# Citely pricing and plans

Last updated: 2026-10-09

Citely, an AI citation checker and academic source finder, gives every new account two free checks with no credit card required. After that, Citely runs on credits. For researchers who write and submit papers throughout the year, the Yearly plan is the usual choice.

## Plans

| Plan | Price (USD) | Price (CNY) | Credits | Credits valid for | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly | $168 / year (about $14 / month) | ¥1,199 | 1,500 | 1 year | Researchers and PhD students writing throughout the year |
| Monthly | $19 / month | ¥129 | 150 per month | each billing month | A single deadline |
| Trial | $9 one-time | ¥49.90 | 15 | 1 month | Checking one paper |
| Believer | $347 one-time | ¥2,499 | 5,000 | 3 years | Heavy users and labs |

- Monthly and Yearly card payments renew automatically and can be cancelled at any time.
- WeChat Pay and Alipay are accepted and charged once, without automatic renewal.
- Credits that expire soonest are used first.

## How credits work

Credits are used for Citation Checker and Source Finder actions. The credits a check will use are shown before it starts, and a Source Finder search that finds nothing is free.

## Which plan should I choose?

- **Checking one essay or paper once:** start with the two free checks, then the Trial if needed.
- **Writing a thesis, dissertation or several articles over the coming year:** the Yearly plan. It costs less per month than Monthly and covers every submission and revision round in that year.
- **A lab, supervisor or editorial team checking many manuscripts:** the Yearly or Believer plan, or the API to check references from your own system.

## Official page

- [Pricing](https://citely.ai/#pricing)