What is Explainpaper?
Explainpaper is a web app that helps you read research papers faster. You upload a PDF and read it in the app; whenever you hit a confusing sentence, paragraph or bit of jargon, you highlight it and Explainpaper explains it in simpler language.
You can adjust how simple the explanation is and ask follow-up questions until it makes sense, which suits students meeting academic writing for the first time and professionals reading outside their field. The free plan includes unlimited highlight explanations, follow-up questions and Zotero library import using basic AI models. The Pro plan adds explanations of figures, graphs and equations, stronger models, automatic outlines with clickable page references, saved highlights and questions about the whole paper. As with any AI explainer, check key points against the paper itself.
Main Features
- Highlight any passage for a plain-language explanation
- Adjustable explanation complexity
- Follow-up questions on each highlight
- Zotero library import
- Pro: figure and equation explanations, outlines and whole-paper Q&A
How to Get Started with Explainpaper
- Go to explainpaper.com and sign up for free.
- Upload a research paper PDF or import from Zotero.
- Highlight a confusing passage to get an explanation.
- Ask follow-up questions until it is clear.
Explainpaper Pricing
Explainpaper has a free plan with unlimited highlight explanations. Pro costs $16 per month with a 7-day free trial, and a Teams plan is available through sales.
Who Should Use It?
- Students reading their first research papers
- Researchers reading outside their field
- Journalists covering scientific studies
- Professionals keeping up with research
- Non-native English readers of academic text
Explainpaper Alternatives
- Scholarcy: AI summariser that turns research papers into flashcards.
- OpenRead Academy: AI reading platform for research papers with summaries and chat.
- Semantic Scholar: Free AI-powered search engine for scientific papers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Explainpaper free?
Yes, there is a free plan with unlimited highlight explanations. Pro costs $16 per month for extra features.
Can Explainpaper explain equations and figures?
Yes, on the Pro plan. The free plan explains highlighted text.
Does Explainpaper work with Zotero?
Yes. You can import papers from your Zotero library on the free plan.