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Head-to-head · Literature Review Software

Rayyan vs PICO Portal

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 2 checks side by side
Higher score Rayyan #2 in Literature Review Software 9.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 5 features Visit Rayyan
PICO Portal #3 in Literature Review Software 9.2/10 Free plan · 14-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 1 of 5 features Visit PICO Portal

Rayyan leads on 0 checks, PICO Portal on 0, and 2 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 2 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreRayyan · 9.3/10
  • Free planboth
  • Free trialonly PICO Portal

Rayyan scores higher on our rubric for literature review software: 9.3 against 9.2 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #3.

Rayyan is the better fit for mobile-first collaborative review teams. PICO Portal is the better fit for AI-assisted systematic review teams.

  • Rayyan fits best

    Mobile-first collaborative review teams

  • PICO Portal fits best

    AI-assisted systematic review teams

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Side by side

Feature Rayyan 9.3/10 Visit ↗ PICO Portal 9.2/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.3 9.2
Ranking #2 in Literature Review Software #3 in Literature Review Software
Best for Mobile-first collaborative review teams AI-assisted systematic review teams
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free plan + paid
Starting price $8.33/seat/mo —
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — 14 days
Deployment Cloud, Mobile Cloud
Platforms Web, iOS, Android Web
Support Phone, Tickets, Community, Docs, Live chat Email, Docs
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Rayyan 1/5 · PICO Portal 1/5
Screening workflow ✓ ✓
Full-text management Not checked yet Not checked yet
Systematic review tools Not checked yet Not checked yet
Collaboration Not checked yet Not checked yet
Evidence mapping Not checked yet Not checked yet
Specs
Discovery tools Not checked yet Not checked yet
Citation import limit Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Free plan covers importing, screening, and collaboration
  • Supports duplicate detection, extraction, risk-of-bias, and PRISMA reporting
  • iOS and Android apps support mobile and offline screening
  • Free plan includes screening, full-text review, and data extraction
  • Integrates with PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and more
  • Supports dual review, risk-of-bias assessment, and PRISMA reporting
Cons
  • Individual paid plans are billed quarterly
  • Business / Academic pricing starts at five licenses
  • ResearchPilot features beyond Help Center mode require institutional plans
  • The free PICO Portal plan supports one project
  • Advanced ScholarIQ access is limited during the two-week trial
  • Paid-plan pricing requires contact with the vendor
Our verdict

Rayyan is a web-based collaboration platform for researchers, students, librarians, and review teams conducting literature and systematic reviews. Its workflow covers reference importing, duplicate detection, title and abstract screening,…

Read the review →

PICO Portal is a web-based evidence-synthesis platform for researchers conducting literature and systematic reviews. It is designed for academic, government, nonprofit, private-sector, policy, guideline, research-and-development, and…

Read the review →
  1. RayyanLiterature Review Software 9.3Free plan
  2. PICO PortalLiterature Review Software 9.2Free plan · 14-day trial

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Rayyan — where it wins

    • Free plan covers importing, screening, and collaboration
    • Supports duplicate detection, extraction, risk-of-bias, and PRISMA reporting
    • iOS and Android apps support mobile and offline screening

    Where it doesn't

    • Individual paid plans are billed quarterly
    • Business / Academic pricing starts at five licenses
    • ResearchPilot features beyond Help Center mode require institutional plans

  • PICO Portal — where it wins

    • Free plan includes screening, full-text review, and data extraction
    • Integrates with PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and more
    • Supports dual review, risk-of-bias assessment, and PRISMA reporting

    Where it doesn't

    • The free PICO Portal plan supports one project
    • Advanced ScholarIQ access is limited during the two-week trial
    • Paid-plan pricing requires contact with the vendor
  • Rayyan9.3/10 · Free plan

    A mobile-first review workspace with free screening, AI tools, and structured extraction.

    Visit RayyanFull verdict →
  • PICO Portal9.2/10 · Free plan · 14-day trial

    A broad web-based workspace for AI-assisted screening, extraction, and reporting.

    Visit PICO PortalFull verdict →

More comparisons

All literature review software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update