Side by side
CORE vs OpenAlex
Both stand on academic research databases. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan APIExtensionSelf-hosted+1
CORE offers broad scholarly discovery alongside API, dataset, and integration options. Its free unregistered API has a request limit, and dataset downloads are not available to every individual user.
Visit CORE Free plan Open source APIExtensionLinux+2
OpenAlex provides multiple ways to search and retrieve a broad catalog of scholarly research, including a free full snapshot and API. Users incorporating externally sourced text should follow the stated output-escaping security guidance.
Visit OpenAlexThe facts
| CORE | OpenAlex | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | No | Yes |
| Runs on | API, Extension, Self-hosted, Web | API, Extension, Linux, Self-hosted, Web |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Member: $5,000 a year |
| Plans published | 10 | 5 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | core.ac.uk | openalex.org |
| On academic research databases | #3 of 35 | #1 of 35 |
CORE: what it does well
- Searches across multidisciplinary scholarly literature.
- Provides API access to metadata and full texts.
- Discovery tools include a browser extension and repository plugin.
- Free API access is available without registration.
What to know first
- Unregistered API requests are rate-limited.
- Dataset access is limited to eligible organisations.
- Some commercial API uses require a licence.
OpenAlex: what it does well
- Full database snapshot is free to download.
- Data is released under the CC0 public-domain license.
- API supports search, filters, sorting and grouping.
- Official CLI supports resumable bulk downloads.
- Covers journals, books, datasets and dissertations.
What to know first
- Full-text file downloads cost $0.01 each.
- Externally sourced text fields are passed through without sanitizing.
- Some support tiers cost $5,000 or more per year.
Alternatives to CORE Alternatives to OpenAlex The whole list