When Elicit fits best
Systematic reviews that screen many papers and extract their data into tables
- Screen many papers at once
- Extract data into tables from papers
- Work built around systematic review steps
tlooto vs Elicit
Looking for an Elicit alternative?Meet tlooto
Ask a research question, get an answer linked to its papers, and carry it on into your manuscript and journal choice.
WHICH FITS
Which work does each one fit?
Both answer from the scholarly literature and show the papers behind each answer. The difference is what each one is built around.
Recommended
When tlooto fits best
Work that starts from a research question rather than a set review protocol, and carries on from prior research to a manuscript and a journal
- Synthesized answers built for a narrative literature review
- Ask in your own language, read the papers in the original
- Draft your manuscript in Research Editor
- Find where to submit with Journal Finder
COMPARISON
tlooto vs Elicit
| Feature | tlootoRecommended | Elicit |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Sourced answers to research questions | Systematic reviews (screening, data extraction) |
| Search coverage | 500M+ academic sources plus the web | 138M+ papers |
| Checking sources | Every answer linked to its papers | Reports with sentence-level citations |
| Writing | Draft in Research Editor | Research report generation |
| Start free | Ask without signing up | Free Basic plan |
| Paid plans (monthly) | Smart $9.9 · Scholar $19.9 | Pro $49 · Scale $169 |
* Based on each service's official website as of October 2026. Features and pricing may change.
IN DETAIL
The differences in detail
01
Screening and extraction vs synthesis
Elicit is built for systematic reviews: it is strong at screening many papers against set criteria and automating the extraction of their data into tables. If your review has to follow a set protocol, it fits well. tlooto focuses on the next step, synthesis, writing out where studies agree, where they diverge and why, with the papers behind each point.
02
Citations and checking the evidence
Both services link what they say to source papers you can open and verify. Elicit produces reports with sentence-level citations; tlooto links each claim in an answer to its papers by number and formats the references in the style you need, including APA, MLA and ISO 690.
03
Search coverage and languages
Elicit searches more than 138 million papers. tlooto searches more than 500 million academic sources along with information on the web, and lets you ask and read answers in 8 languages, including English and Korean, so you can review the international literature in a language you are comfortable with.
04
Pricing
As of October 2026, Elicit's paid plans start at $49 a month for Pro, and tlooto's start at $9.9 a month for Smart. Both can be started for free, and tlooto also lets you ask a question before signing up.
SCENARIOS
Same research, different approaches
The two services help with the same research task in different ways. Pick the one that fits your work.
01Running a systematic review
“I need to screen papers against my inclusion criteria and put them in a table”
Elicit
Strong at screening many papers against set criteria and extracting their data into tables.
tlooto
Screening and table extraction are better done in a dedicated tool. tlooto fits alongside it at the synthesis stage, working out what the selected studies say, theme by theme.
02Writing a narrative literature review
“Summarize the prior research on remote work and job satisfaction”
Elicit
Summarizes related studies in a research report with sentence-level citations.
tlooto
Synthesizes prior research by theme and explains why findings are mixed, with the papers behind each point.
03Carrying on to a manuscript
“I want to write it up and find a journal to submit to”
Elicit
Produces a research report you can use as a starting point for writing.
tlooto
Draft in Research Editor with the evidence beside you, then choose a journal with Journal Finder.
EXAMPLE
A real question, answered by tlooto
Instead of pulling data from papers into a table, this real answer synthesizes prior research by theme and links each claim to the papers behind it by number.
Question
Summarize prior research on how remote work affects employee productivity and job satisfaction, and explain why the findings are mixed.
Answer summary
- 1Synthesizes the evidence as no single, uniform effect: modest average gains in satisfaction and perceived performance that depend on intensity, voluntariness and support. 1
- 2Cites a randomized trial of 1,612 employees in which two days a week at home raised satisfaction and cut quit rates by a third with no loss in performance. 3
- 3Shows an inverted-U relationship between how much people telecommute and their satisfaction, shaped by task interdependence and job discretion. 7
- 4Explains the mixed findings by the type and intensity of remote work, competing mechanisms, home and work settings, pandemic versus chosen remote work, and how outcomes are measured.
FEATURES
What you can do with tlooto
Start from one question and keep going, from checking evidence to drafting and submitting, in one place.
01
Find the papers and see the research landscape
Search the literature for your research question and summarize the main claims and findings.
- Paper search
- Research Q&A
- Literature analysis
02
Check the evidence and cite it
Open the sources linked to each answer and build the references you need.
- Accurate sources
- In-text citations
- Reference lists
03
From search to manuscript in one place
Draft and refine your manuscript in Research Editor with the evidence you found beside it.
- One research workspace
- Search while writing
- Editing support
04
Find the right journal to submit to
Use Journal Finder to check a journal's scope, indexing and key metrics.
- Journal search
- Indexing
- Journal metrics
BY THE NUMBERS
The evidence you need, at full breadth
One question searches more than 500 million academic sources, and you read the answer in your language.
500M+
Academic sources searched
Papers, scholarly sources and web information across fields, used as the evidence for each answer.
2M+
Monthly active users
Researchers and students around the world ask tlooto research questions every month.
100+
Universities and institutes
Universities and research institutes have adopted tlooto as a research tool.
8
Languages supported
Ask and read answers in 8 languages, including English, Korean, Japanese and Chinese.
HOW TO START
Coming from Elicit? Start here
Bring the research question you were working on in Elicit and compare in three steps.
- 01
Ask the question you already have
Ask the research question you would ask Elicit, without signing up, in your own language.
- 02
Check the papers behind the answer
Open each citation to see the original and its DOI, and export it in APA, MLA, ISO 690 and more.
- 03
Carry on to your manuscript
Draft with the evidence in Research Editor, then choose a journal with Journal Finder.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What people ask when comparing Elicit and tlooto.
How is tlooto different from Elicit?
Elicit is strongest at systematic-review work such as screening papers and extracting data into tables. tlooto focuses on answering a research question with linked sources and carrying that answer into writing and journal selection.
Is tlooto a good Elicit alternative for a literature review?
For a narrative literature review, a related-work section or finding a research gap, yes. For a formal systematic review with structured data extraction, Elicit's screening tables are built for that job.
Can I ask in a language other than English?
Yes. You can ask in 8 languages, including Korean, Japanese and Chinese, and read answers built from the international literature, with the original papers shown.
How much can I try for free?
tlooto lets you ask a research question and check the answer and its sources before signing up, and it has a free plan. Elicit also offers a free Basic plan with paper search and paper summaries.
How does tlooto's pricing compare with Elicit's?
As of October 2026, tlooto offers a free plan, Smart at $9.9 a month and Scholar at $19.9 a month, and Elicit offers a free Basic plan, Pro at $49 a month and Scale at $169 a month. Check each service's pricing page for current prices and what each plan includes.
How do Elicit reports differ from tlooto answers?
Elicit reports summarize related studies through a process inspired by systematic reviews, with sentence-level citations. tlooto answers divide the question into themes and explain why findings are mixed, with the papers behind each point.
Can I use tlooto for a systematic review?
Use it to explore a topic, summarize prior research and find research gaps. If your work centers on screening many papers against set criteria and extracting data into tables, use a tool built for that step, such as Elicit, alongside it.
Are my questions used to train AI?
No. To protect user information, tlooto does not collect your questions or use them for training.
MORE COMPARISONS
Compare tlooto with other research tools
Compare with a question from your own field
Ask tlooto the research question you would ask Elicit, then open the papers linked to the answer and compare.