Shortlist by what you need
Start here if you know why you are leaving Explainpaper.
Want the closest match?
SciSummaryMost similar to Explainpaper in what it does, its category and its price.
Visit (opens SciSummary in a new tab)Need a free plan?
HumataHas a free plan, rated 4.3 out of 5.
Visit (opens Humata in a new tab)Want the lowest price?
ScholarcyFrom $5/mo, the lowest starting price here.
Visit (opens Scholarcy in a new tab)Want the best rated?
Enago ReadRated 4.2 out of 5 in our review, against 3.7 for Explainpaper.
Visit (opens Enago Read in a new tab)
At a glance
Green means better than Explainpaper, red means worse. Prices are starting prices per month.
| Tool | Our rating | Starts at | Free plan | Best for | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 ExplainpaperBaseline | 3.7 | Free | Yes | Upload a research paper, highlight the part that lost you, and get that specific passage explained. | |
| SciSummary | 4.1+0.4 | $9/mo | Yes | Chats with a paper's figures and statistics directly, not just its text | vs Explainpaper |
 Emergent Mind | 3.8+0.1 | Free | Yes | Makes new arXiv research navigable - papers explained, open problems tracked, and an API for building on top of it. | vs Explainpaper |
 ChatDOC | 3.9+0.2 | Free | Yes | Chat with PDFs where every answer cites the passage it came from, backed by its own document parser and API. | vs Explainpaper |
 PaperBrain | 3.6−0.1 | Free | Yes | Search, read and summarise scientific papers through a single interface. | vs Explainpaper |
| Humata | 4.3+0.6 | $1/mo | Yes | Per-page pricing for chatting with large documents beyond academic papers | vs Explainpaper |
| Scholarcy | 4.3+0.6 | $5/mo | Yes | Turns each paper into a structured flashcard-style summary | vs Explainpaper |
| Enago Read | 4.2+0.5 | $12/mo | Yes | A literature-review assistant backed by a full academic-services company | vs Explainpaper |
 SolidPoint AI | 3.4−0.3 | Free | Yes | Agent that watches YouTube videos, reads arXiv papers and web pages, and turns them into notes and quizzes. | vs Explainpaper |
The alternatives in detail
In order of how closely each one matches Explainpaper.
SciSummary
4.1$9/mo
vs Explainpaper+0.4
Chats with a paper's figures and statistics directly, not just its text.
- Chat with figures interpreting statistical charts and data directly
- Structured section-by-section summaries (abstract, methods, results, conclusion)
- Bulk processing for summarizing and comparing multiple papers
Figure-interpretation capability most competing summarizers don't offer
Free trial is time-limited rather than an ongoing free tier
Emergent Mind
3.8Free
vs Explainpaper+0.1
Makes new arXiv research navigable - papers explained, open problems tracked, and an API for building on top of it.
- arXiv papers explained and made navigable
- Open problems tracked across fields
- Coverage of AI, mathematics and adjacent areas
Addresses volume, which is the real barrier to following arXiv
Read the paper before citing it - summaries can omit the limiting assumption
ChatDOC
3.9Free
vs Explainpaper+0.2
Chat with PDFs where every answer cites the passage it came from, backed by its own document parser and API.
- Answers cite the source passage in the document
- Standalone PDF parser available as an API
- ChatPaper for academic reading
Visible citations make answers checkable rather than merely plausible
A citation proves provenance, not correct interpretation
PaperBrain
3.6Free
vs Explainpaper−0.1
Search, read and summarise scientific papers through a single interface.
- Search across scientific literature from one interface
- Summaries to triage whether a paper deserves a full read
- Content generation from the papers you collect
Compresses the triage step that dominates a literature review
Summaries are a filter, never a substitute for the source
Humata
4.3$1/mo
vs Explainpaper+0.6
Per-page pricing for chatting with large documents beyond academic papers.
- Chat interface for large, long-form documents beyond academic papers
- Per-page pricing model scaling with document volume
- Positioned for contracts, patents, and financial filings
Broader document scope than tools focused narrowly on academic papers
Per-page pricing can cost more than a flat tier for steady, high-volume use
Scholarcy
4.3$5/mo
vs Explainpaper+0.6
Turns each paper into a structured flashcard-style summary.
- Flashcard-style structured summary cards for each paper
- Browser extension generating summaries directly on a paper's page
- Free tier for standard use
Flashcard format suits fast triage of many papers well
Summary-card format is less suited to deep follow-up questions than a chat interface
Enago Read
4.2$12/mo
vs Explainpaper+0.5
A literature-review assistant backed by a full academic-services company.
- Copilot for real-time research question answering
- Automatic paper summaries and key-insight extraction
- Discovery across 200+ million papers
Backed by an established academic-services company with an 18-plus-year history
Core research features overlap closely with several standalone competitors
SolidPoint AI
3.4Free
vs Explainpaper−0.3
Agent that watches YouTube videos, reads arXiv papers and web pages, and turns them into notes and quizzes.
- YouTube video summarisation into notes
- arXiv paper coverage
- Web page and Reddit summarisation
Quizzes test comprehension rather than letting a summary stand in for it
Generated notes can misstate a source confidently
FAQ
Questions people ask
Is Explainpaper free?
Explainpaper has a free plan.
What is the best free alternative to Explainpaper?
Humata is the highest-rated alternative here with a free plan (4.3 out of 5). Other free options: Scholarcy, Enago Read, SciSummary.
What is the cheapest alternative to Explainpaper?
Among paid plans, Humata has the lowest starting price (from $1/mo). If you need it free, start with Humata.
How did you pick these alternatives?
We match tools on what they do, their category and their price, using the details in our directory. Ratings come from our reviews and reader reviews.