Best Scopus Alternatives in 2026
Updated
20 apps from academic research databases ranked against Scopus on the same published basis.
- 1Scopus vs JSTOR
- 2Scopus vs MAXQDA
- 3Scopus vs AGRICOLA
- 4Scopus vs arXiv
- 5Scopus vs CORE
- 6Scopus vs EconLit
- 7Scopus vs Europe PMC
- 8Scopus vs medRxiv
- 9Scopus vs OpenAlex
- 10Scopus vs PubMed
- 11Scopus vs SSRN
- 12Scopus vs The Lens
- 13Scopus vs zbMATH Open
- 14Scopus vs Dimensions
- 16Scopus vs Embase AI
- 17Scopus vs CAB Abstracts
- 18Scopus vs Directory of Open Access Journals
- 19Scopus vs ERIC
- 20Scopus vs ProQuest Central
- 21Scopus vs Academia.edu
Scopus alternatives compared
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | JSTOR | 6.6 | Free plan | $16.58/mo | Android, iOS, Web |
| 2 | MAXQDA | 6.5 | No | — | Mac, Windows |
| 3 | AGRICOLA | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Web |
| 4 | arXiv | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | API, Web |
| 5 | CORE | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | API, Browser, Web |
| 6 | EconLit | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Web |
| 7 | Europe PMC | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | API, Web |
| 8 | medRxiv | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | API, Web |
| 9 | OpenAlex | 6.4 | Free plan | $416.67/mo | API, Browser, self-hosted, Web |
| 10 | PubMed | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | API, Web |
| 11 | SSRN | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Web |
| 12 | The Lens | 6.4 | Free plan | $83.33/mo | API, Web |
| 13 | zbMATH Open | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | API, Web |
| 14 | Dimensions | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Web |
| 16 | Embase AI | 5.7 | No | — | Android, iOS, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 17 | CAB Abstracts | 5.4 | No | — | Web |
| 18 | Directory of Open Access Journals | 5.4 | No | — | API, Web |
| 19 | ERIC | 5.4 | No | — | API, Web |
| 20 | ProQuest Central | 5.4 | No | — | Web |
| 21 | Academia.edu | 5.2 | Free plan | Free | Android, iOS, Web |
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Questions about Scopus alternatives
What is the best alternative to Scopus?
JSTOR, number 1 in academic research databases with a score of 6.6 out of 10. The others here: MAXQDA, AGRICOLA, arXiv and 16 more.
What is the best free alternative to Scopus?
JSTOR is the best-ranked alternative with a free plan. 14 of the 20 alternatives here publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
How are these alternatives ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation.