Paperguide

Paperguide is an AI research platform that helps students, academics and evidence teams find papers, organize them, pull out data and write cited drafts in one workspace. It began as a paper search and reading assistant and now includes a full systematic review module with dual reviewer screening and PRISMA flow reporting. That combination puts it closer to a review management tool than a simple chat-with-PDF app.

What is Paperguide used for?

Paperguide is mostly used for literature reviews, from a quick scoping search to a formal systematic review that has to survive peer review or a regulatory audit.

• Asking a research question in plain language and getting a synthesized answer from over 200 million papers, with every claim linked to a source
• Importing libraries from Zotero or Mendeley, or adding papers by DOI, into the Reference Manager
• Building Extract Data tables that pull study details from many papers into structured, cited columns
• Running a Research Agent to compare studies and map a field
• Screening papers for a systematic review with two independent reviewers and a conflict resolver
• Drafting sections in the AI Writer with citations drawn from your saved papers

Who Paperguide is best for

Paperguide suits graduate students writing literature reviews, faculty and small labs, and evidence-synthesis teams in pharma, medical devices, HEOR consultancies and government policy groups who run structured reviews. Someone who only needs to read one PDF now and then can use a lighter tool, and teams already committed to dedicated review software may not want to migrate a running project.

Paperguide pricing

As of October 2026, Paperguide has a Free plan with 1,500 AI credits a month, limited Research Agent and Reference Manager use, AI Search, AI Writer, chat with PDF and small Extract Data tables. Plus costs $12 per seat per month billed annually and adds 12,500 credits, systematic reviews of up to 1,000 papers, unlimited references and exports. Pro costs $29 per seat per month billed annually, with 50,000 credits and reviews up to 5,000 papers. Evidence Teams costs $89 per seat per month billed annually and adds PRISMA-grade dual reviewer screening and a dedicated support channel. Enterprise pricing is custom. Yearly billing saves about 41% compared with monthly.

Limitations to keep in mind

• Credits are shared across agents, reports and the writer, so large extraction jobs can use them quickly
• Systematic review features start on paid plans, and dual reviewer screening is on the Evidence Teams tier
• Image and table extraction from papers was still listed as coming soon
• AI screening prepares evidence but still needs human reviewers for rigorous work

Paperguide vs alternatives

Elicit is the closest match for extracting data from many papers and is well established in systematic review circles, so it is a good benchmark to compare against. SciSpace is stronger as a reading companion for understanding individual papers. Consensus is faster for quick yes or no style questions about what the research says. Choose Paperguide when you want search, a reference manager, extraction, PRISMA reviews and writing under one subscription.

Tips for getting started with Paperguide

Import your existing Zotero or Mendeley library first so every feature works from papers you already trust. Start an Extract Data table with five or six columns on a small set of papers, check the cited values by hand, then scale up. For a formal review, write your protocol and inclusion criteria before screening so the AI evidence for each criterion has something clear to match against.

Paperguide FAQ

Is Paperguide free?

Yes, Paperguide has a free plan with 1,500 AI credits a month. Paid plans start at $12 per seat per month billed annually.

Can Paperguide do systematic reviews?

Yes. Paperguide supports systematic reviews with protocols, screening with cited evidence, dual reviewer conflict resolution on its Evidence Teams plan, and PRISMA flow reporting.

Does Paperguide work with Zotero?

Yes. You can import references from Zotero and Mendeley into the Paperguide Reference Manager, and export to RIS, BIB, CSV and other formats on paid plans.

What is the best alternative to Paperguide?

Elicit is the strongest alternative for data extraction and reviews, while SciSpace and Consensus are good choices for paper reading and quick evidence answers.