Scite Free Plan 2026: What's Included & What's Not
Honest breakdown of the free tier limits and features
Scite pricing varies by team size and features, ranging from $0 to $20 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
Scite offers a freemium model with limited features; upgrade to unlock more.
What's Included in the Free Plan
- Limited Smart Citations per month
- Search across 1.2B+ citations
- Basic citation context
- Paper reliability indicators
- Supporting vs contrasting citations
- Limited dashboard access
What's NOT Included (Paid Only)
- Unlimited Smart Citations
- Full citation context analysis
- Supporting vs contrasting citation breakdown
- Paper reliability dashboards
- Citation reports and exports
- Custom Alerts for papers
- Reference checking tools
- Priority email support
Free Plan Limits
| Limit | Free Plan | Paid Plans |
|---|---|---|
| Smart Citations | Limited per month | Unlimited/Higher |
| Searches | Limited | Unlimited/Higher |
| Exports | None | Unlimited/Higher |
| Dashboard | Limited access | Unlimited/Higher |
| Support | Community support | Unlimited/Higher |
You'll Need to Upgrade When...
- You exceed the user limit
- You need features like Unlimited Smart Citations or Full citation context analysis
- 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
- Scite 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 Individual/Plus Plan Comparison
| Free $0 | Individual/Plus $20/user/month | |
|---|---|---|
| Features | 6 included | 9+ included |
| Support | Community/Email | Priority Support |
| Branding | Scite branding | Your branding |
| Best For | Students and occasional researchers testing Scite's Smart Citations without commitment | Individual researchers and academics needing unlimited citation context analysis and paper reliability assessment |
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Is Scite free?
Yes, Scite offers a freemium plan with 6 core features included. However, there are limits on smart citations, searches that may require upgrading.
02 What's included in Scite's free plan?
Scite's free plan includes: Limited Smart Citations per month, Search across 1.2B+ citations, Basic citation context, Paper reliability indicators, Supporting vs contrasting citations, and 1 more features. Key limits include Smart Citations: Limited per month, Searches: Limited, Exports: None.
03 What's NOT included in Scite's free plan?
The free plan excludes: Unlimited Smart Citations, Full citation context analysis, Supporting vs contrasting citation breakdown, Paper reliability dashboards, Citation reports and exports. You'll also have Scite branding and limited support options.
04 When should I upgrade from Scite's free plan?
Consider upgrading when: you hit user or storage limits, need features like Unlimited Smart Citations or Full citation context analysis, require premium support, or want to remove branding. The cheapest paid plan starts at $20/user/month.
05 Is Scite's free plan really free forever?
Yes, Scite'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 Scite pricing updates
We'll notify you when pricing changes or new free features are added.