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Tools · Comparison

Connected Papers vs Perplexity AI vs Semantic Scholar

All three are research tools. Here is what separates them.

Connected PapersPerplexity AISemantic Scholar
What it isA unique, visual tool to help researchers and applied scientists find and explore papers relevant to their field of work.AI-powered search engine providing accurate, sourced answers using LLMs and real-time web search.Semantic Scholar uses groundbreaking AI and engineering to understand the semantics of scientific literature to help Scholars discover relevant research.
CategoryResearchResearchResearch
PricingPaidFreemium · $20/moFree · Free
How it billsNot publishedFlat monthlyFree
Free tierNoYesYes
RatingNot yet rated4.6 from 5,400 reviewsNot yet rated
Features—
  • Real-time web search
  • Cited sources
  • Pro Search deep research
  • File analysis
  • Image search
  • Code execution
  • Collections
  • API access
  • Over 200 million indexed papers
  • One-sentence paper summaries
  • Influential citation detection
  • Free public API
  • Author and topic feeds
What works
  • Sits in Research, one of the better-covered categories here — easy to compare
  • Accurate with citations
  • Real-time information
  • Excellent for research
  • Clean interface
  • Generous free tier
  • Completely free and non-commercial
  • Underpins many paid tools
  • Open API for building on
What does not
  • No free tier — it has to be paid for before it can be tried
  • Does not publish a price on its own site, so the cost is only clear after signing up
  • 44 other tools in this catalogue claim to do the same job
  • 12 tools in the same category have a free tier
  • Pro features behind paywall
  • Sometimes shallow answers
  • Limited creative tasks
  • Fewer integrations
  • Interface is plainer than commercial rivals
  • Summaries are terse
  • No workflow or note-taking features
Visit Connected PapersVisit Perplexity AIVisit Semantic ScholarCompare more tools