24.
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 PubGenius Inc. Prices change, so check scispace.com 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
- SciSpace, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/scispace
- 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, "SciSpace: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 5, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/scispace
Know someone choosing between AI research tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/scispace/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded AI research tools after SciSpace, 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 SciSpace’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. SciSpace is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by PubGenius Inc. Prices and plans change: check scispace.com before you buy.