kitio.aiExplainpaper vs ResearchMonkey AI
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. ResearchMonkey AI has the lower starting price: about $10 a month, against $16 for Explainpaper.
At a glance
Best for
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Highlight to explain
- Paper-grounded chat
- Auto outlines
- Equation explanations
- PDF upload
- PDF and web page summaries
- YouTube video summaries
- Paper search
- Citation generator
- Bulk document summaries
| Feature | Explainpaper | ResearchMonkey AI |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Highlight confusing text in a paper and get a plain explanation | Collection of AI research tools for papers, PDFs and videos |
| Category | Research & search | Research & search |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | $16/mo | $9.99/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Made by | Explainpaper | ResearchMonkey AI |
| Based in | – | – |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
ResearchMonkey AI has the lower starting price: about $10 a month, against $16 for Explainpaper.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
3 plans
Free
Free
- Unlimited highlight explanations
- Follow-up questions
- Zotero import
- Basic AI models
Pro
$16/mo
- Explain graphs, figures, equations
- Advanced AI models
- Automatic paper outlines
- 7-day free trial
Teams
Contact sales
- Everything in Pro
- Team management
- Priority support
- Volume discounts
4 plans
Free
Free
- Basic access to the tools
Monkey Researcher
$9.99/mo
- 75 daily use tokens
- 10 stored documents
- Bulk summarize 5 files
Monkey Strategist
$11.99/mo
- 150 daily use tokens
- Unlimited storage
- Bulk summarize 10 files
Monkey Expert
$19.99/mo
- Unlimited daily use tokens
- For power users and teams
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
Explainpaper
- Very easy to use
- Good for unfamiliar fields
- Free tier available
- One paper at a time
- No library features
ResearchMonkey AI
- Many research tasks in one account
- Free plan available
- Bulk summarizing on paid plans
- Daily token caps on lower plans
- Tools are broad rather than deep
- Storage limited on the cheapest plan
Which one should you choose?
Choose Explainpaper if you want:
- Very easy to use
- Good for unfamiliar fields
- Free tier available
Watch out: one paper at a time.
Choose ResearchMonkey AI if you want:
- Many research tasks in one account
- Free plan available
- Bulk summarizing on paid plans
Watch out: daily token caps on lower plans.
Explainpaper vs ResearchMonkey AI FAQ
What is the difference between Explainpaper and ResearchMonkey AI?
Explainpaper: Highlight confusing text in a paper and get a plain explanation. ResearchMonkey AI: Collection of AI research tools for papers, PDFs and videos. Both are research & search tools.
Is Explainpaper or ResearchMonkey AI cheaper?
ResearchMonkey AI has the lower starting price: about $10 a month, against $16 for Explainpaper.
Do Explainpaper and ResearchMonkey AI have free plans?
Explainpaper: Yes. ResearchMonkey AI: Yes.
Who makes Explainpaper?
Explainpaper is made by Explainpaper.
Who makes ResearchMonkey AI?
ResearchMonkey AI is made by ResearchMonkey AI.
Which should I choose, Explainpaper or ResearchMonkey AI?
Choose Explainpaper if you value very easy to use and good for unfamiliar fields. Choose ResearchMonkey AI if you value many research tasks in one account and free plan available.