Agent-native
40+ MCP tools.
Your research library, native to your agent
Not a reference manager with an AI skin — Claude Code or Codex can search, annotate, and cite your entire library. You review and decide.
Works with your favorite agent CLIs
Claude Code and Codex are their vendors' official CLIs and need their own subscription or a compatible third-party model — Scholardo is not affiliated with them. Open-source CLIs like opencode and pi run on any protocol-compatible model provider.
Core capabilities
Research, fully wired.
Terminal data workflows
Install envs, run analysis, render charts.
Bring your own model
OpenAI / Anthropic / Gemini.
Hybrid semantic search
Lexical + dense.
Unified annotations
PDF / EPUB / web.
Citation-native
citeproc-js + CSL.
In-app browser & capture
Save to Sources.
Feeds & AI digests
RSS groups, AI digest.
Hypothesis sync
One-way pull.
Session branching
Branch & merge.
Menu-bar worklist
AI session summaries.
Scheduled backup & restore
Per-project archives.
Head to head
How it compares.
| Capability | Scholardo | Zotero | Mendeley | Obsidian | EndNote |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Native agent tools (MCP) | |||||
| Dense semantic search | |||||
| Lexical + semantic fusion | |||||
| Unified PDF/EPUB/web annotations | |||||
| In-app browser capture | |||||
| RSS feeds + AI digest | |||||
| Citation rendering (CSL 100+) | |||||
| Session branching & merge | |||||
| Menu-bar todo + AI summary | |||||
| Hypothesis annotation sync | |||||
| Presentation / slide output |
- Comparison reflects publicly documented features as of 2026. Other tools may partially achieve some of these via third-party plugins.
- Scholardo works with OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, DeepSeek, and any OpenAI-compatible endpoint.
Pricing
Pick your plan
Best value
Personal · Lifetime
$199.99
one-time
- Everything in Annual
- 1-user license
- macOS app updates
- Pay once, own forever
For labs & teams
Team
Custom
per seat
- All Personal features
- Volume seat licensing
- Centralized license management
- Priority support & onboarding
All prices in USD · Taxes may apply at checkout
FAQ
Common questions
Is my data sent anywhere?
No. Everything stays in ~/.scholardo/ on your machine. The only network call is a license activation check — no telemetry, no usage data, no cloud sync.
Do I need an AI API key to use it?
No. Core features — search, annotations, citations, browser capture — work locally without any key. A key is only needed for AI-powered features like selection rewriting or feed digests.
How is this different from Zotero?
Zotero is built for one researcher. Scholardo is built for two: you and your agent share the same library, the same annotations, and live reading context — natively, not through a plugin.
Does it work without internet?
Almost entirely. Local search, annotations, citations, and terminal sessions all work offline. Exceptions: fetching web content, embedding API calls if configured, and the annual license refresh.
What's the license model?
One-time purchase, single-user license. Download the app and unlock it with a license key. No subscription, no App Store.
Which agents and terminals are supported?
Any MCP-compatible agent — Claude Code, Codex CLI, and others. The built-in terminal runs Ghostty; any agent you can invoke from a shell session works.
Download for macOS
Free 7-day trial, all features included