Kenkyu.ai
Kenkyu.ai: A focused web assistant for summarizing, checking, translating, and exploring academic papers. Ranked #13 of 24 in Text Summarization Software by our editors (7.8/10); pricing: Free plan; best for researchers summarizing and checking academic papers.
At a glance
- Editor score7.8 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forResearchers summarizing and checking academic papers
- Free planYes
- Paid from1,800 JPY/mo
- Facts checked20 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Links summary claims to passages in the source paper
- Searches across more than 230 million papers
- Supports PDF, URL, DOI, translation, and citation analysis
Where it doesn't
- Available on the web only
- Free Plan limits users to 10 AI chats and 10 uploads
- Paid plans start at ¥1,800 per month
Our verdict on Kenkyu.ai
Kenkyu.ai is a web-based academic research assistant for students, researchers, professors, laboratories, clinicians, writers, and journalists. Its Paper Summarizer accepts research-paper PDFs, supported academic URLs, and DOIs, then produces structured summaries with claims linked to source passages. It also supports grounded follow-up questions, research-paper search, translation, citation-oriented source analysis, and anonymous processing with automatic file deletion. Users can try the summarizer without an account for an initial paper, making it suited to focused academic reading rather than broad document work.
The free tier is practical for limited research checks. The Free Plan costs ¥0 per month and includes unlimited search across 230 million papers, 10 AI chats, 10 file uploads, and a 25 MB file or translation size limit. It also sets a 200,000-character file or translation limit. According to the published monthly pricing, the Plus Plan costs ¥1,800 per month and adds unlimited AI chats, unlimited file uploads, a 100 MB file or translation size limit, and a 1,000,000-character limit. The Enterprise Plan includes everything in Plus plus prioritized support. The paid tiers fit users who regularly process papers or need larger files.
Kenkyu.ai’s strongest distinction is its academic focus and source-aware workflow. Support for arXiv, DOI, J-STAGE, CiNii, and Semantic Scholar helps connect paper discovery with summarization and source analysis. Researchers who need claims tied back to passages, paper translation, and grounded questions should find the feature set well aligned with literature review tasks. It is less suitable for teams seeking a broader cross-platform summarization tool, since the product is web-only and its emphasis remains research papers. Choose it for academic reading and checking; consider an alternative for general business documents or wider platform coverage.
Your product? Our editors can test Kenkyu.ai in depth and publish a review, labelled as paid · from $149/mo →
Kenkyu.ai pricing
All 3 Kenkyu.ai plans and prices →
Kenkyu.ai fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | 1,800 JPY/mo |
| Maximum input length | Not verified |
| File upload | Yes |
| Webpage summarization | Not verified |
| Transcript summarization | Not verified |
| Output formats | Not verified |
| Browser extension | Not verified |
| API access | Not verified |
| Deployment | Cloud |
| Platforms | Web |
| Integrations | 5 integrations: arXiv, DOI, J-STAGE, CiNii, Semantic Scholar |
| Pricing | Free plan (source) |
| Website | kenkyu.ai |
| Facts checked | 20 Sep 2026 |
Kenkyu.ai integrations
Kenkyu.ai lists 5 integrations on its own site.
- arXiv
- DOI
- J-STAGE
- CiNii
- Semantic Scholar
Alternatives to Kenkyu.ai
- SMMRYA flexible summarizer with a useful free plan and affordable paid tiers.9.4
- Kagi SummarizeBroad-format summarization with flexible outputs, wide platform coverage, and API access.9.2
- ScholarcyA focused research summarizer with structured flashcards and literature-review tools.9.0
See all Kenkyu.ai alternatives →
Used Kenkyu.ai? Be the first to review it
The editor score above is our own research. What this page doesn't have yet is a reader's view — what you used Kenkyu.ai for, what worked and what didn't. No stars are seeded and no review is paid for; an editor reads every one before it appears.
Write a reviewTwo minutes · verified accounts only · read by an editor before it appears
Featured on iTechGuides
Kenkyu.ai is listed in our Text Summarization Software directory. Add the badge to your site — it links back to this page.
<a href="https://www.itechguides.com/products/kenkyu-ai/"><img src="https://www.itechguides.com/best/badge/kenkyu-ai.svg" alt="Featured on iTechGuides" width="230" height="46"></a>
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
Last updated · How we research and update