kitio.aiPetal vs Citely
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Petal has the lower starting price: about $5 a month, against $19 for Citely.
At a glance
Best for
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Chat with documents
- Multi-document AI table
- Notebook drafting
- Citation generator
- Reference manager
- Team sharing
- Fake citation detection
- Reference list verification
- AI source finder
- CrossRef and PubMed checks
- APA, MLA and Chicago export
| Feature | Petal | Citely |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Chat with your documents and get sourced answers | Checks references for fake citations and finds real sources |
| Category | Research & search | Research & search |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Paid |
| Starting price | $4.99/mo | $9 one-time |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Made by | Petal | Citely |
| Based in | – | – |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
Petal has the lower starting price: about $5 a month, against $19 for Citely.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
4 plans
Free
Free
- 1 GB storage
- 400 AI credits (one-time)
- 3 guests
Plus
$4.99/mo
- 2 GB storage
- 400 AI credits per month
- Export included
Advanced
$13.99/mo
- 10 GB storage
- 1,200 AI credits per month
- Priority support
Premium
$25.49/mo
- 25 GB storage
- 2,000 AI credits per month
- Priority support
3 plans
Trial
$9 one-time
- 15 credits
- Verify up to 2,000 characters
- Basic verification
Monthly
$19/mo
- 150 credits per month
- Verify up to 4,000 characters
- Citation export
Believer
$347 one-time
- 5,000 credits over 3 years
- Advanced source verification
Prices in USD, checked Oct 29, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
Petal
- Answers cite your documents
- Student pricing with .edu accounts
- Reference manager included
- Free plan has 1 GB and no export
- AI credits are capped each month
- Prices shown depend on billing and .edu status
Citely
- Checks against several scholarly databases
- Targets AI-hallucinated references
- Cheap one-time trial pack
- No free plan listed
- Input length limits per check
- Advanced verification needs a subscription
Which one should you choose?
Choose Petal if you want:
- Answers cite your documents
- Student pricing with .edu accounts
- Reference manager included
Watch out: free plan has 1 gb and no export.
Choose Citely if you want:
- Checks against several scholarly databases
- Targets AI-hallucinated references
- Cheap one-time trial pack
Watch out: no free plan listed.
Petal vs Citely FAQ
What is the difference between Petal and Citely?
Petal: Chat with your documents and get sourced answers. Citely: Checks references for fake citations and finds real sources. Both are research & search tools.
Is Petal or Citely cheaper?
Petal has the lower starting price: about $5 a month, against $19 for Citely.
Do Petal and Citely have free plans?
Petal: Yes. Citely: No.
Who makes Petal?
Petal is made by Petal.
Who makes Citely?
Citely is made by Citely.
Which should I choose, Petal or Citely?
Choose Petal if you value answers cite your documents and student pricing with .edu accounts. Choose Citely if you value checks against several scholarly databases and targets ai-hallucinated references.