Litmaps vs Semantic Scholar
Semantic Scholar scores 6.0 to Litmaps's 4.0 among the literature search tools we rate, and is the better pick for 3 of the 5 kinds of buyer below.
Semantic Scholar wins, 6.0 to 4.0
Semantic Scholar is free, with no paid plan; Litmaps costs $12.50 a month for its cheapest plan. Litmaps answers back with a visual citation map connecting related papers, the core of the product, which Semantic Scholar does not offer. Semantic Scholar has a free, documented API and a browser extension, both missing from Litmaps, and it syncs with Zotero, Mendeley and EndNote where Litmaps only connects to Zotero.
Pick Litmaps if you want a visual map of how papers connect.
Pick Semantic Scholar if you want a free plan with an API and browser extension.
Best for
Who each one suits, decided on the criteria that matter to that buyer and the checked facts where the two differ.
- Map of connected papers: Litmaps yes, Semantic Scholar no
- Ask questions of a paper: Semantic Scholar yes, Litmaps no
- Summarises papers: Semantic Scholar yes, Litmaps no
- Answers show the passage they came from: Semantic Scholar yes, Litmaps no
- Monthly price, cheapest paid plan: $0 against $12.5
- Browser extension: Semantic Scholar yes, Litmaps no
- API: Semantic Scholar yes, Litmaps no
- Works with Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote and others: Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote against Zotero
How they score
Both are scored the same way, against the other literature search tools we rate, from facts on each vendor's own pages. Semantic Scholar leads on 4 of 6 criteria.
Where they differ
Every point where the two vendors' published facts disagree, with a link to where each fact was read. "Not published" means the vendor does not say either way.
Published by only one of them
Where they match (19)
Pricing, plan by plan
Every plan each vendor publishes, monthly and yearly where both are offered.
Litmaps
Semantic Scholar
For everything else about each tool, read the full Litmaps review and Semantic Scholar review.
Litmaps vs Semantic Scholar: common questions
Which is better, Litmaps or Semantic Scholar?
Semantic Scholar scores 6.0 and Litmaps 4.0 out of 10 among the literature search tools we rate. Semantic Scholar is ahead on reading and analysing papers, pricing, citing and writing and access, teams and privacy. Litmaps is ahead on finding papers.
Is Litmaps or Semantic Scholar cheaper?
Litmaps's cheapest paid plan is $12.50/mo academic plan ($50/mo commercial plan) and Semantic Scholar's is Free. Compare what each plan includes below before going on price alone.
What can Litmaps do that Semantic Scholar cannot?
On the facts both vendors publish: map of connected papers.
What can Semantic Scholar do that Litmaps cannot?
On the facts both vendors publish: ask questions of a paper, summarises papers, answers show the passage they came from, browser extension and aPI.
