Explainpaper

Explainpaper is an AI-powered tool that helps researchers read academic papers faster by providing instant explanatio...

Updated Jun 2026· 80/100

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About Explainpaper

Explainpaper is an AI-powered tool that helps researchers read academic papers faster by providing instant explanations of confusing text. Users upload PDFs, highlight jargon or complex sections, and receive simplified explanations powered by large language models. The tool offers a free plan with unlimited highlight explanations and a Pro plan at $16/month.

Explainpaper uses large language models to simplify academic papers by letting users upload PDFs and highlight confusing sections for instant explanations. The tool is designed for researchers, students, and anyone reading scholarly literature who needs help deciphering technical jargon and complex concepts. It includes features like follow-up questions, Zotero library import, and the ability to explain mathematical formulas and figures. The platform claims to serve over 400,000 researchers and uses different AI model tiers depending on the subscription level, with the free version using basic models and paid plans accessing more advanced ones.

Pros & cons

Pros

Free plan offers unlimited highlight explanations with no cost barrier for basic use
Supports Zotero library import for integration with existing research workflows
Pro plan includes advanced features like math formula explanations and full paper summaries
Users report significant reduction in paper review time according to testimonials

Cons

Free plan uses only basic AI models, with advanced models reserved for paid tiers
No free trial mentioned for the Pro plan despite the $16/month cost
Limited information available about accuracy or handling of highly specialized technical content

Pricing plans

Free

$0 / month

Unlimited highlight explanations
Ask follow-up questions
Import Zotero library
Basic AI models

Pro

$16 / month

Advanced AI models
Math formula and figure explanations
Full paper summaries
Save highlights and explanations
Ask questions about papers

Teams

Contact for pricing / month

Everything in Pro
Team management
Priority support
Volume discounts

Key features

Team Collaboration

Compare key features

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Feature

Explainpaper

Felo

Komo

Pricing

Freemium

Paid

Freemium

Free plan

Yes

Free trial

Yes

API

—

Self-hosted

—

Team support

Yes

Frequently asked questions

Is Explainpaper free?+

Yes, Explainpaper offers a free plan that includes unlimited highlight explanations, the ability to ask follow-up questions, and Zotero library import. However, the free plan uses basic AI models. Advanced features like math formula explanations, full paper summaries, and more powerful AI models require the Pro plan at $16/month.

What does Explainpaper integrate with?+

Explainpaper integrates with Zotero, allowing users to import their existing Zotero library. This integration is available on both the free and paid plans. No other integrations were mentioned in the available research.

How does Explainpaper compare to alternatives?+

Research mentions alternatives like Scisummary, SummarizePaper, and Paper Digest as competing tools in the academic paper simplification space. Explainpaper distinguishes itself with its highlight-to-explain interface and LLM-powered explanations, though specific feature comparisons were not detailed in the available research.