Scite
5.9/10AI research platform that classifies scholarly citations as supporting, contrasting or mentioning, with an assistant that answers questions with cited, sentence-level evidence.
Data last updated November 2026 · Our methodology
Overview
Scite is a literature search and evaluation platform built on Smart Citations. For each paper, it shows how later work cites it, labelling every citation as supporting, contrasting or mentioning, and links each label to the sentence it came from. Its index covers about 250 million articles. Scite Assistant answers research questions in plain language and ties each sentence of an answer to a source. The platform also offers full-text search, a Reference Check that flags retracted or contradicted references in a manuscript, citation alerts, dashboards, and collections. Pro adds datasets for patents, clinical trials and grants. Enterprise adds regulatory data such as FAERS, MAUDE and 510(k). Scite was founded in 2018 in Brooklyn and was bought by Research Solutions in November 2023. It suits academics, R&D teams, pharma and medical affairs groups, and libraries. Basic costs $12 a month and Pro $40 a month, both billed yearly. Pro adds API access and higher MCP credit limits. Enterprise is custom-priced, with SSO, IP or domain access and pooled usage. Paid plans have a 7-day trial. Scite works with Zotero and has a browser extension. Since 2026, an MCP server has connected ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot and other MCP-compatible assistants to its index. The main limitation is scope: it covers only scholarly literature. Some users also report inaccurate citation labels or fabricated quotes from the assistant.
Our Rating
Who Scite is best for
Best software for EducationGood fit
It is built for academic researchers and institutional library licensing.
It has clinical trial data, plus FAERS, MAUDE and 510(k) regulatory datasets on Enterprise.
Less suited
Enterprise offers SSO, pooled usage and IP or domain access for corporate R&D.
Government agencies are among the B2B customers named in the acquisition announcement.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Smart Citations show whether later papers support or contradict a claim, which gives more context than a raw citation count.
- Each assistant answer is linked to specific sentences in the papers it draws on.
- Reference Check flags retracted or contradicted references before a manuscript is submitted.
- The MCP server lets ChatGPT, Claude and Copilot query Scite's index of about 250 million articles.
Cons
- It covers only scholarly literature, so it is no help for general web research.
- Users report hallucinated quotes, and academic studies question the accuracy of its citation labels.
- Monthly billing costs well above the annual rate, and there is no full free plan.
- The interface takes some time to learn and can feel slower than newer AI tools.
Key Features
Scite Pricing
Basic
or $144/user/year (save 40%)
- 7-day free trial
- Smart Citation reports
- 250 MCP credits per month
- Citation alerts and dashboards
- Collections up to 1,000 papers
- Full Assistant and Search access
Pro
or $480/user/year (save 20%)
- API access
- 7-day free trial
- Everything in Basic
- Team seats on one invoice
- 2,500 MCP credits per month
- Collections up to 10,000 papers
- Patent, clinical trial and grant datasets
Enterprise
- Everything in Pro
- Extended usage reports
- Collections up to 50,000 papers
- FAERS, MAUDE and 510(k) datasets
- Unlimited users with pooled usage
- SSO and IP, domain or email access
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Basic and Pro include a 7-day free trial. The plan starts billing automatically when the trial ends unless you cancel first.
Pro and Enterprise. Pro and Team plans can pay as they go for API and MCP usage beyond the included credits.
Yes, on Enterprise, along with IP, domain and email-based access.
Research Solutions, which acquired Scite in November 2023. Scite still operates as a branded product.
Yes. Since February 2026, an MCP connection has linked MCP-enabled assistants to Scite's index.
Students and academics who recommend Scite to their institution may get a discount code. Contact Scite support to ask for one.
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