Semantic Scholar vs Iris.ai
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Semantic Scholar is completely free, while Iris.ai is paid.
At a glance
Best for
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Paper search
- TLDR summaries
- Research feeds
- Semantic Reader
- Free API
- Research topic maps
- Smart search
- Document filtering
- Data extraction
- Reference-backed chat
| Feature | Semantic Scholar | Iris.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Free AI-powered search engine for scientific literature | AI platform for scientific literature analysis and data extraction |
| Category | Research & search | Research & search |
| Pricing model | Free | Paid |
| Starting price | Free | See pricing page |
| Free plan | Yes, fully free | No |
| Made by | Allen Institute for AI | Iris.ai |
| Based in | United States | Norway |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
|
|
Pricing compared
Semantic Scholar is completely free, while Iris.ai is paid.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
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
Semantic Scholar
- Completely free
- Huge paper index
- Useful public API
- No chat-style answers
- Full text not always available
Iris.ai
- Handles large document sets
- Good field overviews
- Structured extraction
- Mainly enterprise pricing
- Less known among students
Which one should you choose?
Choose Semantic Scholar if you want:
- Completely free
- Huge paper index
- Useful public API
Watch out: no chat-style answers.
Choose Iris.ai if you want:
- Handles large document sets
- Good field overviews
- Structured extraction
Watch out: mainly enterprise pricing.
Semantic Scholar vs Iris.ai FAQ
What is the difference between Semantic Scholar and Iris.ai?
Semantic Scholar: Free AI-powered search engine for scientific literature. Iris.ai: AI platform for scientific literature analysis and data extraction. Both are research & search tools.
Is Semantic Scholar or Iris.ai cheaper?
Semantic Scholar is completely free, while Iris.ai is paid.
Do Semantic Scholar and Iris.ai have free plans?
Semantic Scholar: Yes, fully free. Iris.ai: No.
Who makes Semantic Scholar?
Semantic Scholar is made by Allen Institute for AI, based in United States.
Who makes Iris.ai?
Iris.ai is made by Iris.ai, based in Norway.
Which should I choose, Semantic Scholar or Iris.ai?
Choose Semantic Scholar if you value completely free and huge paper index. Choose Iris.ai if you value handles large document sets and good field overviews.