Connected Papers
A visual map of a research field — find the papers around the one you already know.
At a Glance
- Publisher
- Connected Papers
- Coverage
Not a content database — a visual discovery tool that builds a similarity graph of papers from an input paper, drawing on open metadata.
- Access
Freemium — a few graphs free per month; unlimited via subscription.
- Free alternative
- Research Rabbit (free), Litmaps, Inciteful.
- Regional
Global, following the underlying open metadata.
Our Take
Connected Papers answers a specific, useful question: given one paper I care about, what is the neighbourhood of related work? It builds a similarity graph, not just a citation list, so you discover adjacent papers you would miss with a linear cited-by trail — great for orienting quickly in a new area or finding prior work. It is a discovery aid, not a comprehensive search, and it is built on open metadata, so it inherits those gaps. The free tier is limited to a handful of graphs a month. Use it to map a field fast; do the systematic search elsewhere.
Power Tips
- Start from a key paper to surface adjacent work that citation trails miss.
- Use the prior and derivative views to find foundational and follow-on papers.
- Treat it as orientation, then run a comprehensive query in a real index.
Alternatives & Complements
Research Rabbit, Litmaps, Semantic Scholar, Inciteful
Figures last verified: June 15, 2026