Best Systematic Review Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Rayyan is ranked #1 of 29 as of 3 October 2026, ahead of Buhos and DistillerSR. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Covexe. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Rayyan at $4.99/mo.
Systematic review work spans screening records, managing references, extracting data and keeping full texts accessible. Compare blinded screening and reference deduplication alongside data extraction, protocol support and the review types each option covers. Full-text storage and collaborator limits can help you assess workflow and team fit; free plans and paid-from prices add cost context. Rayyan, Buhos and DistillerSR lead the ranked entries, with Covexe and ASReview among the next options shown. Use the ordering as a starting point, then weigh the comparison criteria against the stages and collaboration needs of your review.
29 systematic review software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
| # | Platform | Score | Why | From | Free plan | Paid from | Reference deduplication | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rayyan | 8.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $4.99/mo | Yes | — | — | View |
| 2 |  Buhos | 8.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 3 | DistillerSR | 8.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $7.83/mo | No | — | — | View |
| 4 | Covexe | 7.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $8.25/mo | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 5 | ASReview | 7.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 6 | Parsifal | 7.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 7 |  ReviQ | 7.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 8 | Silvi | 6.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 9 | Catchii | 6.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 10 |  CADIMA | 6.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 11 |  Universal SLR Assistant | 6.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 12 |  SyRF | 6.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | No | View |
| 13 |  RevMan | 6.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | £6.67/mo | Yes | — | — | View |
| 14 |  Covidence | 6.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | — | View |
| 15 | Colandr | 5.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 16 | Bango | 5.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 17 |  JBI SUMARI | 5.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | — | View |
| 18 |  Sysrev | 5.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 19 |  Nested Knowledge | 5.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | — | View |
| 20 |  EPPI-Reviewer | 5.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | — | View |
| 21 | Abstrackr | 5.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 22 | Systematicly | 5.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 23 |  LitFlow | 5.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 24 |  ReviewAid | 5.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 25 |  Litstream | 5.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | Yes | View |
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which systematic review software is ranked first on Inferse?
Rayyan is ranked #1 of 29 with a score of 8.8. Buhos is second and DistillerSR third.
How many of these have a free plan?
10 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Rayyan has the lowest first paid tier we found: $4.99/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. Paid placements never change a rank.