Back to Comparisons

Elicit vs Scite.ai

A detailed comparison of Elicit and Scite.ai. Find out which AI Research solution is right for your team.

📌Key Takeaways

  • 1Elicit vs Scite.ai: Comparing 6 criteria.
  • 2Elicit wins 4 categories, Scite.ai wins 2, with 0 ties.
  • 3Elicit: 4.0/5 rating. Scite.ai: 4.2/5 rating.
  • 4Overall recommendation: Elicit edges ahead in this comparison.
Option A

Elicit

4.0

AI research assistant for systematic reviews with paper search, data extraction, and synthesis across 125M+ papers

4 wins
View full review →
Option B

Scite.ai

4.2

AI platform for evaluating research through Smart Citations that show whether papers support or contradict claims

2 wins
View full review →

4

Elicit wins

0

Ties

2

Scite.ai wins

Feature Comparison

CriteriaElicitScite.aiWinner
Accuracy54Elicit
Source Quality54Elicit
Citation35Scite.ai
Depth of Analysis43Elicit
Real-time Data35Scite.ai
Ease of Use43Elicit

Detailed Analysis

Accuracy

Elicit

Elicit

Elicit's accuracy capabilities

Scite.ai

Scite.ai's accuracy capabilities

Comparing accuracy between Elicit and Scite.ai.

Source Quality

Elicit

Elicit

Elicit's source quality capabilities

Scite.ai

Scite.ai's source quality capabilities

Comparing source quality between Elicit and Scite.ai.

Citation

Scite.ai

Elicit

Elicit's citation capabilities

Scite.ai

Scite.ai's citation capabilities

Comparing citation between Elicit and Scite.ai.

Depth of Analysis

Elicit

Elicit

Elicit's depth of analysis capabilities

Scite.ai

Scite.ai's depth of analysis capabilities

Comparing depth of analysis between Elicit and Scite.ai.

Real-time Data

Scite.ai

Elicit

Elicit's real-time data capabilities

Scite.ai

Scite.ai's real-time data capabilities

Comparing real-time data between Elicit and Scite.ai.

Ease of Use

Elicit

Elicit

Elicit's ease of use capabilities

Scite.ai

Scite.ai's ease of use capabilities

Comparing ease of use between Elicit and Scite.ai.

Feature-by-Feature Breakdown

Semantic Paper Search

Scite.ai

Elicit

Elicit's semantic search capability goes beyond keyword matching to understand the conceptual meaning behind research questions. When users enter a query like 'What interventions reduce anxiety in college students?', the system interprets the underlying research intent and searches across millions of academic papers to find semantically relevant results—even if papers don't contain the exact search terms. The AI understands synonyms, related concepts, and contextual relationships, surfacing papers that traditional keyword searches would miss. Results are ranked by relevance to the specific research question rather than just citation count or recency. Researchers discover more relevant papers faster, including studies they would have missed with traditional keyword-based searches.

Researchers discover more relevant papers faster, including studies they would have missed with traditional keyword-based searches

Scite.ai

Scite's Smart Citations technology goes far beyond traditional citation counting by analyzing the actual text surrounding each citation to determine its context and sentiment. When a paper cites another work, Scite's machine learning models examine the full sentence and surrounding paragraph to classify whether the citation is supporting the original findings, disputing or contradicting them, or simply mentioning the work without taking a position. This contextual analysis is performed across millions of full-text articles, creating a comprehensive picture of how each paper has been received by the scientific community over time. Researchers can instantly see not just how many times a paper has been cited, but whether those citations represent validation, criticism, or neutral reference. Enables researchers to quickly assess paper credibility and identify potentially problematic research that has been disputed or contradicted by subsequent studies.

Enables researchers to quickly assess paper credibility and identify potentially problematic research that has been disputed or contradicted by subsequent studies

Both Elicit and Scite.ai offer Semantic Paper Search. Elicit's approach focuses on elicit's semantic search capability goes beyond keyword matching to understand the conceptual meaning behind research questions., while Scite.ai emphasizes scite's smart citations technology goes far beyond traditional citation counting by analyzing the actual text surrounding each citation to determine its context and sentiment.. Choose based on which implementation better fits your workflow.

Automated Data Extraction

Scite.ai

Elicit

Elicit's data extraction engine automatically reads through research papers and pulls out structured information based on user-defined columns. Researchers can specify what data points they need—such as sample size, study duration, intervention type, primary outcomes, effect sizes, or limitations—and Elicit will extract this information from each paper in a systematic, tabular format. The system handles variations in how information is presented across different papers and journals, normalizing extracted data for easy comparison. Users can export extracted data to spreadsheets for further analysis or meta-analysis calculations. Transforms weeks of manual data extraction work into hours, enabling more comprehensive systematic reviews with larger paper sets.

Transforms weeks of manual data extraction work into hours, enabling more comprehensive systematic reviews with larger paper sets

Scite.ai

The Scite Assistant is an advanced AI-powered research tool that allows users to ask natural language questions about any scientific topic and receive comprehensive, evidence-based answers synthesized from the scholarly literature. Unlike general-purpose AI chatbots, the Assistant grounds every response in actual published research, providing inline citations that users can verify and explore further. The system can answer complex research questions, compare findings across studies, identify consensus and controversy in a field, and help researchers understand the current state of knowledge on any topic. The Assistant draws from Scite's vast database of indexed articles and citation contexts to provide nuanced, accurate responses. Dramatically accelerates literature review and research synthesis by providing AI-generated summaries backed by verifiable citations from peer-reviewed sources.

Dramatically accelerates literature review and research synthesis by providing AI-generated summaries backed by verifiable citations from peer-reviewed sources

Both Elicit and Scite.ai offer Automated Data Extraction. Elicit's approach focuses on elicit's data extraction engine automatically reads through research papers and pulls out structured information based on user-defined columns., while Scite.ai emphasizes scite assistant is an advanced ai-powered research tool that allows users to ask natural language questions about any scientific topic and receive comprehensive, evidence-based answers synthesized from the scholarly literature.. Choose based on which implementation better fits your workflow.

Research Synthesis & Summarization

Scite.ai

Elicit

Beyond individual paper analysis, Elicit synthesizes findings across multiple papers to identify patterns, consensus views, and contradictions in the literature. The platform can generate summaries that aggregate key findings from dozens of papers, highlighting where studies agree, where they diverge, and what gaps exist in current research. This synthesis capability helps researchers quickly understand the state of knowledge on a topic without reading every paper in detail. The AI identifies methodological trends, common limitations, and emerging research directions across the literature. Enables researchers to rapidly develop comprehensive understanding of research landscapes and identify opportunities for novel contributions.

Enables researchers to rapidly develop comprehensive understanding of research landscapes and identify opportunities for novel contributions

Scite.ai

Reference Check is a powerful quality assurance tool that automatically analyzes the reference list of any manuscript or paper to identify potential citation issues before publication. The system scans each cited work and flags papers that have been retracted, heavily disputed, or contradicted by subsequent research. It also identifies self-citations, highlights papers with concerning citation patterns, and provides an overall assessment of reference list quality. This tool is invaluable for authors preparing manuscripts, peer reviewers evaluating submissions, and editors ensuring publication quality. Reference Check can process entire manuscripts in seconds, providing detailed reports on each citation's status and context. Helps authors and publishers maintain research integrity by catching problematic citations before publication, reducing the risk of citing retracted or disputed work.

Helps authors and publishers maintain research integrity by catching problematic citations before publication, reducing the risk of citing retracted or disputed work

Both Elicit and Scite.ai offer Research Synthesis & Summarization. Elicit's approach focuses on beyond individual paper analysis, elicit synthesizes findings across multiple papers to identify patterns, consensus views, and contradictions in the literature., while Scite.ai emphasizes reference check is a powerful quality assurance tool that automatically analyzes the reference list of any manuscript or paper to identify potential citation issues before publication.. Choose based on which implementation better fits your workflow.

Citation & Source Verification

Scite.ai

Elicit

Elicit maintains rigorous academic standards by providing transparent citations and direct links to source documents for all extracted information. Every data point, quote, or finding extracted by the AI includes a citation to the specific paper and often the specific section where the information was found. Users can click through to verify any extracted information against the original source, ensuring accuracy and enabling proper academic citation. The platform also flags when information is uncertain or when papers contain conflicting claims. Maintains academic integrity and enables researchers to confidently cite findings while quickly verifying AI-extracted information.

Maintains academic integrity and enables researchers to confidently cite findings while quickly verifying AI-extracted information

Scite.ai

Scite's Custom Dashboards enable institutions, publishers, and research organizations to create tailored analytics views that track citation patterns, research impact, and publication quality across their portfolios. Users can monitor how their organization's research is being cited over time, identify which papers are generating supporting versus disputing citations, and benchmark performance against peers or competitors. Dashboards can be configured to track specific journals, authors, institutions, or research topics, with automated alerts when significant citation events occur. The visualization tools make it easy to communicate research impact to stakeholders, funders, and leadership teams. Provides institutions and publishers with actionable intelligence about research quality and impact, enabling data-driven decisions about resource allocation and strategic priorities.

Provides institutions and publishers with actionable intelligence about research quality and impact, enabling data-driven decisions about resource allocation and strategic priorities

Both Elicit and Scite.ai offer Citation & Source Verification. Elicit's approach focuses on elicit maintains rigorous academic standards by providing transparent citations and direct links to source documents for all extracted information., while Scite.ai emphasizes scite's custom dashboards enable institutions, publishers, and research organizations to create tailored analytics views that track citation patterns, research impact, and publication quality across their portfolios.. Choose based on which implementation better fits your workflow.

Custom Research Workflows

Scite.ai

Elicit

Elicit supports flexible research workflows that adapt to different research methodologies and project requirements. Users can create custom extraction templates with specific columns tailored to their research questions, save and reuse search strategies across projects, and organize papers into collections for different aspects of their research. The platform supports iterative refinement of searches and extractions, allowing researchers to progressively narrow focus or expand scope as their understanding develops. Collaboration features enable research teams to share workflows and build on each other's work. Adapts to diverse research needs from quick literature scans to comprehensive systematic reviews requiring PRISMA-compliant documentation.

Adapts to diverse research needs from quick literature scans to comprehensive systematic reviews requiring PRISMA-compliant documentation

Scite.ai

The Scite Browser Extension seamlessly integrates citation context analysis into researchers' existing workflows by displaying Smart Citation information directly on publisher websites, Google Scholar, PubMed, and other research platforms. When browsing any indexed paper, users instantly see badges showing the number of supporting, disputing, and mentioning citations without leaving the page. The extension also provides quick access to the full citation context, allowing researchers to dive deeper into how a paper has been received. This frictionless integration means researchers can evaluate paper credibility as a natural part of their literature search process, without switching between tools or disrupting their workflow. Eliminates workflow friction by bringing citation intelligence directly to where researchers already work, enabling instant credibility assessment during literature searches.

Eliminates workflow friction by bringing citation intelligence directly to where researchers already work, enabling instant credibility assessment during literature searches

Both Elicit and Scite.ai offer Custom Research Workflows. Elicit's approach focuses on elicit supports flexible research workflows that adapt to different research methodologies and project requirements., while Scite.ai emphasizes scite browser extension seamlessly integrates citation context analysis into researchers' existing workflows by displaying smart citation information directly on publisher websites, google scholar, pubmed, and other research platforms.. Choose based on which implementation better fits your workflow.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Elicit

Strengths

  • Semantic Paper Search: Elicit's semantic search capability goes beyond keyword matching to understand the conceptual meaning behind research questions. When users enter a qu...
  • Automated Data Extraction: Elicit's data extraction engine automatically reads through research papers and pulls out structured information based on user-defined columns. Resear...
  • Research Synthesis & Summarization: Beyond individual paper analysis, Elicit synthesizes findings across multiple papers to identify patterns, consensus views, and contradictions in the...
  • Citation & Source Verification: Elicit maintains rigorous academic standards by providing transparent citations and direct links to source documents for all extracted information. Ev...
  • Custom Research Workflows: Elicit supports flexible research workflows that adapt to different research methodologies and project requirements. Users can create custom extractio...

Weaknesses

  • AI-generated content requires human review to ensure accuracy and brand voice consistency.
  • Initial setup and integration may require technical resources or onboarding support.
  • Feature depth means users may not utilize all capabilities, potentially reducing ROI for simpler use cases.

Scite.ai

Strengths

  • Smart Citations: Scite's Smart Citations technology goes far beyond traditional citation counting by analyzing the actual text surrounding each citation to determine i...
  • AI Research Assistant: The Scite Assistant is an advanced AI-powered research tool that allows users to ask natural language questions about any scientific topic and receive...
  • Reference Check: Reference Check is a powerful quality assurance tool that automatically analyzes the reference list of any manuscript or paper to identify potential c...
  • Custom Dashboards: Scite's Custom Dashboards enable institutions, publishers, and research organizations to create tailored analytics views that track citation patterns,...
  • Browser Extension: The Scite Browser Extension seamlessly integrates citation context analysis into researchers' existing workflows by displaying Smart Citation informat...

Weaknesses

  • AI-generated content requires human review to ensure accuracy and brand voice consistency.
  • Initial setup and integration may require technical resources or onboarding support.
  • Feature depth means users may not utilize all capabilities, potentially reducing ROI for simpler use cases.

Industry-Specific Fit

IndustryElicitScite.aiBetter Fit
Academic ResearchElicit serves as an essential tool for academic researchers across all disciplines who need to conduct literature reviews, prepare grant proposals, or stay current with developments in their fields. PhD students use Elicit to efficiently survey existing literature for dissertation research, identifying gaps their work can address. Faculty researchers leverage the platform to prepare comprehensive review articles and ensure their work builds appropriately on prior findings. The tool is particularly valuable in fast-moving fields where the volume of new publications makes manual tracking impractical.Scite serves as an essential tool for academic researchers across all disciplines who need to conduct thorough literature reviews, evaluate source credibility, and ensure they are citing high-quality, well-supported research. The platform helps researchers identify seminal papers that have been consistently supported by subsequent work, while flagging potentially problematic citations that could undermine their own research credibility. Academic researchers use Scite to save countless hours that would otherwise be spent manually tracking down and reading papers to understand citation context.Tie
Healthcare & Medical ResearchHealthcare professionals and medical researchers use Elicit to synthesize clinical evidence, conduct systematic reviews for clinical guidelines, and evaluate treatment efficacy across studies. The platform's ability to extract specific clinical data points like patient populations, intervention protocols, and outcome measures makes it invaluable for evidence-based medicine. Hospital research departments and medical schools use Elicit to train residents in systematic review methodology while dramatically reducing the time required for comprehensive literature analysis.Not specifiedElicit
Pharmaceutical & BiotechnologyPharmaceutical companies and biotech firms use Elicit to accelerate drug discovery research, conduct competitive intelligence on research pipelines, and prepare regulatory submissions requiring comprehensive literature reviews. R&D teams leverage the platform to quickly survey existing research on drug targets, identify potential safety signals in published literature, and track developments in therapeutic areas. The efficiency gains are particularly valuable given the high cost of researcher time in these industries.Not specifiedElicit
Policy Research & Think TanksPolicy researchers and think tank analysts use Elicit to rapidly synthesize academic evidence on policy-relevant topics. When preparing briefings for policymakers or comprehensive policy reports, researchers can use the platform to survey hundreds of studies on topics like education interventions, environmental policies, or economic programs. The ability to quickly identify consensus findings and areas of disagreement helps produce more nuanced, evidence-based policy recommendations.Not specifiedElicit
Technology & AI ResearchTechnology companies and AI research labs use Elicit to track the rapidly evolving landscape of computer science and machine learning research. With thousands of new papers published monthly on platforms like arXiv, manual tracking is impossible. Elicit helps research teams identify relevant advances, understand methodological innovations, and ensure their work appropriately cites and builds on prior art. The platform is particularly valuable for preparing patent applications and technical documentation.Not specifiedElicit
Environmental ScienceEnvironmental researchers and sustainability consultants use Elicit to synthesize research on climate change, conservation, pollution, and environmental policy. The platform helps researchers conducting environmental impact assessments survey relevant literature efficiently, and supports meta-analyses that aggregate findings across ecological studies. Conservation organizations use Elicit to prepare evidence-based recommendations for habitat protection and species management.Not specifiedElicit
Social SciencesResearchers in psychology, sociology, economics, and political science use Elicit to conduct systematic reviews and meta-analyses that are increasingly required for publication in top journals. The platform's ability to extract study characteristics like sample sizes, methodologies, and effect sizes accelerates the preparation of quantitative literature syntheses. Social science researchers also use Elicit to ensure comprehensive coverage of relevant literature across disciplinary boundaries.Not specifiedElicit
Education ResearchEducation researchers and school district administrators use Elicit to evaluate evidence on educational interventions, teaching methodologies, and learning technologies. When making decisions about curriculum adoption or instructional practices, education leaders can use the platform to quickly survey what research says about effectiveness. Education policy researchers use Elicit to prepare comprehensive reviews that inform state and federal education policy decisions.Not specifiedElicit

Our Verdict

Elicit and Scite.ai are both strong AI Research solutions. Scite.ai stands out for semantic paper search. Choose based on which specific features and approach best fit your workflow and requirements.

Choose Elicit if you:

  • You operate in Academic Research
  • You prefer Elicit's approach to ai research
  • You prefer Elicit's approach to ai research
View Elicit

Choose Scite.ai if you:

  • You need semantic paper search capabilities
  • You need automated data extraction capabilities
  • You operate in Academic Research
View Scite.ai

Need Help Choosing?

Get expert guidance on selecting between Elicit and Scite.ai for your specific use case.

Find a Strategy Partner

Frequently Asked Questions

It depends on your specific needs. Elicit and Scite.ai each have strengths in different areas. Compare features, integrations, and pricing to determine which is best for your use case.
In some cases, yes. Many teams use complementary tools together. Check if both platforms offer integrations or APIs that allow them to work together.
Both platforms offer different onboarding experiences. Elicit and Scite.ai each have their own setup processes. Most users can get started with either within a few hours.
The main differences are in their approach, feature set, and target use cases. Review the comparison criteria above to see detailed breakdowns of how they differ.
For small teams, consider factors like ease of use, pricing tiers, and the specific features you need most. Both Elicit and Scite.ai can work for small teams depending on your priorities.

Sources & Evidence

  • Automated paper analysis with AI-powered extraction of key findings, methodologies, sample sizes, and structured data without manual reading

    Source: Elicit uses large language models to automatically extract structured information from research papers, allowing users to analyze hundreds of papers in the time it would take to manually read a few. Unlike traditional academic search engines that only return paper titles and abstracts, Elicit reads full-text PDFs and extracts specific data points like study populations, intervention details, outcome measures, and statistical results. This capability has been validated by researchers conducting systematic reviews who report 10x or greater efficiency improvements in their literature review workflows.

  • Smart Citation Context Analysis - AI-powered system that analyzes how papers are cited across scientific literature to classify citations as supporting, disputing, or mentioning the research findings

    Source: Scite's proprietary machine learning models have analyzed over 1.2 billion citation statements from 35+ million full-text articles to classify citation context with high accuracy. This technology fundamentally differentiates Scite from traditional citation databases like Google Scholar or Web of Science that only count citations without analyzing their sentiment or context. Research published in peer-reviewed journals has validated Scite's approach, demonstrating that citation context provides crucial information about research credibility that raw citation counts cannot capture. The platform can identify papers that have been contradicted or disputed by subsequent research—information that would take researchers hours to discover manually.

Last updated: January 30, 2026

Ask AI