Chat app that summarizes PDFs, EPUBs, web pages and YouTube links, then answers questions about them with references to the source text.
Freemium
Keenious
Academic paper discovery tool with an AI companion and topic maps over about 174 million scholarly works, on the web, Word and Google Docs.
What is Keenious?
Keenious helps students and researchers find and understand academic literature. You describe what you are curious about in plain language and a companion suggests where to start and runs the search, showing results as a paper list beside an interactive topic map that groups related work. The index holds about 174 million publications in 130 languages, built on OpenAlex with open-access links from Unpaywall, and is curated weekly to filter out non-scholarly records, duplicates and retracted works. The companion explains concepts and methods and points to papers, but it is designed to decline writing drafts or ready-made reports, so you do the reading. You can use it on the web and in add-ins for Microsoft Word and Google Docs, and export results to RIS, BibTeX, Zotero, EndNote and CSV. A free plan has no time limit, individual Plus is $10 per month billed annually, and teams and university licenses are available.
Use cases
- Find relevant academic papers in plain language
- Explore related research on a topic map
- Understand unfamiliar methods and concepts
- Export citations to Zotero or EndNote
- Research from inside Word or Google Docs
- Roll out a library-integrated discovery tool
Who it's for
Why use Keenious
- Keeps you in the primary literature by showing papers and a map instead of a finished summary.
- Works inside Word and Google Docs, so you can look up sources while you write.
- The index is filtered for retracted works, duplicates and non-scholarly records.
- Always-free plan lets you test search, the map and the companion with no time limit.
- University licenses connect to the library's link resolver and single sign-on.
Keenious features
- Plain-language search over about 174M scholarly works
- 2D topic maps beside a list of papers
- AI companion that explains methods and points to papers
- Microsoft Word and Google Docs add-ins
- Export to RIS, BibTeX, Zotero, EndNote, CSV and CSL JSON
- PDF uploads up to 20 MB on Plus
- Library link resolver and open-access full-text links
- SAML SSO, email domain and IP-range access for universities
- Live admin usage dashboard with CSV export
- ISO 27001 certified with EU hosting
Keenious integrations
How to get started with Keenious
- Create a Keenious account, or sign in with your university email if your institution has a license.
- Describe your topic in your own words and let the companion refine and run the search.
- Browse results as a paper list and an interactive map of related topics.
- Ask the companion to explain concepts or methods, and open full text through your library or open access.
- Export your results or bookmarks to a reference manager, or upgrade to Plus for unlimited conversations.
Keenious limitations
- The Free plan allows 3 conversations per day with 5 AI replies each
- Free PDF uploads are limited to 3 MB
- There is no free trial of Plus, and unused time is not refunded after cancelling
- Switching from an Individual plan to a Team plan has to go through support
- By design the companion refuses to write drafts for you or condense a research area into a finished report
Keenious pricing
Yes, Keenious has a free plan. Paid plans start at $10 per month, according to the official pricing page on .
Keenious plans
Free
Free
- All search results and 2D topic maps
- 3 conversations per day, 5 AI replies each
- PDF uploads up to 3 MB
- Web, Word and Google Docs access
Plus for individuals
$10/month
billed annually
- Unlimited searches and topic maps
- Unlimited companion conversations
- Export to RIS, BibTeX, Zotero, EndNote and CSV
- PDF uploads up to 20 MB
Plus for teams
$20/user/month
billed annually
- Everything in Plus for individuals
- Admin console for seat management
- Centralized billing
- Two-factor authentication controls
Universities
Custom
Annual campus license
- Campus-wide Plus access
- Library link resolver full-text links
- SAML SSO and IP-range access
- Usage dashboard with CSV exports
Plans as listed on the official pricing page on . Prices can change and may vary by country or exclude tax. Check the official pricing page.
Keenious alternatives
The main Keenious alternatives listed on Debuly are Elicit, Consensus, Semantic Scholar, Connected Papers, Scite and ChatPDF. The table compares pricing and platforms; order is A–Z.
| Tool | Pricing | Starting price | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keenious | Freemium | $10/mo | Web, Microsoft Word, Google Docs |
| ChatPDF | Freemium | — | Web |
| Connected Papers | Freemium | — | Web |
| Consensus | Freemium | $12/mo | Web, API, MCP |
| Elicit | Freemium | $49/mo | Web, API |
| Scite | Freemium | $20/mo | Web, API, Chrome extension |
| Semantic Scholar | Free | — | Web, API |
ChatPDF
Upload a PDF, Word or PowerPoint file and ask questions in any language, with answers linked to the source page.
FreemiumVisit ChatPDF (official site)
Connected Papers
Visual literature tool that builds a similarity graph of academic papers around one you choose, to explore a research field fast.
Consensus
AI search engine for research that answers questions from peer-reviewed papers, with every claim linked back to its source.
FreemiumVisit Consensus (official site)
Elicit
AI research assistant that searches 138 million papers, extracts data into tables and runs systematic reviews and cited reports.
FreemiumVisit Elicit (official site)
Scite
Research platform that shows whether papers support or contrast a study through Smart Citations, with an AI assistant, MCP access and an API.
FreemiumVisit Scite (official site)
Semantic Scholar
Free AI-powered academic search engine from Ai2 with paper TLDRs, citation insights, research feeds and a public API for developers.
Keenious FAQ
How much does Keenious cost?
Individual Plus starts at $10 per month billed annually, Teams start at $20 per user per month billed annually, and university licenses are custom quotes based on institution size. Students get 30% off annual Individual plans.
Is there a free plan for Keenious?
Yes. The Free plan has no time limit and includes all search results and 2D topic maps, 3 conversations a day with 5 AI replies each, and PDF uploads up to 3 MB.
What plans does Keenious have?
Free, Plus for individuals, Plus for teams and campus licenses for universities. Plus adds unlimited conversations, whole-list exports and 20 MB PDF uploads, while team plans add an admin console and centralized billing.
Is there a free trial for Keenious Plus?
No. The help center says there is no trial, but the free plan is unlimited in time so you can use search, the map and the companion before upgrading.
Does Keenious work with Word and Google Docs?
Yes. Keenious Plus works on the web app and in add-ins for Microsoft Word and Google Docs, and the free plan also gives access on all three.
What are alternatives to Keenious?
Alternatives for finding papers include Elicit, Consensus, Semantic Scholar, ResearchRabbit, Connected Papers and Google Scholar.
Sources & verification
Facts on this page come from the official sources below, each with the date we read it. Written by Debuly; the vendor did not review this page.
Image credits
- Logo: from keenious.com · fetched · Vendor trademark, used only to identify the product; removed on request
- Cover: none collected yet, so a generated tile is shown.
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