Litmaps

Litmaps is a citation mapping tool that visualises how research papers connect over time. It builds interactive maps of citations and references, shows how a field has developed, and sends alerts when new papers cite the ones you follow — so you never miss new research on your topic.

Key Features

Interactive citation maps over time
Alerts when new papers cite yours
Visualise how a field develops
Save and share maps with your team
Export maps for papers and presentations
Free plan for basic maps

Pricing

Plan	Price	Details
Free	$0	Basic citation maps with limited features.
Pro Education	$10/mo annual	Unlimited maps and alerts; $12.50/mo on monthly billing.
Commercial	$40/mo annual	Commercial use with team features; $50/mo on monthly billing.

Prices as listed in 2026 research. Always check the official site for the latest price — plans change. Free plan: Yes — it has a free plan.

Best for: researchers who track how papers cite each other over time with live alerts.
Popular with: Students, Teachers, Writers

How it works

The free plan covers basic maps, with Pro Education at $10 a month on annual billing for unlimited maps and alerts, and Commercial at $40 for business use. It is built for researchers who do literature reviews and want to stay current without checking databases every day.

Litmaps is a strong choice for tracking a field over time. The alerts are its main value: you set up a map once, and new citations come to you. For a one-off literature review, Connected Papers is simpler; for ongoing tracking, Litmaps is better.

Pros and Cons

✓ Pros

Alerts keep you current without daily checks
Visual maps show how a field develops
Free plan for basic maps
Good for ongoing literature tracking

✗ Cons

Free plan is limited to basic maps
Smaller user base than Connected Papers, so fewer tutorials
Visual only — no full-text search

Key Features

Pricing

How it works

Pros and Cons

✓ Pros

✗ Cons

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