Litmaps Free Plan 2026: What's Included & What's Not
Honest breakdown of the free tier limits and features
Litmaps pricing varies by team size and features, ranging from $10 to $10 per user/month in 2026. Your actual cost depends on the tier you choose, contract length, and negotiated discounts.
Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.
- Free tier: No free tier available
- Billing: Monthly and annual (save 15-20%)
- Hidden costs: Add ~35% for implementation, support, and training
Litmaps offers a freemium model with limited features; upgrade to unlock more.
What's Included in the Free Plan
- Basic search with up to 20 inputs
- 1 Litmap with up to 100 articles
- Monthly literature alert summaries
- Citation-based paper visualization
- Basic discovery tools
What's NOT Included (Paid Only)
- Basic and advanced search with unlimited inputs
- Unlimited Litmaps and articles per map
- Daily or configurable literature alerts
- Zotero library sync integration
- Monitor feature for ongoing topic tracking
- Unlimited workspaces and searches
- Educational license: 75% discount with academic email
Free Plan Limits
| Limit | Free Plan | Paid Plans |
|---|---|---|
| Litmaps | 1 | Unlimited/Higher |
| Articles per map | 100 | Unlimited/Higher |
| Search inputs | 20 | Unlimited/Higher |
| Literature alerts | Monthly summary | Unlimited/Higher |
| Collaboration | Not available | Unlimited/Higher |
You'll Need to Upgrade When...
- You exceed the user limit
- You need features like Basic and advanced search with unlimited inputs or Unlimited Litmaps and articles per map
- You require premium support or SLA guarantees
- You need to remove branding or watermarks
- You need advanced integrations or API access
Hidden Restrictions on Free Plan
- Litmaps branding may appear on your content or communications
- Support is limited to community forums or email with longer response times
- Export options may be restricted or include watermarks
- API access is typically limited or not available
- Advanced reporting and analytics require paid plans
Free vs Paid: Which Do You Need?
Free Plan is Enough If...
- You're an individual or very small team
- You need only basic features
- You don't mind usage limits
- Branding on output is acceptable
- Community support is sufficient
You Need Paid If...
- Your team is growing beyond limits
- You need advanced features
- Professional branding is required
- You need priority support
- Integrations/API access is critical
Free vs Pro Plan Comparison
| Free $0 | Pro $10/user/month | |
|---|---|---|
| Features | 5 included | 7+ included |
| Support | Community/Email | Priority Support |
| Branding | Litmaps branding | Your branding |
| Best For | Students and occasional researchers needing basic citation mapping and monthly literature updates for a single research topic | Active researchers needing unlimited citation maps, daily literature monitoring, Zotero integration, and advanced search across multiple research projects |
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Is Litmaps free?
Yes, Litmaps offers a freemium plan with 5 core features included. However, there are limits on litmaps, articles per map that may require upgrading.
02 What's included in Litmaps's free plan?
Litmaps's free plan includes: Basic search with up to 20 inputs, 1 Litmap with up to 100 articles, Monthly literature alert summaries, Citation-based paper visualization, Basic discovery tools. Key limits include Litmaps: 1, Articles per map: 100, Search inputs: 20.
03 What's NOT included in Litmaps's free plan?
The free plan excludes: Basic and advanced search with unlimited inputs, Unlimited Litmaps and articles per map, Daily or configurable literature alerts, Zotero library sync integration, Monitor feature for ongoing topic tracking. You'll also have Litmaps branding and limited support options.
04 When should I upgrade from Litmaps's free plan?
Consider upgrading when: you hit user or storage limits, need features like Basic and advanced search with unlimited inputs or Unlimited Litmaps and articles per map, require premium support, or want to remove branding. The cheapest paid plan starts at $10/user/month.
05 Is Litmaps's free plan really free forever?
Yes, Litmaps's free plan is available indefinitely with no time limit. However, feature and usage limits may restrict what you can do without upgrading to a paid plan.
Get Litmaps pricing updates
We'll notify you when pricing changes or new free features are added.