Decision
Agentic research front door with an open-source search stack
- Choose it when
- Multi-step questions that need sources, not vibes
- Users who want a cited search UI with mode selection rather than one generic answer box
- Skip it when
- You cite the summary without opening linked sources
- You need guaranteed peer-reviewed full text or database-grade systematic review coverage
- Cost
- Hosted Free USD 0/mo: 3 searches/day · Hosted Pro USD 15/mo (USD 9/mo with a verified school email): unlimited searches, Extreme, PDF, voice, MCP apps, model caps · Hosted Max USD 60/mo: larger Claude/Gemini/OpenAI po…
- Privacy
- Hosted Scira is cloud-processed; AGPL-3.0 source provides an inspect/self-host escape hatch.
What these labels mean
- Editorial fit
- 0–100 desk score for research-workflow fit. Not stars, not a benchmark.
- Evidence level
- How close the desk got: self-run, hands-on, synthesized, or vendor claim.
- Dossier depth
- Flagship, Solid, Lightweight, and Draft describe how finished the page is — not which tool is best.
- Verification date
- When pricing or privacy was last opened at the source. Not a re-score of the whole dossier.
- Benchmark status
- Pending means no relevant first-party test is published yet. It is not a negative score.
Open the glossary · Read the methodology
Scira AI is a tool in the VerdictPal AI search set: Open-source AGPL-3.0 AI search assistant that searches the web, cites sources, supports specialized modes, connects to 100+ apps via MCP, and offers a separate API platform for Search, People, X, and Reddit agents. It scores 86 out of 100 on editorial fit.
Role: Agentic research front door with an open-source search stackCategory: AI searchEditorial · hands-on
Scira AI at a glance, with the date each field was checked.| Field | Value |
|---|
| Editorial fit | 86 out of 100 |
|---|
| Dossier status | Flagship |
|---|
| Set | AI search |
|---|
| Role in a workflow | Agentic research front door with an open-source search stack |
|---|
| Pricing | Hosted Free Free · Hosted Pro $15/mo · Hosted Max $60/mo · API Free Free · API Pro $20/mo |
|---|
| Training on your data | Not recorded as a plan-wide guarantee. Check the dossier's privacy notes and sources. |
|---|
| Last verified | 2026-09-07 |
|---|
Editor's note
Desk hands-on 2026-06: Scira beats Perplexity on cited research for this atlas — more modes, AGPL transparency, and the workflow the desk actually reaches for. Score reflects trial use, not vendor claims.
Public facts · vendor & repo
List prices and pay-as-you-go entry points we can cite without running our own bench. Each tile links to a source when possible.
Limits & product surface
Non-price vendor claims — multipliers, caps, and API scope. Detailed matrices live in subscription and SDK sections below.
How it works · agent loop
The public positioning for this product — the loop we score against on VerdictPal.
01Plan before fetch
Complex questions split into sub-tasks; each gets a model and tool, often in parallel.
Cite everything
Claims ship with inline links. If the source disagrees with the synthesis, you see it fast.
Stay open
AGPL-3.0 source, BYOK, self-host, custom tools — the agent bends to your workflow.
Run on schedule
Lookouts monitor topics and email what changed — daily, weekly, or custom.