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Connected Papers

Builds a visual map of papers related to one you choose, so you can explore a field fast.

Free + PaidAI Search & Researchby Connected Papers

What is Connected Papers?

Connected Papers takes a single research paper and draws a graph of similar works based on shared citations. You can spot key earlier papers, newer follow-ups and clusters of related work at a glance. It runs in the web browser and offers a limited number of free graphs each month.

Best for: Students and researchers starting a literature review in an unfamiliar area.

What you can do with Connected Papers

  1. Find the classic papers behind a topic

  2. Discover recent work that builds on a study

  3. See how research clusters fit together

Key features

  • Visual similarity graph from one paper
  • Lists of prior and derivative works
  • Links to paper sources
  • Simple search by title or DOI

Connected Papers pros and cons

Pros

  • Very easy to understand visually
  • Free tier covers light use

Cons

  • Graphs are limited per month on the free plan

Connected Papers pricing

Free + Paid

Connected Papers has a free plan, with paid plans that add more usage or features. Plans change often, so check the official site for current prices.

How to get started

  1. Open connectedpapers.com and create a free account.
  2. Try one real task first: find the classic papers behind a topic.
  3. Compare the result with Scite or SciSpace, then keep the one that fits how you work.

Compare Connected Papers

Side-by-side comparisons of features, pricing, pros and cons.

Connected Papers alternatives

Other tools that do a similar job, ranked by our editors.

  • Scite

    Free trial

    Shows how research papers are cited, including whether later work supports or disputes them.

    AI Search & ResearchVisit
  • SciSpace

    Free + Paid

    AI research assistant that finds papers, explains them and helps with literature reviews.

    AI Search & ResearchVisit
  • ResearchRabbit

    Free + Paid

    Literature discovery tool that suggests related papers and authors from your collections.

    AI Search & ResearchVisit
  • Liner

    Free + Paid

    AI search and research assistant that answers with sources and helps you highlight the web.

    AI Search & ResearchVisit
  • Litmaps

    Free + Paid

    Citation maps that help you discover, organise and track research papers over time.

    AI Search & ResearchVisit
  • Perplexity

    Free + PaidEditor's pick

    An answer engine that searches the web and cites its sources.

    AI Search & ResearchVisit

Top AI research tools

How Connected Papers compares with the best in AI Search & Research.

  1. 1. Perplexity

    Free + Paid

    An answer engine that searches the web and cites its sources.

  2. 2. NotebookLM

    Free + Paid

    Upload your sources and ask questions grounded only in them.

  3. 3. Consensus

    Free + Paid

    Search what scientific research says about a question.

  4. 4. Elicit

    Free + Paid

    An AI research assistant for finding and analysing papers.

  5. 5. You.com

    Free + Paid

    An AI search and research assistant with several models to choose from.

See all 16 AI research tools

Connected Papers FAQ

What is Connected Papers?

Connected Papers takes a single research paper and draws a graph of similar works based on shared citations. You can spot key earlier papers, newer follow-ups and clusters of related work at a glance. It runs in the web browser and offers a limited number of free graphs each month.

Is Connected Papers free?

Connected Papers has a free plan, with paid plans that add more usage or features. Check the official site for current limits and prices.

What can you do with Connected Papers?

With Connected Papers you can find the classic papers behind a topic; discover recent work that builds on a study; see how research clusters fit together.

Who is Connected Papers best for?

Students and researchers starting a literature review in an unfamiliar area.

Does Connected Papers have an app?

Connected Papers runs as web app; we know of no dedicated phone or desktop app.

Who makes Connected Papers?

Connected Papers is made by Connected Papers.

What are the best alternatives to Connected Papers?

Popular alternatives include Scite, SciSpace, ResearchRabbit and Liner. See the full ranking on our AI Search & Research page.

AltFTool is not affiliated with Connected Papers. This summary was written by our editors from the tool's public information. Browse all 451 AI tools