Semantic Scholar Free Plan 2026: What's Included & What's Not
Honest breakdown of the free tier limits and features
Semantic Scholar pricing varies by team size and features, ranging from $0 to $0 per free 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
Semantic Scholar offers a freemium model with limited features; upgrade to unlock more.
What's Included in the Free Plan
- Search across 200M+ research papers
- AI-powered paper recommendations
- Citation graphs and metrics
- Paper abstracts and full metadata
- Author profiles and h-index
- Influential citation identification
- Research feed personalization
- Paper alerts for saved searches
- PDF links and open access indicators
- Mobile app access
Free Plan Limits
| Limit | Free Plan | Paid Plans |
|---|---|---|
| Searches | Unlimited | Unlimited/Higher |
| Paper views | Unlimited | Unlimited/Higher |
| Recommendations | Unlimited | Unlimited/Higher |
| Citations | Unlimited | Unlimited/Higher |
| Alerts | Unlimited | Unlimited/Higher |
You'll Need to Upgrade When...
- You exceed the user limit
- You need features like advanced automation
- 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
- Semantic Scholar 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
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Is Semantic Scholar free?
Yes, Semantic Scholar offers a freemium plan with 10 core features included. However, there are limits on searches, paper views that may require upgrading.
02 What's included in Semantic Scholar's free plan?
Semantic Scholar's free plan includes: Search across 200M+ research papers, AI-powered paper recommendations, Citation graphs and metrics, Paper abstracts and full metadata, Author profiles and h-index, and 5 more features. Key limits include Searches: Unlimited, Paper views: Unlimited, Recommendations: Unlimited.
03 What's NOT included in Semantic Scholar's free plan?
The free plan excludes: advanced features, premium support, and higher limits. You'll also have Semantic Scholar branding and limited support options.
04 When should I upgrade from Semantic Scholar's free plan?
Consider upgrading when: you hit user or storage limits, need features like advanced automation, require premium support, or want to remove branding. The cheapest paid plan starts at $0/free.
05 Is Semantic Scholar's free plan really free forever?
Yes, Semantic Scholar'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 Semantic Scholar pricing updates
We'll notify you when pricing changes or new free features are added.