Verdict up front: Scite and Elicit answer different research questions. Scite tells you how a paper has been treated by later work — whether citing papers support, contrast, or just mention it — using its Smart Citations database. Elicit helps you build the review itself: searching 138 million+ papers, screening them, and extracting data into tables. Pick Scite to check whether a claim still stands; pick Elicit to produce a literature review. Many researchers who can afford it use both at different stages.
Bottom line: Scite Basic is $12/month billed annually and there is only a 7-day trial — no free plan with its citation data. Elicit starts free with genuinely unlimited paper search, and its paid pricing splits into cheaper Academic and pricier Industry tracks, which changes what “Pro” costs. Details below.
Scite vs Elicit at a glance
| Factor | Scite | Elicit | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core job | Smart Citations: see if later papers support, contrast, or mention a study | Search, screen, and extract data from papers into tables and reports | Different jobs |
| Database | 1.7 billion+ citation statements | 138 million+ papers, plus 500,000+ clinical trials on paid plans | Scite for citation context |
| Free option | Free account for limited features; 7-day trial of paid plans | Free Basic: unlimited search and summaries, limited Research Agent and Reports | Elicit |
| Entry paid plan | Basic $20/mo, or $12/mo billed annually ($144/year) | Academic Plus $11/user/mo billed annually ($132/year) | Tie |
| Higher tiers | Pro $50/mo ($40/mo annual): API access, patents, trials and grants, collections up to 10,000 papers | Academic Pro $39/user/mo annual; Industry Pro $49/user/mo annual — same plan name, two price tracks | Depends on your track |
| Systematic reviews | Reference Check screens your own citations for disputed or retracted work | Dedicated workflow that can screen 5,000 papers on Pro; data extraction tables with up to 20 columns | Elicit |
| Exports / integrations | Browser extension, citation alerts, API on Pro | Export to RIS, CSV, BIB, PDF and DOCX on Plus and above; Zotero import even on free | Elicit |
| Team plans | Team is Pro sold per seat, 2–20 seats, no trial | Scale from $89/user/mo (Academic) with live collaboration and admin controls | Elicit for collaboration |
What the pricing pages don’t make obvious
Two details are easy to miss. First, Elicit’s price depends on which pricing track you are shown: on its Academic track, Pro is $39 per user/month billed annually and Scale is $89; on the Industry track, Pro is $49 and Scale is $229 per user/month billed annually. Third-party roundups quote both numbers as if one were wrong — both are real, for different buyers. Second, Scite’s own pricing FAQ notes that when its 7-day trial ends, you are automatically enrolled in the plan you selected at the start of the trial — cancel before day seven if you were only looking. Scite also gates its newer MCP access behind paid plans or a trial; free accounts do not include it.
Where Scite is stronger: trusting a single paper
Scite’s Smart Citations classify how later papers actually cited a study, with the citing sentence shown in context. That makes it the tool for due diligence: checking whether a key reference has been contradicted, corrected, or retracted before you build on it, and its Reference Check does the same for a manuscript’s whole reference list. Our Scite.ai review walks through those reports. Basic includes unlimited Assistant queries, full-text search, Smart Citation Reports, and citation alerts at $144/year — cheap insurance if your work leans on a small set of load-bearing papers.
Where Elicit is stronger: doing the review
Elicit is the production tool. You ask a research question, it searches across 138 million+ papers, screens candidates, and extracts methods, sample sizes, and findings into a table you can export. The free Basic plan already includes unlimited search and summaries, and paid plans add the systematic review workflow, custom extractions from uploaded papers, and reports drawn from up to 135 sources on Pro. In our Elicit vs Consensus comparison, that extraction depth was Elicit’s defining strength, and our Elicit review covers its newer Research Agent.
Which should you pick?
- Choose Scite if your question is “can I trust this paper?” — citation support/contrast signals, retraction awareness, and reference checking are its whole purpose.
- Choose Elicit if your question is “what does the literature say, in a table I can use?” — screening and extraction for systematic or literature reviews.
- Choose both if you run serious reviews: Elicit to build the evidence table, Scite to stress-test the papers that end up carrying your conclusions.
Frequently asked questions
Is Scite free?
There is a free account with limited features, but Smart Citation data sits behind paid plans after a 7-day trial. Basic costs $20/month, or $12/month billed annually. Note the trial auto-enrolls into the plan you picked, per Scite’s pricing FAQ.
How much does Elicit cost?
Basic is free. On the Academic track, Plus is $11 per user/month billed annually and Pro is $39; on the Industry track, Pro is $49 and Scale is $229 per user/month billed annually. Check which track you are on before comparing prices.
Can Elicit replace Scite?
No. Elicit summarizes and extracts what papers say; it does not classify how later papers treated them. Scite’s supporting/contrasting citation data has no equivalent in Elicit.
Which is better for a systematic review?
Elicit. Its dedicated workflow screens up to 5,000 papers on Pro and extracts data into structured tables. Scite helps afterwards, by checking the citations your review relies on.