Research assistants
Explainpaper: review, pricing, data and alternatives
Explainpaper lets people reading scientific papers get explanations of selected passages, charts, and equations. It adjusts explanation difficulty, answers document questions, summarizes key findings, and creates an outline for navigation. A free tier exists; the first paid plan costs $16 per month. Access and transparency score: 41/100, #13 of 15 in its category.
What is Explainpaper?
Explainpaper lets people reading scientific papers get explanations of selected passages, charts, and equations. It adjusts explanation difficulty, answers document questions, summarizes key findings, and creates an outline for navigation.
According to its documentation, Explainpaper lets you:
- explain a selected passage in a paper
- adjust the difficulty level of explanations
- answer questions about a document
- summarize the main findings
- create an outline for navigating the paper
- explain charts and equations
We file it under Research assistants, the category of tools to find, read and summarise papers, and it also overlaps with aI for documents and PDFs and aI summarisers. The category lists 15 verified tools on this site.
The service launched in 2022, which gives it some track record.
Who is it for?
It is mostly useful to these profiles: researchers, students, and teachers. The need it covers is simple to state: find, read and summarise papers.
Explainpaper is a good candidate if:
- you want to try before paying
Before deciding, run a trial on a real task and measure the time saved: it is the only criterion that really counts.
How much does Explainpaper cost?
Pricing model: freemium (limited free use, then paid). A free plan is offered, usually limited in volume or features.
The first paid plan costs $16 per month (Pro, price shown on the official page; an annual option is also offered), according to the pricing page, checked on October 24, 2026.
Per month, that is more expensive than the category median ($12 per month, based on tools with a published price).
To estimate what the same work would cost done directly with an AI model, use our API price calculator. Prices change often: always check the official site before subscribing.
Data and privacy
The publisher does not clearly state where data is hosted. Assume your content may leave your region.
For professional use, check that a data processing agreement (DPA) is offered, and do not send customers' personal data or confidential documents without one.
No export feature is documented: keep a copy of your content elsewhere.
Three habits apply to every AI tool:
- turn off the use of your content for training if the option exists
- use a work account separate from your personal account
- review everything the tool produces before publishing or sending it
Platforms, languages and API
Explainpaper runs on: web browser.
Interface languages: English.
API availability is not documented.
How we scored it
Our 41/100 score does not judge output quality: it measures what can be publicly verified about access to the tool, its openness and how far the publisher can be trusted.
| Criterion | Points | What counts |
|---|---|---|
| Access | 25/30 | free tier, published price, French interface |
| Openness | 0/30 | API, data export, open code |
| Trust | 16/40 | identified publisher, declared hosting, age, presence in reference lists |
The full calculation is explained on our method page.
Comparison with alternatives
Explainpaper against other tools in the research assistants category:
Verdict
Explainpaper publishes little verifiable information: look at the better-scored alternatives first.
Strengths
- Free tier to try it
- Established since 2022
Limitations
- More expensive than its category median
- Data hosting not disclosed
- Data export not documented
Avoid if…
- You handle sensitive personal data without a processing agreement
- You need to easily retrieve your full history
Alternatives
Categories and jobs
Learn more
Frequently asked questions
Is Explainpaper free?
Yes, a free plan exists, with usage limits. The first paid plan costs $16 per month.
Where is Explainpaper data stored?
The publisher does not clearly say so in its public documentation.
Does Explainpaper have an API?
It is not documented.
What are the alternatives to Explainpaper?
In the same category: Consensus, AMiner, ASReview, and Elicit.
Explainpaper or Consensus: which one to choose?
Explainpaper starts at $16 per month, Consensus at $144 per year and our score is 41/100 for Explainpaper and 81/100 for Consensus. Try both on the same task before paying.
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Neutrality. No affiliate links. No vendor pays to be reviewed, rated or ranked. Reviews are directed by François Chollet, neutral and factual, and every data point is dated and sourced. How we score