kitio.aiElicit vs ReadCube
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Elicit starts at See pricing page and ReadCube starts at $10/mo. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
At a glance
Best for
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Paper search
- Custom extraction columns
- Research reports
- Systematic review workflow
- PDF uploads
- AI answers with cited passages
- Chat with up to 20 papers
- PDF annotation
- SmartCite citations
- Literature monitoring alerts
- Dimensions paper index
| Feature | Elicit | ReadCube |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | AI research assistant for literature reviews and data extraction | Reference manager with an AI assistant for papers and patents |
| Category | Research & search | Research & search |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Free trial |
| Starting price | See pricing page | $10/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | No, trial available |
| Made by | Elicit | Digital Science |
| Based in | United States | United Kingdom |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
Elicit starts at See pricing page and ReadCube starts at $10/mo. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
4 plans
Basic
Free
- Free to try
Plus
$11/mo billed yearly
- Per user
- Exports to RIS, CSV, BIB, PDF, DOCX
- Clinical trials search
Pro
$39/mo billed yearly
- Per user
- Systematic review workflow
- Reports from up to 135 sources
Scale
$89/mo billed yearly
- Per user
- Real-time team collaboration
- Admin panel and seat management
3 plans
Essentials
$10/mo
- Per user
- Literature management
- Basic AI chat with PDF
Plus
$20/mo
- Per user
- Extended chat with PDFs
- Chat with up to 20 articles
Enterprise
Contact sales
- Onboarding and training
- Library curation services
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
Elicit
- Saves hours of data extraction
- Transparent sources
- Built for systematic reviews
- Advanced plans are costly
- Coverage is mainly open abstracts
ReadCube
- Every AI answer links to its source
- Flags AI permissions per paper
- Discount for academics
- Daily limits on AI chat
- Library chat needs the Plus plan
- Priced per user
Which one should you choose?
Choose Elicit if you want:
- Saves hours of data extraction
- Transparent sources
- Built for systematic reviews
Watch out: advanced plans are costly.
Choose ReadCube if you want:
- Every AI answer links to its source
- Flags AI permissions per paper
- Discount for academics
Watch out: daily limits on ai chat.
Elicit vs ReadCube FAQ
What is the difference between Elicit and ReadCube?
Elicit: AI research assistant for literature reviews and data extraction. ReadCube: Reference manager with an AI assistant for papers and patents. Both are research & search tools.
Is Elicit or ReadCube cheaper?
Elicit starts at See pricing page and ReadCube starts at $10/mo. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Do Elicit and ReadCube have free plans?
Elicit: Yes. ReadCube: No, trial available.
Who makes Elicit?
Elicit is made by Elicit, based in United States.
Who makes ReadCube?
ReadCube is made by Digital Science, based in United Kingdom.
Which should I choose, Elicit or ReadCube?
Choose Elicit if you value saves hours of data extraction and transparent sources. Choose ReadCube if you value every ai answer links to its source and flags ai permissions per paper.