Software · head to head
Elicit vs Paperpile
The short version
- Only Elicit has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Elicit free Basic tier has limited usage for Research Agent and Research Reports; Paperpile sign-up is Chrome-only: the pricing page states you can only sign up for Paperpile on Chrome
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Elicit and Paperpile actually diverge.
Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Elicit
- Free Basic tier has limited usage for Research Agent and Research Reports
- Systematic Literature Reviews at full usage require the $169/month Scale plan; Enterprise usage is custom quoted
Paperpile
- Sign-up is Chrome-only: the pricing page states you can only sign up for Paperpile on Chrome
- All plans are billed annually with no monthly option, and multi-user licenses cannot mix Regular and Expert tiers
Pricing, plan by plan
Elicit
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Elicit review.
Paperpile
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Paperpile review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Paperpile if
Nothing in the data separates Paperpile from Elicit on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Questions people ask
- Is Elicit or Paperpile better?
- Neither clearly leads. Elicit starts at Free and Paperpile at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Elicit or Paperpile?
- Elicit has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Elicit and On request for Paperpile.
- Does Elicit or Paperpile run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Elicit for free?
- Yes. Elicit has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Paperpile starts at On request.