Research assistants
Scite: review, pricing, data and alternatives
Scite helps people search scientific articles and examine citation context. It distinguishes citations supporting or challenging a study, provides documented answers to questions, and creates collections and citation alerts. There is no free tier; the first paid plan costs $12 per month. Access and transparency score: 43/100, #12 of 15 in its category.
What is Scite?
Scite helps people search scientific articles and examine citation context. It distinguishes citations supporting or challenging a study, provides documented answers to questions, and creates collections and citation alerts.
According to its documentation, Scite lets you:
- search for scientific articles
- examine citation context
- distinguish citations that support or challenge a study
- ask questions and receive documented answers
- create collections and citation alerts
We file it under Research assistants, the category of tools to find, read and summarise papers, and it also overlaps with aI search engines. The category lists 15 verified tools on this site.
The publisher is Scite, LLC, filiale de Research Solutions, Inc., based in United States.
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.
Scite is a good candidate if:
- you plan to connect it to your tools or automations through its API
The best test is a concrete case from your daily work: if the tool does not beat your current method within a week, move on to an alternative.
How much does Scite cost?
Pricing model: paid. No permanent free plan is offered.
The first paid plan costs $12 per month (Basic, billed annually, totaling USD 144 per year; 7-day free trial), according to the pricing page, checked on October 24, 2026.
Per month, that is close to 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.
Exporting your content: yes (details on the official site). Being able to get your data back makes switching tools easier later.
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
Scite runs on: web browser and API.
Interface languages: English.
A public API lets you call it from your own programs or an automation tool, and plug it into an AI agent.
How we scored it
Our 43/100 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 | 10/30 | free tier, published price, French interface |
| Openness | 20/30 | API, data export, open code |
| Trust | 13/40 | identified publisher, declared hosting, age, presence in reference lists |
The full calculation is explained on our method page.
Comparison with alternatives
Scite against other tools in the research assistants category:
Verdict
Scite publishes little verifiable information: look at the better-scored alternatives first.
Strengths
- Public API
Limitations
- No free tier
- Data hosting not disclosed
Avoid if…
- You handle sensitive personal data without a processing agreement
Alternatives
Categories and jobs
Learn more
Frequently asked questions
Is Scite free?
No, there is no permanent free plan. The first paid plan costs $12 per month.
Where is Scite data stored?
The publisher does not clearly say so in its public documentation.
Does Scite have an API?
Yes, a public API is documented.
What are the alternatives to Scite?
In the same category: Consensus, AMiner, ASReview, and Elicit.
Scite or Consensus: which one to choose?
Consensus has a free tier, Scite does not, Scite starts at $12 per month, Consensus at $144 per year, and our score is 43/100 for Scite 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