The SciSummary Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about SciSummary 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.
SciSummary
The Insider’s Guide
AI summaries, figure explanations and chat for scientific papers
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI research tools, read from SciSummary’s own pages.
Made by Ariso · 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 SciSummary’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on SciSummary’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
2.2
GPA, above 16 of the 69 other AI research tools we grade
SciSummary is a web tool that summarizes scientific papers into labeled sections such as abstract, methods, results and conclusion. Papers can be imported by PDF upload, DOI, PubMed ID, arXiv ID or URL, then explained, compared and questioned in chat. It also keeps a searchable library with folders and tags, and offers a bulk API.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about SciSummary, taken from its own pages and our grades.
There's a library with folders and tags to organize before it earns its keep.
- 1
Best for summaries and figure explanations of scientific papers
SciSummary writes structured summaries and explains figures in scientific papers, with chat over the paper.
- 2
Paid plans start at $12.50 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $12.50 per month, billed yearly ($15 billed monthly).
- 3
You can try it first
7-day free trial of the AI tools, limited to 30,000 words of summaries, 5 analyzed figures and 100 chat messages.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Structured summaries
Breaks a paper into labeled sections and can summarize several papers into one combined summary, or compare papers with AI.
- 6
Figure analysis
Explains figures, tables and charts, including statistics such as p-values, confidence intervals and effect sizes.
- 7
Chat with papers
Ask questions of one paper, or of the whole library through semantic search and chat.
- 8
A 2.2 GPA, above 16 of 69
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 SciSummary 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.
SciSummary at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $12.50 per month, billed yearly ($15 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 7-day free trial of the AI tools, limited to 30,000 words of summaries, 5 analyzed figures and 100 chat messages.
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Ariso, since 2023
- Category
- AI Research Tools
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for summaries and figure explanations of scientific papers
SciSummary writes structured summaries and explains figures in scientific papers, with chat over the paper. It has one paid plan at $12.50 a month billed yearly, and the vendor's own pages disagree about the price.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | $12.50 a month billed yearly or $15 monthly, at the upper end of a category whose middle is $10. The homepage and the site's llms.txt file list different prices ($4 and $7), so the figure is unclear. |
| Free plan and trial | C | No free plan. A 7-day trial is capped at 30,000 words of summaries, 5 figures and 100 chat messages, and non-AI features are free with no card. |
| Features | C | Summaries, figure analysis, chat, a library with folders and tags, and an API. Uploads are capped at 200 MB per file, and larger files may fail. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. There's a library with folders and tags to organize before it earns its keep. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web only, with PubMed, arXiv and ChatGPT, plus API and agent access. |
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 SciSummary is for
- Fits if you read scientific papers and want the figures explained
- Works for someone who searches PubMed and arXiv and wants one library
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want a free plan, as only a 7-day capped trial exists
- Pricey if you read the vendor's own pages: they disagree between $12.50 and $4 a month
- Watch out: the trial caps summaries at 30,000 words, 5 figures and 100 chat messages
- Watch out: uploads are capped at 200 MB, and there's no desktop or mobile app
Good to know
Good for
- Students and researchers triaging long reading lists
- People who want a paper's figures and statistics explained
- Developers who need bulk paper summaries through an API
Worth knowing
- The homepage shows $12.50 a month billed yearly and $15 billed monthly, but the site's llms.txt file lists $4 and $7 a month, so the vendor's own pages disagree.
- The 7-day trial caps summaries at 30,000 words, 5 figures and 100 chat messages; non-AI features are free without a card.
- Only a web version is described, with no desktop or mobile app.
- Uploads are capped at 200 MB per file, and the FAQ says larger files may fail.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$12.50
A month to start
SciSummary is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $12.50 per month, billed yearly ($15 billed monthly).
Pro Plan
$12.50
per month, billed yearly ($15 billed monthly)
Unlimited summaries, figure analysis, chat messages and article searches, and semantic search over 1,000 indexed documents. Yearly billing is $150 a year.
Trying it first
7-day free trial of the AI tools, limited to 30,000 words of summaries, 5 analyzed figures and 100 chat messages.
Read from scisummary.com on Nov 12, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Yearly billing at $150
The homepage shows the Pro Plan at $12.50 a month billed as $150 a year, labeled Save $30 a year against $15 a month billed monthly.
Stated on scisummary.com
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
AI summaries, figure explanations and chat for scientific papers. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features, chat assistant, research, citations.
Summaries, figure analysis, chat, a library with folders and tags, and an API.
- Structured summaries
- Breaks a paper into labeled sections and can summarize several papers into one combined summary, or compare papers with AI.
- Figure analysis
- Explains figures, tables and charts, including statistics such as p-values, confidence intervals and effect sizes.
- Chat with papers
- Ask questions of one paper, or of the whole library through semantic search and chat.
- Library with folders and tags
- Papers can be organized into folders and tags, and imported from a PDF, DOI, PubMed ID, arXiv ID or URL.
- API and agent access
- A REST API for bulk summarization, an MCP server and a command-line tool are described on the site's developer pages.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- PubMed
- arXiv
- ChatGPT
SciSummary is made by Ariso, and has been around since 2023.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
16/69
Other AI research tools it is graded above
SciSummary's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 16 of the 69 other AI research tools we grade, and level with 14.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 28 of 69) and worst on features (C, above 1).
Its paid plans start at $12.50 a month, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 31 of the 48 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 20 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 70 AI research tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. SciSummary’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
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 28 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. SciSummary 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 SciSummary 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: 39 of the 69 other AI research tools grade higher. It costs $150 a year.
What you could not
- A library of papers and sources to search.
- An AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make.
- Citation records for millions of papers.
- It plugs into other products, PubMed, arXiv and ChatGPT among them, and has an API.
What this rests on. SciSummary’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
Scholarcy, Paperguide, SciSpace, Explainpaper and Elicit
The 5 tools SciSummary is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
Scholarcy
Free plan · from $90/yr
Summarizes research papers into interactive flashcards.
- Scholarcy has a free plan. SciSummary does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Scholarcy lists a browser extension.
- SciSummary also covers chat assistant.
- 2.6GPA
Paperguide
Free plan · from $12/mo
AI research platform for literature and systematic reviews.
- Paperguide has a free plan. SciSummary does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Paperguide lists a browser extension.
- Paperguide also covers AI search, AI agents and long-form writing.
- 2.4GPA
SciSpace
Free plan · from $12/mo
AI research platform for literature review and reading papers.
- SciSpace has a free plan. SciSummary does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only SciSpace lists an iOS app.
- Only SciSpace lists a browser extension.
- 2.4GPA
Explainpaper
Free plan · from $12/mo
Highlight confusing text in a paper and get a plain explanation.
- Explainpaper has a free plan. SciSummary does not, though it has a free trial.
- SciSummary also covers citations.
- Explainpaper also covers documents and highlights.
- 2.4GPA
Elicit
Free plan · from $49/mo
AI research assistant for literature search and systematic reviews.
- Elicit has a free plan. SciSummary does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Elicit lists a browser extension.
- SciSummary also covers chat assistant.
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 SciSummary free?
No, SciSummary is a paid product, but you can try it first. 7-day free trial of the AI tools, limited to 30,000 words of summaries, 5 analyzed figures and 100 chat messages.
How much does SciSummary cost?
SciSummary lists one plan. Pro Plan: $12.50 per month, billed yearly ($15 billed monthly).
What platforms does SciSummary work on?
SciSummary is available on Web.
Does SciSummary offer any discounts?
SciSummary publicly lists the following: Yearly billing at $150.
Does SciSummary have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. SciSummary is listed for Web.
Does SciSummary have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. SciSummary is listed for Web.
Is SciSummary open source?
SciSummary is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
Does SciSummary have an API?
Yes. SciSummary offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does SciSummary integrate with?
SciSummary's listing names PubMed, arXiv and ChatGPT. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes SciSummary?
SciSummary is made by Ariso. It dates from 2023.
What are the alternatives to SciSummary?
The closest alternatives to SciSummary in our directory are Scholarcy, Paperguide, SciSpace, Explainpaper and Elicit.
How does SciSummary compare with other AI research tools?
SciSummary's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 16 of the 69 other AI research tools we grade, and level with 14.
Is SciSummary good value for money?
ToolGPA grades SciSummary C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $12.50 a month, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 31 of the 48 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of SciSummary?
To replace SciSummary 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 SciSummary’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 SciSummary'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 Ariso. Prices change, so check scisummary.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
- SciSummary, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/scisummary
- 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, "SciSummary: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/scisummary
Know someone choosing between AI research tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/scisummary/guide
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See our other guides
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- 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 SciSummary’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. SciSummary is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Ariso. Prices and plans change: check scisummary.com before you buy.