Scholarcy is built to read research literature fast: paste a paper and get a structured summary card with the key points, figures, and references. StudyPDF is built to study a whole course: it maps your files into one cited concept map, then makes quizzes, graded exams, and flashcards and tracks what you still need to learn.
| Feature | StudyPDF | Scholarcy |
|---|---|---|
| What it's built for | ||
| Studies a whole course, not one document | YesTopics and concepts merged across all files | NoSummarizes one paper or chapter at a time |
| Summarizes a research paper fast | YesSummary is one of seven study tools | YesThis is exactly what it's for |
| Pulls out figures, tables, and references | PartlyCrops figures into artifacts, no bibliography export | YesFigures, tables, references, BibTeX export |
| Trust and grounding | ||
| Answers cited to the exact page | YesEvery answer shows page, second, or source | PartlySummary cards link back to the source |
| Ask questions about your material | YesBo answers only from your files, says when it doesn't know | PartlyDig Deeper prompts on one paper, not a course tutor |
| Study tools | ||
| Flashcards | YesRate, fold-over PDF, Anki export with math intact | PartlySummary cards, not spaced-repetition study cards |
| Quiz with instant feedback | YesSix question types, explanation and source each | NoNo quizzes |
| Full graded practice exams | YesSections, timer, pass mark, graded report | NoNo exams |
| Tracks what you're weak on | YesPer-concept mastery, what to study next | NoNo progress tracking |
| Mind maps, study guides, cheat sheets | YesAll built from your course | NoSummaries and literature matrix only |
| Inputs, exports and pricing | ||
| Reads handwritten and photo notes | YesScanned, handwritten, and photo pages by vision | PartlyBuilt for typed papers and articles |
| Imports YouTube videos and websites | YesTimestamped video and web pages | PartlyWeb articles and YouTube, best on papers |
| Exports to Anki, Word, and PDF | YesPDF free, Anki .apkg and Word on Pro and Ultra | PartlyWord, Excel, Markdown, BibTeX |
| Free tier | YesFree to start, about 4 materials a week | PartlyFree summarizer, limit of 10 summaries |
It depends on what you need. Scholarcy is great for reading research papers fast and pulling out figures, tables, and references. StudyPDF is built for studying a whole course: it turns your files into quizzes, graded exams, flashcards, and a cited concept map, and tracks what you still need to learn. If your goal is to revise and pass exams, not just summarize papers, StudyPDF is the better fit. If your goal is a fast reference summary with a bibliography, Scholarcy is strong.
It builds quizzes and full graded practice exams with a pass mark, makes flashcards you can rate and export to Anki, and tracks per-concept mastery so it knows what to study next. It chats with you, answering only from your own files and citing the exact page, and maps your whole course into one connected concept graph instead of summarizing one document at a time.
Scholarcy is purpose-built for research reading. It pulls figures, tables, and references out of a paper, exports a clean bibliography in BibTeX or RIS, and builds a literature synthesis matrix to compare studies. Its browser extensions for Chrome, Edge, and Firefox summarize a paper without leaving the page. StudyPDF crops figures into its study tools but is not a reference manager or a literature-review tool.
It is free to start, and the free tier gives you about 4 materials a week. Pro and Ultra add a bigger weekly pool of credits for heavier exam-season use. You only upgrade when you outgrow the free plan.
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