November 15, 2025
Comprehensive Comparison of Academic Chatbots
📊 Summary Comparison Table
| Tool | Price (Monthly) | Free Tier Limits | LLM Used | Deepsearch | Search Engines | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scite | $10-15 | 7-day trial | Proprietary | ✅ Contextual Citation | Academic databases | ✅ Smart citations |
| Consensus | $8-12 | Limited version | GPT-4 + Specialized | ✅ Evidence-based | PubMed, arXiv, etc. | ✅ Academic format |
| Elicit | $10+ | 5,000 credits | Specialized Models | ✅ Review Automation | 125M+ articles | ✅ Data extraction |
| Perplexity | $20 | Basic version | GPT-4, Claude, Gemini | ✅ Real-time | Web + Academic | ✅ Verified sources |
| Scholar GPT | Free + premium | Limited | GPT-4/5 | ✅ 200M+ resources | Google Scholar, etc. | ✅ Multiple formats |
| Scira | $0-15 | 5 searches/day | 61 models | ✅ Real-time RAG | Exa Search | ✅ Attribution |
| Iask | $0-9.99 | Limited version | GPT-4, Claude, Gemini | ✅ Multi-source | Google, Bing | ✅ Auto-generation |
| Felo | $0-14.99 | 5 searches/day | GPT-o3, Gemini, etc. | ✅ Deep search | Multiple databases | ✅ Source links |
| Open Evidence | Free for doctors | Limited | Medical specialized | ✅ Evidence synthesis | Medical literature | ✅ Medical references |
| SciSpace | $0-70 | 100 credits/month | Specialized Models | ✅ PDF Analysis | 285M+ articles | ✅ 2,300+ styles |
| BoodleBox | $0-20 | 5 premium prompts | Multi-model | ✅ Real-time search | Integrated Perplexity | ✅ Academic formats |
| ResearchRabbit | Free | Unlimited | Proprietary | ✅ Citation networks | 270M+ articles | ✅ Visualization |
| Edison Scientific | ❌ Info missing | ❌ Info missing | ❌ Info missing | ❌ Info missing | ❌ Info missing | ❌ Info missing |
| Discovery | ❌ Info missing | ❌ Info missing | ❌ Info missing | ❌ Info missing | ❌ Info missing | ❌ Info missing |
Recommendations by Use Case
For Citation Validation
- Scite AI: Best for contextual citation analysis
- Consensus: Ideal for evidence-based synthesis
For Literature Reviews
- Elicit: Advanced automation
- ResearchRabbit: Collaborative visual exploration
For General Research
- Perplexity AI: Real-time information with sources
- SciSpace: Comprehensive academic platform
For Institutions
- BoodleBox: Secure integrated solution
- Scira: Open-source and modular
💡 Key Points
Pricing Models
- Dominant Freemium: Most offer a limited free version
- Credit Systems: Elicit, SciSpace use monthly credits
- Education Plans: BoodleBox, Scira offer reduced rates
Deepsearch Capabilities
- Real-time Search: Perplexity, BoodleBox, Scira
- Citation Analysis: Scite, ResearchRabbit
- Automation: Elicit, Consensus
- PDF Analysis: SciSpace, Felo
Academic Integrity
- Source Transparency: Perplexity, Consensus
- Citation Validation: Scite
- Multiple Formats: SciSpace (2,300+ styles)
⚠️ Identified Limitations
- LLM Model Variability: Some tools are opaque about the models used
- Database Coverage: No single tool covers the entirety of academic literature
📈 2025 Trends
- Increasing integration of large-scale LLMs
- Focus on academic integrity and transparency
- Specialization by research field
- Collaboration and team features