AI Compare · AI tools
Scite: plans, prices, strengths and limits
Scite sells no free plan: Scite Basic costs $20 a month, or $144 a year ($12 a month), and Scite Pro costs $50 a month, or $480 a year ($40 a month). Both include unlimited Assistant queries; Pro adds more MCP credits, larger Collections, extra datasets and API access.
Prices for United States, before sales tax Data release 2026.11.07-2, Nov 7, 2026 Rules 2.5.0
- Made by
- Scite LLC (Research Solutions)
- Individual plans
- 2
- Paid plans
- $20 to $50 a month
- Facts checked
- Nov 7, 2026
Hidden gem A smaller tool fewer people know yet. We list it after the main picks for each job its maker documents; we have not tested it. How we choose them
Quick verdict
Scite is a research tool that answers questions from 323 million full-text-indexed scholarly articles and shows, through Smart Citations, whether later papers support or contrast a claim. Scite Basic is $20 a month, or $144 a year paid up front ($12 a month), with unlimited Assistant queries, full-text search, Smart Citation reports, citation alerts, Collections of up to 1,000 papers and 250 MCP credits a month for the Claude and ChatGPT connectors. Scite Pro is $50 a month, or $480 a year paid up front ($40 a month), with 2,500 MCP credits a month, Collections of up to 10,000 papers, patent, clinical trial and grant datasets and API access. Scite does not say whether US sales tax is added. New subscribers may get a 7-day trial.
The Assistant answers from Scite's own index, not from a live web search, and cites the papers. On privacy, Scite is clear: its privacy policy says it does not use Customer Data to train any AI system. Less is documented elsewhere: the AI models behind the Assistant, uploading documents into a chat, data export and explicit permission to use Assistant output commercially are all not verified on Scite's pages.
This verdict rests on what Scite documents, not on our tests, which we have not run yet.
Strengths and limits
Strengths
- Shows support and contrastSmart Citations show whether later papers support or contrast a claim, across 323 million full-text-indexed articles. Search and Assistant answers draw on the same index on both plans.
- Unlimited Assistant queriesBasic and Pro both include unlimited Assistant queries. The Assistant writes a cited survey and analysis by default and has a Table Mode with custom columns.
- No training on your dataScite's privacy policy says it does not use Customer Data to train any AI system, so no opt-out is needed on either plan.
- Works inside Claude, ChatGPT and ZoteroThe Scite MCP server connects Scite to Claude and ChatGPT, with 250 MCP credits a month on Basic and 2,500 on Pro. There is also a Zotero plugin, and Collections import from Zotero, Mendeley or a CSV of DOIs.
- A free browser extensionThe free extension lets you right-click to ask the Assistant and adds badges on Google Scholar and PubMed. Reference Check takes a manuscript PDF and checks its references.
Limits
- No free planPlan limit. Scite sells no free plan; its pages mention free accounts only to say they lack MCP access. New subscribers may get a 7-day trial.
- No live web searchDocumented as not offered. The Assistant answers from Scite's index of 323 million full-text articles, not from a live web search.
- Models, uploads and export not documentedNot verified. Scite does not name the AI models behind the Assistant, does not say whether you can upload documents into an Assistant chat, and documents no data export.
- Commercial use of output not verifiedNot verified. Scite's terms cover use of the service and third-party article licenses but give no explicit permission to use Assistant output commercially.
- API and big Collections on Pro onlyPlan limit. Basic has no API access and caps Collections at 1,000 papers. Pro raises that to 10,000 papers and adds patent, clinical trial and grant datasets.
Based on what Scite LLC (Research Solutions) documents for each plan, not on our tests.
Who it suits
A good fit if you
- Checking whether later papers support or contrast a claim
- Cited answers from scholarly articles, with unlimited queries
- Using Scite from inside Claude or ChatGPT through MCP
- Researchers who want their data kept out of AI training
Look elsewhere if you
- Trying it for free: no free plan is sold
- Current events or general web questions: no live web search
- Chatting with your own uploaded documents: not documented
- Images, video or code: outside what Scite is for
Plans and prices
| Plan | Monthly | Yearly | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scite Basic | $20 a month | $144 a year | Nov 7, 2026 Source |
| Scite Pro | $50 a month | $480 a year | Nov 7, 2026 Source |
Prices for United States, before sales tax unless a plan says otherwise. A yearly plan is paid up front and is not cancel-any-time.
Features by plan
What Scite LLC (Research Solutions) documents for each plan. A hatched mark means we could not verify it, which is not the same as "not offered".
| Feature | Scite Basic | Scite Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Models and limits | ||
| Top models included | Unclear | Unclear |
| Context window | Unclear | Unclear |
| Models from several companies | Unclear | Unclear |
| General-purpose assistant | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Research and sources | ||
| Web search with sources | No | No |
| Deep research reports | Unclear | Unclear |
| Research paper search | Yes | Yes |
| Files and data | ||
| File and document uploads | Unclear | Unclear |
| Spreadsheet and data analysis | Unclear | Unclear |
| Coding | ||
| Coding agent | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Works in your code editor | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Code completions as you type | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Background coding agent | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Pull request review | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Images, video and voice | ||
| Image generation | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Video generation | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Real-time voice | Unclear | Unclear |
| Image editing and design | ||
| Photo editing | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Background removal | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Text inside images | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Logo maker | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Vector (SVG) files | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Upscaling | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Diagrams from text | Unclear | Unclear |
| Video editing and presenters | ||
| Photo to video | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Footage editing | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Avatar presenters | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Lip sync | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Automatic captions | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Clips from long videos | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Exports without a watermark | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| App building and hosting | ||
| Apps from a description | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Hosting and publishing | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Custom domain | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Database and sign-in | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Code export | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Music, voice and transcription | ||
| Songs with vocals | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Instrumental music | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Separate stems | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Voiceover from text | Unclear | Unclear |
| Voice cloning | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Dubbing into other languages | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Sound effects | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Transcription | Unclear | Unclear |
| Meeting notes | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Dictation into any app | Unclear | Unclear |
| Writing and slides | ||
| Slides from a prompt | Unclear | Unclear |
| Grammar and spelling checks | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Paraphrasing and tone changes | Unclear | Unclear |
| Projects and memory | ||
| Projects | Unclear | Unclear |
| Custom assistants | Unclear | Unclear |
| Memory across chats | Unclear | Unclear |
| Integrations and agents | ||
| Connectors to other apps | Yes | Yes |
| Inside Gmail | Unclear | Unclear |
| Inside Google Docs | Unclear | Unclear |
| Inside Google Sheets | Unclear | Unclear |
| Inside Word | Unclear | Unclear |
| Inside Excel | Unclear | Unclear |
| Inside PowerPoint | Unclear | Unclear |
| Inside Outlook | Unclear | Unclear |
| Browser agent | Unclear | Unclear |
| Privacy and control | ||
| Opt out of model training | Yes | Yes |
| Export your data | Unclear | Unclear |
| Shows ads | Unclear | Unclear |
| Rights and licensing | ||
| Commercial use of outputs | Unclear | Unclear |
| Apps and extras | ||
| Cloud storage included | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Apps | Yes | Yes |
| Usage included | Yes | Yes |
The details and sources of every row are in Compare two AIs and the data release.
What it documents for each use
- Research & Search Find and read research papers
- Business & Productivity Connect AI to the apps I already use
A use is listed when at least one plan documents every feature a task needs. Answer quality is a separate question: see below.
Using it day to day
Scite runs as a web app, a free browser extension and a Zotero plugin. No mobile app is documented. Both plans include unlimited Assistant queries; the plan sets your MCP credits (250 or 2,500 a month), your Collection size (1,000 or 10,000 papers) and API access (Pro only). Collections organize and monitor papers and import from Zotero, Mendeley or a CSV of DOIs.
Reference Check takes an uploaded manuscript PDF and checks its references. Whether you can upload other documents into a chat, run deep research beyond the default cited survey, or export your data is not verified. Students can get a discount code by recommending Scite to their institution; the amount is not published.
Privacy, data and ads
Scite's privacy policy says it does not use Customer Data to train any AI system. Its terms say the service "may include advertisements or other links", and no page says whether paid plans show ads, so ads are not verified. Data export is not documented. Read how we check vendor claims for what "not verified" means.
Read the vendor's own page: Scite privacy and data controls. We make no legal or compliance claim.
Test results
We have not tested Scite yet, so this page makes no claim about answer quality, and we show no example outputs. Run the same kit in it and in the alternatives, in your own account:
- Summarize a report with traceable facts
- Analyze a spreadsheet and get the numbers right
- Edit an email without losing a detail
- Diagnose and repair a small program
- Research a question with sources that support the answer
- Make sense of documents that disagree
- Research a current question within a date window
- Edit an article without changing its facts
- Turn project notes into a report that agrees with itself
- Implement a small specification
- Refactor code without changing what it does
- Make a picture that follows a detailed brief
- Put exact text into a graphic
- Change one thing in a picture and nothing else
- Make a short clip that follows a brief
- Make a song that sings your lyrics exactly
- Read a script with names, numbers and abbreviations
- Design a logo with an exact name
Getting started
- Install the free browser extension to see Smart Citation badges on Google Scholar and PubMed.
- If you subscribe, check whether a 7-day trial is offered to you, and start with Basic: $20 a month or $144 a year.
- Ask the Assistant a question you know the literature on, and open the cited papers to see whether they support each sentence.
- Move to Pro if you need the API, Collections over 1,000 papers, or patent, clinical trial and grant data.
- Compare research tools on our tools page.
Your fit
Tell Find my AI what you do and what matters; it checks every plan of Scite against your priorities, next to the alternatives.
Alternatives
- Elicit Elicit Basic is free, with unlimited search over 138 million papers and limited monthly use of a Research Agent, and Pro adds Systematic Reviews that screen up to 5,000 papers. About Elicit
- Perplexity Perplexity searches the live web with citations in every answer, has a free plan with 1 Research query a month, and Pro costs $20 a month. About Perplexity
Recent changes
- Scite Pro added
- Scite Basic added
Every change is in the change log.
Questions
Is Scite free?
No. Scite sells no free plan; Basic is the entry plan at $20 a month. New subscribers may get a 7-day trial.
How much does Scite cost?
Scite Basic is $20 a month, or $144 a year ($12 a month). Scite Pro is $50 a month, or $480 a year ($40 a month). Scite does not say whether US sales tax is added.
What is the difference between Scite Basic and Pro?
Both include unlimited Assistant queries. Pro adds 2,500 MCP credits a month instead of 250, Collections of up to 10,000 papers instead of 1,000, patent, clinical trial and grant datasets, and API access.
Does Scite train AI on my data?
No. Scite's privacy policy says it does not use Customer Data to train any AI system.
Can I use Scite in ChatGPT or Claude?
Yes. Scite offers Claude and ChatGPT connectors through its MCP server, with 250 MCP credits a month on Basic and 2,500 on Pro. Free accounts have no MCP access.
Does Scite have a student discount?
Students can get a discount code by recommending Scite to their institution. Scite does not publish the amount.
Sources
6 official pages, checked Nov 7, 2026. This page was written by the What the tech desk with AI assistance from the facts in our data release; no company paid for or reviewed it.
- Scite FeaturesScite
- How do I use Table Mode within Assistant to generate results?Research Solutions
- Scite pricing and accessScite
- Privacy PolicyScite
- Terms of ServiceScite
- Scite IntegrationsScite
About this page
- Published by
- What the tech, Helsinki, Finland
- Author
- What the tech
- Reviewed by
- Peyman Khosravani
- Review scope
- Checked that this page matches the facts in data release 2026.11.07-2: a check against documented sources, not a hands-on test of the product.
- Evidence
- Facts documented by each company, each linked to its official source and dated. Test results appear only where an editor ran the test.
- Data release
- 2026.11.07-2, Nov 7, 2026
Product ownership is separate from publication: What the tech publishes this page; Scite LLC (Research Solutions) supplies Scite. Official Scite website. Product names and logos do not imply endorsement of this publication.