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Research · head to head

Elicit vs Schrodinger

Elicit logo

Elicit

Research

The AI research assistant

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Schrodinger logo

Schrodinger

Research

Physics based molecular modelling and drug discovery software, licensed by token pool

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Elicit has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Elicit pro and Scale plans available at different monthly prices; annual billing options not specified; Schrodinger licences are sold as token pools rather than unlimited module access, so a department can be blocked mid campaign because colleagues are consuming concurrency, and expanding the pool is a new commercial negotiation rather than a setting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Elicit and Schrodinger actually diverge.

Attributes where Elicit and Schrodinger differ
AttributeElicitSchrodinger
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebLinux, macOS, Windows, Web

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Research).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Elicit

Nothing recorded that Schrodinger does not also cover.

Only in Schrodinger

  • Maestro
  • Glide
  • FEP+
  • Desmond
  • Jaguar
  • LiveDesign
  • Materials Science suite

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Elicit

  • Screening and summarizing 40,000+ academic papers in systematic reviewsnot Schrodinger
  • Extracting structured data from 200+ research sources automaticallynot Schrodinger
  • Querying full-text papers using AI for custom literature analysisnot Schrodinger
  • Tracking new relevant research with personalized notification alertsnot Schrodinger

Schrodinger

  • A medicinal chemistry programme using FEP+ to prioritise which analogues to synthesise, where avoiding a handful of wasted syntheses pays for the licencenot Elicit
  • A structure based design campaign that needs docking at scale against a target with a good crystal structurenot Elicit
  • A materials group modelling polymer or electrolyte properties before committing to formulation experimentsnot Elicit
  • A university modelling group that qualifies for the published academic site licence and needs Maestro across a teaching and research cohortnot Elicit

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Elicit

  • Pro and Scale plans available at different monthly prices; annual billing options not specified
  • Enterprise plan pricing not disclosed; requires contacting vendor

Schrodinger

  • Licences are sold as token pools rather than unlimited module access, so a department can be blocked mid campaign because colleagues are consuming concurrency, and expanding the pool is a new commercial negotiation rather than a setting.
  • Commercial pricing is not published and is negotiated against modules, cores and term, so two companies of similar size can pay very different amounts and neither can benchmark the other.
  • FEP+ needs substantial GPU capacity that is not included in the licence, so the real annual cost includes cloud or on premise hardware that often rivals the software line item.
  • The tools require trained computational chemists to produce trustworthy results, and an organisation without that function will generate predictions it cannot interpret or defend to its own medicinal chemists.
  • Schrodinger runs its own internal drug discovery pipeline alongside selling software to discovery companies, and some prospective customers treat that dual role as a conflict when discussing proprietary targets, which slows procurement even where contractual separation exists.

Pricing, plan by plan

Elicit

Free
  • BasicFree
    • Limited usage for Research Agent and Research Reports
    • Unlimited search across 138+ million papers
    • Unlimited summaries and chat with papers
  • Pro$49/month
    • Standard usage for Research Agent, Research Reports, and Systematic Literature Reviews
    • Dedicated workflow screening up to 5,000 papers
    • Up to 20 table columns
  • Scale$169/month
    • 5x usage for Research Agent, Research Reports, and Systematic Literature Reviews
    • Figure extraction and interpretation
    • Real-time team collaboration
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • Custom usage limits
    • Unlimited alerts and up to 40,000 paper screening
    • Up to 40 table columns

Schrodinger

On request
  • Commercial licence$undefined/year
    • Quoted per customer against modules, cores and licence term
    • Applications draw from a shared token pool that caps concurrency
    • GPU compute for FEP+ and Desmond is a separate cost, on premise or cloud
  • Academic site licence$undefined/year
    • Published academic entry around 7,500 USD a year for a premium package with a token allocation
    • Restricted to academic and research use, not work supporting a commercial enterprise
    • Maestro generally unrestricted with tokens shared for compute heavy applications

Which should you pick?

Choose Elicit if

  • You want to start without paying.
Elicit review

Choose Schrodinger if

  • You need maestro.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, Web.
  • You also want glide.
Schrodinger review

Questions people ask

Is Elicit or Schrodinger better?
Neither clearly leads. Elicit starts at Free and Schrodinger at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Elicit or Schrodinger?
Elicit has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Elicit and On request for Schrodinger.
Does Elicit or Schrodinger run on more platforms?
Elicit runs on Web. Schrodinger runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Web.
Can I use Elicit for free?
Yes. Elicit has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Schrodinger starts at On request.
What is Elicit best used for?
Elicit is most often used for screening and summarizing 40,000+ academic papers in systematic reviews, extracting structured data from 200+ research sources automatically, querying full-text papers using ai for custom literature analysis, tracking new relevant research with personalized notification alerts. Of those, screening and summarizing 40,000+ academic papers in systematic reviews and extracting structured data from 200+ research sources automatically are not what Schrodinger is typically brought in for.
What can Elicit do that Schrodinger cannot?
Schrodinger covers Maestro, Glide, FEP+, Desmond.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Elicit: Does Elicit offer a free plan?

Yes, Elicit's Basic plan is free and includes unlimited search across 138+ million research papers, unlimited summaries, chat with papers, source viewing, and Zotero import. Limited usage is included for Research Agent and Research Reports.

Source
Schrodinger: How is Schrodinger software licensed?

Annual licences with a shared token pool. Tokens cap how much you can run at once rather than which modules you own outright.

Elicit: What is the difference between Elicit's Pro and Scale plans?

Elicit's Pro plan ($49/month) includes standard usage limits, dedicated screening of up to 5,000 papers, and access to 135 data sources. The Scale plan ($169/month) offers 5x higher usage limits, screening of up to 40,000 papers, figure extraction, team collaboration, and access to 200 data sources.

Source
Schrodinger: Is there published pricing?

Only for academic site licences, which start around 7,500 USD a year for a premium package. Commercial pricing is quoted.

Elicit: What security features does Elicit Enterprise offer?

Elicit's Enterprise plan includes single sign-on (SSO), SAML, two-factor authentication (2FA), PRISMA-grade screening and extraction accuracy, and a dedicated customer success team. Pricing is custom and requires contacting the vendor.

Source
Schrodinger: Do I need my own GPUs?

For FEP+ and Desmond in practice yes, or cloud GPU capacity. Compute is not included in the licence.

Schrodinger: Does Schrodinger compete with its customers?

It runs its own drug pipeline as well as selling software. It manages this through contractual separation, but buyers with sensitive targets should raise it during procurement.

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