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Updated 4 September 2026 · Independent comparison

Connected Papers vs Litmaps:
which should you use?

Connected Papers and Litmaps, side by side. Find the one that fits what you need to do.

Find your best fit

The 30-second answer

Connected Papers is built for search, research & academics. Litmaps is built for search, research & academics.

Pricing, simplified

Start free. Upgrade when you need more.

2 of 2 have a free plan 0 of 2 prices re-read automatically · how we know No paid placement

The 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.

Connected Papers and Litmaps side by side, with the better fit for each row.
CategoryConnected PapersLitmapsBetter fit
What it's built forBuilds a similarity graph from citation data rather than from a language model, so nothing in the output is generated and there is nothing to hallucinate.Draws a citation map you can steer, so the shape of a literature becomes visible rather than being a list of titles.Tie
Free planYes. Free plan at $0: 5 graphs a month, with all features includedYes. Free, capped rather than trial-limited: 2 Litmaps with 100 articles per map, basic search taking up to 20 seed inputs, monthly literature alerts and no collaborationTie
Cheapest way to pay$10 a month.$12.5 a month.Connected Papers
What the paid tiers cost
  • One person, from $10/month billed quarterly
  • Per seat, from $30/month billed quarterly
  • One person, from $12.50/month
  • Per seat, from priced on request
Tie
What to watch out forIt finds neighbours of one seed paper, so a bad starting point gives a confidently wrong map. The free tier is 5 graphs a month with every feature included, so paying buys volume rather than capability, and there is no monthly option — billing is annual or quarterly.A map is a prompt to read, not a substitute for reading. The free tier stops at 2 maps of 100 articles each, so a real review needs Pro, and Pro is priced on separate education and commercial tabs. Overlaps ResearchRabbit, which is now the same company.Tie
Made byConnected Papers — Tel Aviv, IL.Litmaps — Wellington, NZ.Tie

Connected Papers is ahead on 1 of the 6 rows compared — cheapest way to pay — and it is not about how well it does the job. On fitness for the work, it and Litmaps are level. Treat this as a tiebreaker, not a recommendation.

Ahead on the small print

Connected Papers

Builds a similarity graph from citation data rather than from a language model, so nothing in the output is generated and there is nothing to hallucinate.

✓ Builds a similarity graph from citation data rather than from a language model, so nothing in the output is generated and there is nothing to hallucinate. ✓ You want the cheaper paid plan, $10 against $12.5 ✓ It is built for search, research & academics ✓ Free plan at $0: 5 graphs a month, with all features included
Choose Litmaps instead if…

Draws a citation map you can steer, so the shape of a literature becomes visible rather than being a list of titles.

Litmaps is the better answer when the job is what it was built for rather than what the pick above does broadly.

✓ Draws a citation map you can steer, so the shape of a literature becomes visible rather than being a list of titles. ✓ It is built for search, research & academics ✓ Free, capped rather than trial-limited: 2 Litmaps with 100 articles per map, basic search taking up to 20 seed inputs, monthly literature alerts and no collaboration ✓ It is aimed at researchers, students

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.

The 1 row that decided this page, with the source for each.
RowFavoursWeightWhere it came from
Cheapest way to payConnected PapersEverything elseFrom each vendor’s own pricing page. Dates and pages are listed below.

The prices

Connected Papers. Read by hand off connectedpapers.com on 4 September 2026. It is not on the monthly re-check, so confirm there before paying. connectedpapers.com/pricing

Litmaps. Read by hand off litmaps.com on 4 September 2026. It is not on the monthly re-check, so confirm there before paying. litmaps.com/pricing

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.

Connected Papers
Not a good fit
Litmaps
Not a good fit
Best choice: Neither
02

Search, Research & Academics

Web research, deep research, books, academic papers, citations, news, fact-checking.

Connected Papers
Built for this
Litmaps
Built for this
Best choice: Tie
03

Writing, Communication & Language

Emails, reports, essays, editing, summarizing, translation, presentations.

Connected Papers
Not a good fit
Litmaps
Not a good fit
Best choice: Neither
04

Coding, Data & Technical Work

Programming, debugging, data analysis, spreadsheets, math, engineering, technical research.

Connected Papers
Bad fit
Litmaps
Bad fit
Best choice: Neither
05

Business, Finance & Professional Work

Business strategy, investing, market research, legal, sales, HR, accounting, consulting.

Connected Papers
Not a good fit
Litmaps
Not a good fit
Best choice: Neither
06

Image & Design

Image generation, photo editing, logos, graphics, product design, advertising creatives.

Connected Papers
Bad fit
Litmaps
Bad fit
Best choice: Neither
07

Video

Video generation and editing, clipping, subtitles, avatars, animation and motion capture.

Connected Papers
Bad fit
Litmaps
Bad fit
Best choice: Neither
08

Audio, Voice & Music

Voice generation, transcription, music, dubbing, sound cleanup and podcast production.

Connected Papers
Bad fit
Litmaps
Bad fit
Best choice: Neither
09

Marketing & Content Creation

Social media, SEO, advertising, copywriting, content ideas, scripts, brand development.

Connected Papers
Bad fit
Litmaps
Bad fit
Best choice: Neither
10

Productivity, Automation & Personal Life

AI agents, workflows, scheduling, meetings, organization, shopping, travel, personal finance.

Connected Papers
Not a good fit
Litmaps
Not a good fit
Best choice: Neither
Pick Connected Papers if

Builds a similarity graph from citation data rather than from a language model, so nothing in the output is generated and there is nothing to hallucinate.

Tel Aviv, IL
Builds a similarity graph from citation data rather than from a language model, so nothing in the output is generated and there is nothing to hallucinate.
You want the cheaper paid plan, $10 against $12.5
It is built for search, research & academics
Free plan at $0: 5 graphs a month, with all features included
Pick Litmaps if

Draws a citation map you can steer, so the shape of a literature becomes visible rather than being a list of titles.

Wellington, NZ
Draws a citation map you can steer, so the shape of a literature becomes visible rather than being a list of titles.
It is built for search, research & academics
Free, capped rather than trial-limited: 2 Litmaps with 100 articles per map, basic search taking up to 20 seed inputs, monthly literature alerts and no collaboration
It is aimed at researchers, students

Pricing, simplified

The plans people actually compare, read from each vendor’s own page.

PricingSimple, up-to-date plan overview.
Connected Papersby Connected Papers
Litmapsby Litmaps
Free version
Connected Papers
Yes — Free plan available5 graphs a month, with all features included
Litmaps
Yes — Free plan availableFree, capped rather than trial-limited: 2 Litmaps with 100 articles per map, basic search
Individual plans
Connected Papers
Academic $10 / month (quarterly)$6 / month (annual)
Academic Library Custom pricing
Litmaps
Pro $12.50 / month$10 / month (annual)
Business plans
Connected Papers
From $20 / user / month (annual)Academic Group and Business Group
Litmaps
Custom pricingTeam
Enterprise
Connected PapersNot published
LitmapsNot published
View full details
Connected PapersView Connected Papers pricing
LitmapsView Litmaps pricing
Interactive

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; Connected Papers is cheaper to start paying for, $10 against $12.5.
6 rows compared

Frequently asked questions

Is Connected Papers or Litmaps better?

Connected Papers is ahead on 1 of the 6 rows compared — cheapest way to pay — and it is not about how well it does the job. On fitness for the work, it and Litmaps are level. Treat this as a tiebreaker, not a recommendation. both have a free plan you can start on; Connected Papers is cheaper to start paying for, $10 against $12.5. Connected Papers: Builds a similarity graph from citation data rather than from a language model, so nothing in the output is generated and there is nothing to hallucinate. Litmaps: Draws a citation map you can steer, so the shape of a literature becomes visible rather than being a list of titles.

Is Connected Papers or Litmaps cheaper?

Connected Papers — paid plans start at $10 a month against $12.5 a month.

Do Connected Papers and Litmaps both have free plans?

Yes. Connected Papers: Free plan at $0: 5 graphs a month, with all features included. Litmaps: Free, capped rather than trial-limited: 2 Litmaps with 100 articles per map, basic search taking up to 20 seed inputs, monthly literature alerts and no collaboration.

What should I watch out for?

Connected Papers: It finds neighbours of one seed paper, so a bad starting point gives a confidently wrong map. The free tier is 5 graphs a month with every feature included, so paying buys volume rather than capability, and there is no monthly option — billing is annual or quarterly. Litmaps: A map is a prompt to read, not a substitute for reading. The free tier stops at 2 maps of 100 articles each, so a real review needs Pro, and Pro is priced on separate education and commercial tabs. Overlaps ResearchRabbit, which is now the same company.

Read more

Connected Papers

What it is for, who makes it, what it costs and what to use instead.

Litmaps

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.

How we compare AI tools
Every row is generated from the same record the rest of the site is built on, so this page cannot drift from what we say elsewhere. We separate winner, tie and depends rather than forcing each category into a ranking, and we drop rows where both sides say the same thing. A pick is only called an overall pick when it leads on rows about how well the tool does the job; a lead that rests on price or audience alone is labelled as one. Nothing here is a hands-on test — how we know lists the source and date behind every deciding row.