Rayyan is a cloud-based research collaboration platform built for literature reviews, scoping reviews, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses. Conducting evidence synthesis by hand means processing thousands of citations across spreadsheets and reference managers, a process that consumes hundreds of hours and introduces error and reviewer bias. Rayyan centralizes that pipeline into a single web-based workspace built around AI-assisted screening.
The core of the platform is the Rayyan Workbench, where researchers upload citation files exported from databases such as PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science. Rayyan detects duplicate references using configurable similarity thresholds and applies a machine learning model to rank remaining studies by relevance. Reviewers can screen titles and abstracts independently in a double-blind mode, applying inclusion or exclusion decisions and tagging custom exclusion reasons.
Beyond initial screening, Rayyan includes a PICO framework tool for structuring Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome criteria, customizable data extraction forms for full-text studies, and a Risk of Bias module built around standardized quality frameworks such as Cochrane’s. ResearchPilot, an AI research assistant for study discovery and query framing, is available on paid institutional tiers.
Rayyan Systems reports its platform is used by more than one million researchers at over 30,000 institutions across more than 190 countries, spanning universities, medical schools, and health research organizations. The company, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, also lists SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and GDPR compliance on its public trust center, along with WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility conformance.
Pricing
Rayyan offers five tiers. The Free plan costs nothing and includes three active reviews, two reviewers, and basic AI relevance predictions. Essential starts at $4.99 per seat per month billed annually, and Advanced, the most popular tier, starts at $8.33 per seat per month billed annually, adding PRISMA flow diagrams, auto-resolved duplicates, and AI-assisted PICO extraction. Business/Academic plans start at $41.67 per license per month billed annually with a five-license minimum (about $2,500 per year) and add the ResearchPilot AI layer, while Enterprise pricing is custom and adds SSO, API access, and unlimited reviews.
* Disclaimer: Please note that pricing information may not be up to date. For the most accurate and current pricing details, refer to the official website.
Key Features
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Rayyan Workbench centralizes review tracking and collaborator management.
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Automated deduplication with configurable similarity thresholds.
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Double-blind screening mode hides decisions between co-reviewers.
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AI relevance prediction ranks unscreened studies by inclusion probability.
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PICO framework tool structures Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome criteria.
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Risk of Bias module supports standardized quality assessment frameworks.
Use Cases
Academic Systematic Reviews
Faculty and research groups conduct systematic reviews for journal publication. Double-blind screening and automated deduplication help meet peer-review standards for methodological rigor.
Clinical Evidence Synthesis
Hospital research teams and medical societies evaluate clinical interventions to author evidence-based guidelines. The Risk of Bias module and PICO framework support systematic quality assessment of clinical outcomes.
HEOR Literature Reviews
Health economics and outcomes research teams in life sciences analyze published clinical trials for regulatory filings and market access. Structured data extraction forms standardize data gathering across large study sets.
Doctoral Thesis Research
Graduate students conduct literature reviews as part of thesis work. Rayyan organizes imported reference sets, removes duplicates, and keeps an audit trail without manual spreadsheet tracking.
Health Technology Assessment
Public health agencies and policy organizations synthesize literature to assess cost-effectiveness of medical technologies. Rayyan centralizes the review lifecycle from search to extraction in one workspace.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
Double-blind screening reduces reviewer bias during title and abstract selection.
Automated deduplication cuts manual citation cleanup across multi-database exports.
Native PICO, Risk of Bias, and Data Extraction tools reduce reliance on external spreadsheets.
Dedicated iOS and Android apps support offline title and abstract screening.
Broad file format support (RIS, BibTeX, Enw, CSV, TXT, XML, and more) fits major literature databases.
Weaknesses
Full-text PDF discovery and parsing are limited compared to dedicated reference managers.
ResearchPilot AI and automated PICO extraction require the Business/Academic tier or higher.
API access for custom automated workflows is restricted to Enterprise plans.
The Free plan caps reviews at three and reviewers at two, which limits larger review teams.
Who Is This For?
Academic Researchers & Professors: a collaborative platform for blind systematic literature screening accepted in peer review.
Clinicians & Healthcare Professionals: standardized Risk of Bias evaluations and PICO-driven study appraisals for evidence-based practice.
PhD Candidates & Master’s Students: faster reference deduplication and title/abstract screening for thesis literature reviews.
HEOR & Life Sciences Teams: structured medical literature extraction and team-based evidence synthesis for regulatory needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What citation file formats does Rayyan support?
Rayyan accepts RIS, BibTeX, Enw, CSV, TXT, CIW, NBIB, XML, and PDF files exported from academic databases and reference managers.
How does double-blind screening work between co-reviewers?
While Blind Mode is active, each reviewer’s decisions and exclusion reasons stay hidden from co-reviewers until the project owner unblinds the review to resolve conflicts.
Can reviewers screen offline or on mobile devices?
Yes, Rayyan has official iOS and Android apps that let reviewers download reference sets and screen titles and abstracts offline. Mobile access is limited on the Free plan and unlimited on paid tiers.
Does Rayyan generate PRISMA flow diagrams automatically?
Rayyan tracks citation counts at every stage (imported, duplicate, screened, included, and excluded with reasons) and generates PRISMA flow diagrams on Essential plans and above.
Are compliance certifications like SOC 2 or ISO 27001 publicly documented?
Yes, Rayyan’s public trust center lists SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and GDPR compliance, along with WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility conformance.
What is a “seat” in Rayyan’s paid plans?
A seat unlocks premium features such as auto-resolved duplicates, unlimited mobile access, and PICO extraction for one collaborator. Free Reviewer and Viewer roles can join a workspace without a seat, within plan limits.
What happens to my reviews if I cancel a paid subscription?
Your account reverts to the Free plan. You keep access within Free plan limits and can still export your data, but additional reviews and premium features are locked.
Is API access available for building custom workflows?
API access is listed as an Enterprise-only feature. It is not available on the Free, Essential, Advanced, or Business/Academic plans.
Does Rayyan support standardized Risk of Bias frameworks?
Yes, the Risk of Bias module supports standard quality frameworks such as the Cochrane RoB tools for assessing methodological quality across study domains.
Who typically uses Rayyan for evidence synthesis?
Academic researchers, clinicians and medical societies, HEOR and life sciences teams, and public health agencies use Rayyan for systematic reviews, clinical guideline development, and health technology assessments.
Rayyan does not connect to literature databases through live API integrations on standard plans. Instead, it imports citation export files from sources including PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Web of Science, and is compatible with reference managers such as Zotero, EndNote, and Mendeley through standard RIS, BibTeX, Enw, CSV, and other supported file formats. Enterprise plans add REST API access and an MCP server option for connecting Rayyan to external tools and custom workflows.