Best Semantic Scholar Alternatives (2026)
Looking for Semantic Scholar alternatives? Compare the top ai research tools tools with ratings, pricing, and features.
By Itai Varochik
About Semantic Scholar
Free AI-powered academic search engine by the Allen Institute for AI.
Rating: 4.5/5 | Pricing: Free
Top Alternatives
Perplexity
Rating: 4.7/5 | Pricing: Free / Pro $20/mo
AI-powered answer engine that provides sourced, real-time research results.
Elicit
Rating: 4.4/5 | Pricing: Free tier / Plus $12/mo
AI research assistant that finds and analyzes academic papers automatically.
Consensus
Rating: 4.3/5 | Pricing: Free tier / Premium $9.99/mo
AI search engine for scientific research with evidence-based answers.
Scite
Rating: 4.2/5 | Pricing: From $20/mo
AI tool that shows how scientific papers have been cited — supporting or contrasting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why look for Semantic Scholar alternatives?
While Semantic Scholar is a solid ai research tools tool, you might want alternatives for different pricing, features, or use cases. We've tested the top competitors to help you find the best fit.
What's the best free alternative to Semantic Scholar?
Perplexity offers a free plan and is a strong alternative to Semantic Scholar.
How do we select these alternatives?
We test each ai research tools tool hands-on, evaluating features, pricing, ease of use, and customer support. Alternatives are ranked by overall score.