Crossref Similarity Check review
A focused manuscript-screening service with academic matching, reports, filters, and API access.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Crossref Similarity Check is a manuscript-screening service for Crossref members, powered by Turnitin’s iThenticate software. Publishers and editors can upload manuscripts or submit them through a manuscript submission system using an API. It compares submissions with published scholarly content and current or archived web pages, then produces a Similarity Report with a score, highlighted matching text, and source references. Its intended audience is organizations reviewing academic and professional manuscripts rather than individuals checking casual writing.
Pricing is structured around an annual organizational fee and document checking. According to the published plans, organizations under 1,000 USD in revenue or expenses pay an annual service fee of 40 USD. The first 100 documents are priced at 0 USD per document, with up to 25,000 words per document. The service is available only to eligible Crossref members, and eligibility requires members to provide Similarity Check full-text URLs for at least 90% of registered articles. That makes the service a fit for established publishing workflows with the required Crossref relationship and article infrastructure.
Its strongest practical advantage is the reporting and workflow layer: users can apply filters and exclusions, compare documents against one another, download reports as PDF, and connect the service to manuscript submission systems through an API. Open Journal Systems is specifically supported. Crossref Similarity Check should suit publishers and journals that need academic and web matching inside an editorial process. Organizations outside the eligible Crossref membership structure, or teams seeking a general-purpose checker without publishing-system requirements, should consider a different type of service.
Crossref Similarity Check pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Compares manuscripts with academic content and current or archived web pages
- Detailed reports include scores, highlighted matches, filters, and PDF export
- API access supports manuscript submission systems, including OJS
- Where it doesn't
- Available only to eligible Crossref members
- Annual service fee is required
- First 100 documents are limited to 25,000 words each
Crossref Similarity Check fact sheet, pricing and score →
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