Spaced-repetition flashcards for efficient long-term memorization.
FreeResearchMacWindowsLinuxFree · See website
30 toolsPublic bookmarkCurated by Bookmarkit TeamUpdated August 2026
Best research tools
Research tools here are for finding papers, saving citations, and mapping a literature. The list includes Google Scholar, Zotero, Semantic Scholar, PubMed, Elicit, Connected Papers, and SciSpace. Perplexity appears as a search overlay. If your job is drafting from PDFs, also open the research and writing list.
What are research tools?
Research tools are software for discovering, storing, and relating scholarly or technical sources. A search index (Scholar, PubMed, Semantic Scholar) finds papers. A reference manager (Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote, Paperpile) stores citations. Mapping tools (Connected Papers, ResearchRabbit, Litmaps) show citation graphs. AI readers can sit on top. They do not replace the PDF or the citation style your journal requires.
This shortlist includes Anki, arXiv, Connected Papers, Consensus, Desmos, Elicit, and 24 more.
Who this shortlist is for
- Students and academics setting up a reference manager
- Industry researchers who need a paper search plus a library
- People who currently keep PDFs in a folder named “final_v7”
How we picked
We include indexes, reference managers, and literature mappers with a catalog profile. General chat LLMs stay on the chat list. Course platforms stay on education.
- Primary job is finding, storing, or mapping sources
- Has a public product page we can attach to a profile
- Useful without being a generic notes app
- AI PDF wrappers that only summarize are listed on the writing companion page
The shortlist
Open a profile for pricing, alternatives, and a product page.
arXiv is a free distribution service and an open-access archive for nearly 2.4 million scholarly articles in the fields of physics.
ProprietaryResearchWebFreemium · See website
Connected Papers builds a similarity graph around a paper so researchers find prior art and related work visually.
ProprietaryResearchWebFreemium · See website
Consensus is a Research tool for teams and individuals who want a reliable, modern workflow.
ProprietaryResearchWebFreemium · See website
Explore math with the fast and powerful Desmos Graphing Calculator.
Free PersonalResearchAndroidiPhoneAndroid TabletFree · See website
Elicit is an AI research assistant that helps users quickly find and synthesize insights from academic papers.
FreemiumResearchWebFreemium · See website
Alternative to Google Scholar and Research Rabbit and ResearchGate
EndNote is a reference management software designed to streamline the organization, citation, and summarization of research.
ProprietaryResearchMacWindowsiPhoneFreemium · See website
Highlight confusing text and get instant, simple explanations.
ProprietaryResearchWebFreemium · See website
Google Scholar is a Research tool for teams and individuals who want a reliable, modern workflow.
ProprietaryResearchWebFreemium · See website
JSTOR is a Research product used by individuals and teams who want a reliable, modern workflow.
ProprietaryResearchWebFreemium · See website
Litmaps is a Research product used by individuals and teams who want a reliable, modern workflow.
ProprietaryResearchWebFreemium · See website
Mem product**Workspace** Keeps your notes, meetings, and ideas organized, connected, and easy to use.
ProprietaryResearchWebFreemium · See website
Mendeley helps manage and share academic knowledge: Mendeley Desktop is free academic software (Windows, Mac, Linux) for organizing and.
Freemium (Pay once)ResearchMacWindowsLinuxFreemium · See website
Mendeley Data is a free and secure cloud-based communal repository where you can store your data, ensuring it is easy to share, access and.
ProprietaryResearchWebFreemium · See website
All-in-one workspace for notes, docs, wikis, and lightweight project tracking.
Freemium (Subscription)ProductivityMacWindowsOnlineFreemium · See website
Organize your research papers in a Gmail-like web app, sync your PDFs to Google Drive and cite your references in Google Docs.
ProprietaryResearchMacWindowsAndroidFreemium · See website
PubMed is a Research product used by individuals and teams who want a reliable, modern workflow.
ProprietaryResearchWebFreemium · See website
Master your academic subjects with the leading revision app!
FreemiumResearchAndroidiPhoneAndroid TabletFreemium · See website
ReadCube Papers is a Research product used by individuals and teams who want a reliable, modern workflow.
ProprietaryResearchWebFreemium · See website
Reflect is a Research product used by individuals and teams who want a reliable, modern workflow.
ProprietaryResearchWebFreemium · See website
Notes, flashcards, PDFs, and advanced AI study tools.
ProprietaryResearchWebFreemium · See website
ResearchGate was built by scientists, for scientists.
FreeResearchiPhoneFree · See website
Alternative to Mendeley and Google Scholar
ResearchRabbit is a Research product used by individuals and teams who want a reliable, modern workflow.
ProprietaryResearchWebFreemium · See website
Scholarcy summarizes academic articles into key findings, flashcards, and referenced highlights.
ProprietaryResearchWebFreemium · See website
SciSpace is a Research product used by individuals and teams who want a reliable, modern workflow.
ProprietaryResearchWebFreemium · See website
Ask a question, get answers grounded in the scientific literature.
ProprietaryResearchWebFreemium · See website
Semantic Scholar is a Research product used by individuals and teams who want a reliable, modern workflow.
ProprietaryResearchWebFreemium · See website
Wolfram Alpha is a "Computational Knowledge Engine" - different from a search engine, it answers factual queries directly by computing the a.
Freemium (Pay once)ResearchAndroidiPhoneAndroid TabletFreemium · See website
Zotero is a free, easy-to-use tool to help you collect, organize, share research and cite your research sources directly in your favourite.
Freemium (Subscription)ResearchMacWindowsLinuxFreemium · See website
Perplexity is a Research product used by individuals and teams who want a reliable, modern workflow.
ProprietaryResearchWebFreemium · See website
How to choose research software
Pick the reference manager first if you write papers. Pick the index first if you only search. Mapping tools are optional until your bibliography is messy.
| If this is the job | Look at |
|---|---|
| Citation library | Zotero (free, local-friendly), Paperpile (Google Docs), EndNote (many institutions), or Mendeley. |
| Discovery | Google Scholar, Semantic Scholar, PubMed, or arXiv. Use the index that matches your field. |
| See the literature around one paper | Connected Papers, ResearchRabbit, Litmaps, or Scite for citation context. |
| Ask a question across papers | Elicit, Consensus, or SciSpace. Still open the PDF before you cite a number. |
Related research
Best research and writing tools
PDF chat and source-grounded drafting. Citation libraries sit next door.
Best education tools
LMS, course platforms, and learning apps for students and teachers.
Best AI chat and LLM tools
Consumer chat apps, APIs, and local runtimes on one shortlist.
Research software
Full category directory, not this editorial shortlist.
Using AI benchmarks without getting misled
Bookmarkit research note
Frequently asked questions
What is the best reference manager?
Zotero is the common free default and it works offline with a local library. Paperpile is a common pick if you live in Google Docs. EndNote is common when an institution pays for it. Mendeley still appears in some labs. Pick one library and stop moving PDFs by hand.
Google Scholar vs Semantic Scholar: which should I use?
Use both when you are doing a thorough search. Scholar has broad coverage. Semantic Scholar adds citation graphs and paper pages that are easier to skim. PubMed is the starting point for biomedical work. No single index is complete.
Can I cite an AI summary of a paper?
Cite the paper. Use Elicit, SciSpace, or ChatPDF to decide whether to read it. If a tool invents a statistic, you are the one who published the error. Keep the PDF and the locator (DOI) in Zotero.
What is Connected Papers for?
Connected Papers builds a graph of similar papers around one seed paper. ResearchRabbit and Litmaps do a related job. Use them after you have a seed, not as your only search. They miss papers that are not in their graph.
How is this different from the research and writing list?
This page is discovery and citation. The research and writing list is PDF chat, NotebookLM, and overlay tools that help you draft. Most people need a manager from this list and at most one overlay from the other.