Elicit is built for researchers and academics, with a focus on paper-search and summarization. Mendeley targets researchers and phd students and leads with reference-management and pdf-annotation.

Mendeley uses custom enterprise pricing, while Elicit starts at $10/mo — a tangible advantage for teams with a fixed budget.

Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.

Elicit edges out on user ratings (4.5 vs 4). While both are well-regarded, that gap reflects real differences in user satisfaction worth considering.

Feature-wise, Elicit offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Mendeley takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.

Both tools are a solid fit for researchers, academics, phd students — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.

Bottom line: Elicit has a slight overall edge — but if free matters most to you, Mendeley may still be the right call.