Tool profile
Scopus AI: cost, fit and limits
Scopus AI is a generative AI search feature from Elsevier, built on the Scopus database, that gives researchers referenced topic summaries, a query copilot and a Deep Research report. It is sold as part of a Scopus subscription.
What to know first
Scopus AI has no published price, free plan or trial: the product page sends buyers to a Contact us link and describes the feature as part of a Scopus subscription. Features include natural-language search, referenced summaries, a Copilot query tool, a concept map and a Deep Research agent. The page names OpenAI's model on Microsoft Azure as the underlying language model and gives no hosting region or operating legal entity.
Scopus AI at a glance
| Maker | Elsevier, Not stated on the vendor pages |
|---|---|
| Free plan | No |
| Entry price | Quote only |
| API access | No |
| Category | Best AI Literature Search Tools in 2026, rank 12 of 13 |
| Website | elsevier.com/products/scopus/scopus-ai |
Who Scopus AI is best for
University libraries on Scopus
The feature sits inside a Scopus subscription, so a library that already licenses the database can offer AI search to its researchers.
Researchers mapping an unfamiliar area
Topic summaries, a concept map and emerging themes give an overview of a field built from Scopus metadata and abstracts.
Users who struggle to phrase queries
The Copilot query tool suggests alternative queries when the evidence for the first one is weak, which helps newcomers to a topic.
Institutions with strict history rules
Temporary Mode keeps conversation history for up to 30 days, instead of until the end of the contract. Libraries can then match retention to local policy.
Scopus AI plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Scopus AI within a Scopus subscription | Custom quote (Contact us) | Natural-language search, referenced topic summaries, the Copilot query tool, a deep research report, a concept map and emerging themes on Scopus data. |
| Standard mode | Included with the subscription, no separate price published | Conversation history is kept until the contract ends or a deletion request is made, per the data handling notes on the page. |
| Temporary Mode | Included with the subscription, no separate price published | Conversation history is kept for up to 30 days instead of until the end of the contract, for users who want shorter retention. |
Checked November 2026.
What Scopus AI does
- Topic summary
- An expanded summary is built from Scopus metadata and abstracts and carries references, so a reader can open the underlying records. Readers can open the cited Scopus records to check wording.
- Copilot query tool
- When evidence for a query is weak, the tool suggests alternative queries, which helps a user move toward wording that retrieves better records. That reduces dead-end searches for people new to a topic.
- Concept map and emerging themes
- These views map a research area and highlight themes that are growing, so a newcomer sees the structure of a field before reading. The views suit grant background sections and early scoping.
- Deep Research agent
- The agent produces a downloadable report on a topic, which can be shared with colleagues who do not have access to the tool. Group leaders can share the report with colleagues.
- RAG Fusion retrieval
- The product page describes retrieval with RAG Fusion over Scopus content, tying answers to indexed records instead of free generation. The page describes it as part of the underlying retrieval design.
How Scopus AI handles your data
The product page says that under an agreement, user queries are not stored or used to train or improve the underlying model. In standard mode conversation history is kept until the contract ends or a deletion request is made, and Temporary Mode keeps it for up to 30 days. The underlying language model is OpenAI's, hosted on Microsoft Azure, and no region is given. No certification is named, though the page says it adheres to GDPR and to Elsevier's Responsible AI and Privacy Principles.
Where Scopus AI falls short in practice
- No price or trial. No price, free plan or trial is published, so a buyer cannot test it or budget for it before talking to Elsevier. Libraries must go through a sales process.
- Subscription required. The page presents Scopus AI as part of a Scopus subscription and names no separate seat price, which rules out individual purchase. Independent researchers therefore depend on an institution.
- Third-party model. The underlying model is OpenAI's, hosted on Azure, so data handling depends on agreements with more than one company. Reviewing a vendor chain takes time for privacy officers.
- Entity and region unstated. The page names neither the operating legal entity nor a hosting region, which procurement teams usually need in writing. Request both items before any contract is signed.
Works with
Alternatives to Scopus AI
Scopus AI: common questions
How much does Scopus AI cost?
No price is published. The product page directs buyers to a Contact us link and describes Scopus AI as part of a Scopus subscription, with no free plan or trial listed. Ask your library or Elsevier for a quote. Ask your institution first.
Does Scopus AI store my queries?
The page says an agreement means user queries are not stored or used to train the underlying model. In standard mode history is kept until the contract ends or a deletion request, and Temporary Mode keeps it up to 30 days.
Which AI model does Scopus AI use?
The product page names OpenAI's model, hosted on Microsoft Azure, as the underlying language model. It also describes RAG Fusion retrieval over Scopus content. No hosting region is stated on the page. That vendor chain matters for privacy review, since two companies sit behind the model.
Can I buy Scopus AI as an individual?
The product page describes it as part of a Scopus subscription and lists no separate seat price or free tier. An individual without an institutional license has no listed purchase route, so ask your library or contact Elsevier. Your library may already hold a Scopus license.
What does Scopus AI produce?
The page lists natural-language search, referenced topic summaries and expanded summaries, a Copilot query tool, a concept map, emerging themes and a Deep Research agent that creates a downloadable report. All of it draws on Scopus data. Quality of results was not tested for this review.