Side by side
Elicit vs Semantic Scholar
Both stand on ai search tools. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan APIWeb
Elicit brings paper search, document-based workflows, and cited outputs into one research assistant. The free Basic plan has usage limits, while API access is reserved for Pro and higher.
Visit Elicit
Free plan APIExtensionWeb
Semantic Scholar combines paper discovery with saved libraries, reading aids, and an API at no cost. Its AI answer feature has limited coverage, and API users should account for its rate and licence terms.
Visit Semantic ScholarThe facts
| Elicit | Semantic Scholar | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | API, Web | API, Extension, Web |
| Lowest paid plan | Plus: $11 per user a month | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 5 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | elicit.com | semanticscholar.org |
| On ai search tools | #3 of 21 | #7 of 21 |
Elicit: what it does well
- Research Agent draws on 138 million academic papers.
- Supports up to 20 uploaded resources per session.
- AI claims include sentence-level citations.
- Exports reports, tables, and references in several formats.
What to know first
- Basic has limited Research Agent and Report usage.
- API access requires Pro or above.
- Plus costs $11 a month.
Semantic Scholar: what it does well
- Free paper access without a login
- Search uses natural language and machine learning
- Saved-paper folders, bulk citation export, and public sharing
- Chrome and Firefox search extensions
- Research Feeds can send recommendations by email
What to know first
- No smartphone app
- Ask This Paper covers a limited set of papers
- Ask This Paper has been tested only on English-language papers
- Introductory API key limit is one request per second
Alternatives to Elicit Alternatives to Semantic Scholar The whole list