SciSpace
Read papers with a copilot that explains what you don't understand.
We review pricing and features regularly, but check them on the official site before subscribing. How we review.
What is SciSpace?
SciSpace is an AI reader for scientific articles: you upload the PDF and its copilot explains any paragraph, formula or table you select, in plain language and in your own language. It also runs literature reviews, extracts citations and gives access to more than 40,000 journal formatting templates. It is the tool built for that specific moment of wrestling with a difficult paper.
Pros
- Explains whichever paragraph you select, in plain language and in Spanish
- Chrome extension that works on Google Scholar and PubMed
- More than 40,000 scientific journal formatting templates
- Free plan is enough for an occasional student
Cons
- The 100 free credits run out in one or two projects
- Less powerful than Elicit for systematic reviews
- The automatic summary sometimes oversimplifies
What SciSpace is like in practice
Where it stands out
Its most useful feature is explaining a paper as you read it: select a dense paragraph and it breaks it down in plain language, formulas included. For anyone approaching literature from a field that is not theirs — or starting out in their own — that in-place help is worth more than a summary of the whole paper.
Where it falls short
In explaining it simplifies, and simplifying a statistical method can change what the paper actually demonstrates. It is an aid to understanding, not a source to cite. And like all of its category, its base is mostly English, with thin coverage of Spanish-language publishing.
How its pricing works
It has a free plan with limited monthly queries and explanations, enough to judge whether its explanations work for you. Paid tiers raise the volume. For a thesis, the calculation is how many papers you will genuinely read: almost always more than planned.
Is SciSpace right for you?
Yes, if…
You struggle with difficult papers: select a paragraph, a formula or a table and it explains it in plain language and in Spanish. The extension works on Google Scholar and PubMed.
No, if…
You are doing a systematic review comparing dozens of papers: Elicit does that far better. And the 100 free credits run out in one or two projects.
Frequently asked questions
Is SciSpace free?
It has a free Basic plan with 100 credits and limited copilot queries. The Premium plan costs $12/month and removes the caps.
Can I use it in Spanish?
Yes, the copilot explains and summarises in Spanish even when the papers are in English.
SciSpace or Elicit?
SciSpace is better for understanding one paper you are stuck on; Elicit is better for reviewing and comparing dozens of articles at once.