AskYourPDFFree plan
Paid from
$14.99 a month
View plans and limitsUpdated 4 September 2026 · Independent comparison
AskYourPDF vs Claude research mode:
which should you use?
AskYourPDF and Claude research mode, side by side. Find the one that fits what you need to do.
Find your best fitThe 30-second answer
AskYourPDF straightforward document chat with citation back to the page, and it handles long PDFs without the usual truncation.
Claude research mode holds long papers in context well, which suits close reading and synthesis across several full texts at once.
Pricing, simplified
Start free. Upgrade when you need more.
Claude research modeFree plan
Paid from
$20 a month
View plans and limitsThe 30-second comparison
If you only read one section, make it this one. Rows where both sides say the same thing are left out — the point is where they differ. Where each row came from is listed underneath.
| Category | AskYourPDF | Claude research mode | Better fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it's built for | Straightforward document chat with citation back to the page, and it handles long PDFs without the usual truncation. | Holds long papers in context well, which suits close reading and synthesis across several full texts at once. | Tie |
| Free plan | Yes. Free, but tightly capped: 1 document a day, 100 pages per document and a 15MB upload limit | Yes. Reading and summarising papers works on the free Claude tier | Tie |
| Cheapest way to pay | $14.99 a month. | $20 a month. | AskYourPDF |
| What the paid tiers cost |
|
| Tie |
| What to watch out for | A thin layer over a general model, so it inherits that model’s habits. Little here that a general assistant with file upload does not also do. The free tier allows one document a day, so it is a taster rather than a working allowance. | Not connected to indexed scholarly databases. There is no separate research plan: longer runs come with a Claude subscription. | Tie |
| Who it is usually for | students, working professionals, researchers | students, researchers | Tie |
| Sources you can check | Answers arrive without sources attached. | Answers carry sources you can open and check. | Claude research mode |
| Made by | ProtonLabs Technology — Birmingham, GB. | Anthropic — San Francisco, US. | Tie |
Neither leads on the 8 rows above: 1 each. The job decides it, not the table.
AskYourPDF or Claude research mode
Neither leads on the rows above — the job decides it.
✓ Straightforward document chat with citation back to the page, and it handles long PDFs without the usual truncation.
✓ You want the cheaper paid plan, $14.99 against $20
✓ You are among working professionals
✓ Free, but tightly capped: 1 document a day, 100 pages per document and a 15MB upload limit
Holds long papers in context well, which suits close reading and synthesis across several full texts at once.
Claude research mode is the better answer when the job is what it was built for rather than what the pick above does broadly.
✓ Straightforward document chat with citation back to the page, and it handles long PDFs without the usual truncation.
✓ You want the cheaper paid plan, $14.99 against $20
✓ You are among working professionals
✓ Free, but tightly capped: 1 document a day, 100 pages per document and a 15MB upload limit
How we know
Every row that separated these two, and where it came from. Nothing here is a hands-on test — if a line rests on a vendor’s own pricing page, it says so and links it.
| Row | Favours | Weight | Where it came from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheapest way to pay | AskYourPDF | Everything else | From each vendor’s own pricing page. Dates and pages are listed below. |
| Sources you can check | Claude research mode | How well it does the job | From this site’s own catalogue record for each product — compiled by hand, not imported. How a product gets listed |
The prices
AskYourPDF. Read by hand off askyourpdf.com on 4 September 2026. It is not on the monthly re-check, so confirm there before paying. askyourpdf.com/pricing
Claude research mode. Read by hand off claude.ai on 4 September 2026. It is not on the monthly re-check, so confirm there before paying. claude.ai
The ratings
The category these two share. Search, Research & Academics — both are listed there in the catalogue, and the fit recorded against each listing is a judgement made here, by hand.
The nine-category grid below. Derived from what each product is listed for, by one script, once per build — so the same pair always reads the same. It is a derivation, not a review.
What this is not
Neither product was run side by side to produce this page. Nobody was paid to appear on it and nothing here is ranked by commission.
To put the same question to both and read the answers yourself, run them side by side — that is a live test, and this is not.
Choose based on what you’re doing
All ten categories, including the ones where neither of these is the answer. These ratings are derived from what each product is listed for, not from running it — a rating here is a reading of the record, and the record is linked.
01
General-Purpose AI Assistants
Questions, brainstorming, explanations, everyday tasks, decision-making, general advice.
AskYourPDF
Not a good fitClaude research mode
Not a good fitBest choice: Neither
02
Search, Research & Academics
Web research, deep research, books, academic papers, citations, news, fact-checking.
AskYourPDF
Good fitClaude research mode
Good fitBest choice: Tie
03
Writing, Communication & Language
Emails, reports, essays, editing, summarizing, translation, presentations.
AskYourPDF
Not a good fitClaude research mode
Not a good fitBest choice: Neither
04
Coding, Data & Technical Work
Programming, debugging, data analysis, spreadsheets, math, engineering, technical research.
AskYourPDF
Bad fitClaude research mode
Bad fitBest choice: Neither
05
Business, Finance & Professional Work
Business strategy, investing, market research, legal, sales, HR, accounting, consulting.
AskYourPDF
Not a good fitClaude research mode
Not a good fitBest choice: Neither
06
Image & Design
Image generation, photo editing, logos, graphics, product design, advertising creatives.
AskYourPDF
Bad fitClaude research mode
Bad fitBest choice: Neither
07
Video
Video generation and editing, clipping, subtitles, avatars, animation and motion capture.
AskYourPDF
Bad fitClaude research mode
Bad fitBest choice: Neither
08
Audio, Voice & Music
Voice generation, transcription, music, dubbing, sound cleanup and podcast production.
AskYourPDF
Bad fitClaude research mode
Bad fitBest choice: Neither
09
Marketing & Content Creation
Social media, SEO, advertising, copywriting, content ideas, scripts, brand development.
AskYourPDF
Bad fitClaude research mode
Bad fitBest choice: Neither
10
Productivity, Automation & Personal Life
AI agents, workflows, scheduling, meetings, organization, shopping, travel, personal finance.
AskYourPDF
Not a good fitClaude research mode
Not a good fitBest choice: Neither
Straightforward document chat with citation back to the page, and it handles long PDFs without the usual truncation.
by ProtonLabs TechnologyStraightforward document chat with citation back to the page, and it handles long PDFs without the usual truncation.
You want the cheaper paid plan, $14.99 against $20
You are among working professionals
Free, but tightly capped: 1 document a day, 100 pages per document and a 15MB upload limit
Holds long papers in context well, which suits close reading and synthesis across several full texts at once.
by AnthropicHolds long papers in context well, which suits close reading and synthesis across several full texts at once.
You need sources you can open and check
Reading and summarising papers works on the free Claude tier
Reading and summarising papers works free; extended multi-step research runs need a paid plan
Pricing, simplified
The plans people actually compare, read from each vendor’s own page.
PricingSimple, up-to-date plan overview.
AskYourPDFby ProtonLabs Technology
Claude research modeby AnthropicFree version
AskYourPDF
Yes — Free plan availableFree, but tightly capped: 1 document a day, 100 pages per document and a 15MB upload limit
Claude research mode
Yes — Free plan availableReading and summarising papers works on the free Claude tier
Individual plans
AskYourPDF
Premium
$14.99 / month$11.99 / month (annual)
Pro
$19.99 / month$14.99 / month (annual)
Claude research mode
Pro
$20 / month$17 / month (annual)
Max
From $100 / month
Business plans
AskYourPDFNot sold to teams
Claude research mode
From $25 / user / monthFrom $20 / user / month (annual)Team standard seat, Team premium seat
Enterprise
AskYourPDF
Custom pricing
Claude research mode
From $20 / user / month
View full details
AskYourPDFView AskYourPDF pricing
Claude research modeView Claude research mode pricing
Tell us what you use AI for
Pick your main job and the verdict below changes to match. Every answer is on the page already, so this works as a reader, not a lookup.
The verdict for that job
Evenly matched
Close call. Both cover search, research & academics at the same level; both have a free plan you can start on; AskYourPDF is cheaper to start paying for, $14.99 against $20.
8 rows compared
Frequently asked questions
Is AskYourPDF or Claude research mode better?
Neither leads on the 8 rows above: 1 each. The job decides it, not the table. both have a free plan you can start on; AskYourPDF is cheaper to start paying for, $14.99 against $20. AskYourPDF: Straightforward document chat with citation back to the page, and it handles long PDFs without the usual truncation. Claude research mode: Holds long papers in context well, which suits close reading and synthesis across several full texts at once.
Is AskYourPDF or Claude research mode cheaper?
AskYourPDF — paid plans start at $14.99 a month against $20 a month.
Do AskYourPDF and Claude research mode both have free plans?
Yes. AskYourPDF: Free, but tightly capped: 1 document a day, 100 pages per document and a 15MB upload limit. Claude research mode: Reading and summarising papers works on the free Claude tier.
What should I watch out for?
AskYourPDF: A thin layer over a general model, so it inherits that model’s habits. Little here that a general assistant with file upload does not also do. The free tier allows one document a day, so it is a taster rather than a working allowance. Claude research mode: Not connected to indexed scholarly databases. There is no separate research plan: longer runs come with a Claude subscription.
Read more
AskYourPDF
What it is for, who makes it, what it costs and what to use instead.
Claude research mode
What it is for, who makes it, what it costs and what to use instead.
Best AI for Research
Web research, deep research, books, academic papers, citations, news, fact-checking.