Best Literature Review Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Elicit is ranked #1 of 28 as of 8 October 2026, ahead of Rayyan and ASReview. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Rayyan. The lowest first paid tier on this page is ResearchRabbit at $0.83/mo.
A literature review can involve finding sources, screening studies, managing full texts, and mapping evidence. Compare discovery tools and screening workflow with evidence mapping and systematic review support to see which stages each option covers. Collaboration, full-text management, and citation import limits matter when coordinating with others or handling a substantial reference set. Elicit, Rayyan, and ASReview are among the tools to consider. Free-plan availability and paid-from pricing provide additional points of comparison. Focus on the workflow your review requires, then use the listed capabilities to assess how well each tool supports that work.
28 literature review software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
Literature Review Software, one module each. A lit port is something its maker publishes; 6 of the 25 on this page have a public API.
- 01 Elicit API yesOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 7.4$11/mo
- 02 Rayyan API yesOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 7.3$4.99/mo
- 03 ASReview API yesOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 7.2Free
- 04 Bibliometrix API yesOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 7.2Free
- 05 Sysrev API yesOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 7.2$50/mo
- 06 Buhos API yesOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 6.9
- 07 Inciteful API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.9Free
- 08 Litmaps API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.9$10/mo
- 09 ResearchRabbit API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.9$0.83/mo
- 10 RevMan API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.9£6.67/mo
- 11 Abstrackr API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.8Free
- 12 CADIMA API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.8Free
- 13 Colandr API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.8Free
- 14 EviSynth API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.8Free
- 15 Lit Mind Maps API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.8$15/mo
- 16 LitMap API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.8€5/mo
- 17 VOSviewer API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.8Free
- 18 Open Knowledge Maps API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.6€40/mo
- 19 Synthesis API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.6
- 20 EPPI-Reviewer API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.5£10/mo
- 21 Nested Knowledge API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.5$19.95/mo
- 22 INRA API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.4$7.50/mo
- 23 PICO Portal API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.3
- 24 SWIFT-Review API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.0Free
- 25 JBI SUMARI API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 4.9$10.83/mo
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | Platform | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Discovery tools | Screening workflow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elicit | 7.4 | Free plan | $11/mo | Yes | 11 /user/mo | — | — |
| 2 | Rayyan | 7.3 | Free plan | $4.99/mo | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 3 | ASReview | 7.2 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | recommendations | Yes |
| 4 | Bibliometrix | 7.2 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | search | — |
| 5 | Sysrev | 7.2 | Free plan | $50/mo | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 6 | Buhos | 6.9 | No | — | Yes | — | search | Yes |
| 7 | Inciteful | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | search_and_recommendations | No |
| 8 | Litmaps | 5.9 | Free plan | $10/mo | Yes | — | search_and_recommendations | Yes |
| 9 | ResearchRabbit | 5.9 | Free plan | $0.83/mo | Yes | — | search_and_recommendations | No |
| 10 | RevMan | 5.9 | Free plan | £6.67/mo | Yes | — | — | No |
| 11 | Abstrackr | 5.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 12 | CADIMA | 5.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 13 | Colandr | 5.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 14 | EviSynth | 5.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 15 | Lit Mind Maps | 5.8 | Free plan | $15/mo | Yes | — | search | No |
| 16 | LitMap | 5.8 | Free plan | €5/mo | Yes | — | — | — |
| 17 | VOSviewer | 5.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | search | — |
| 18 | Open Knowledge Maps | 5.6 | No | €40/mo | Yes | — | search | No |
| 19 | Synthesis | 5.6 | No | — | — | — | search | Yes |
| 20 | EPPI-Reviewer | 5.5 | No | £10/mo | No | — | — | Yes |
| 21 | Nested Knowledge | 5.5 | No | $19.95/mo | No | — | — | Yes |
| 22 | INRA | 5.4 | No | $7.50/mo | Yes | 7.5 /user/mo | — | Yes |
| 23 | PICO Portal | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 24 | SWIFT-Review | 5.0 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 25 | JBI SUMARI | 4.9 | No | $10.83/mo | No | — | — | Yes |
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which literature review software is ranked first on Inferse?
Elicit is ranked #1 of 28 with a score of 7.4. Rayyan is second and ASReview third.
How many of these have a free plan?
17 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, ResearchRabbit has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.83/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes, open and connectable first: a public API, open-source code, the depth of its documentation and a free tier to try it on. Model lists are sorted by the figure in their title, exactly as each provider publishes it.