Perusall
perusall.com
AI-powered collaborative annotation platform for academic reading.
Quick Information
- Category:
- Research & Search
- Pricing:
- Freemium
- Platforms:
- Web
- Free Plan:
- Yes
- Last Verified:
- September 2026
What Is Perusall?
Perusall is a social learning platform, free for students, instructors, and educational institutions when using uploaded materials or open educational resources. A significant pricing change took effect July 6, 2026, applying to new courses: for institutions without an institutional license, instructors can now assign a per-student platform fee of $5, $10, $15, $20, or $25, with instructors deciding the specific amount for their course — and crucially, there is no longer a $0 Student Access Fee option available for unlicensed institutions starting from that date.
This is a genuinely important recent change worth understanding directly: courses set up before July 6, 2026 aren't affected by the new pricing model, but new courses created after that date at unlicensed institutions must charge students something between $5-25 — a real shift from the previously free model for that specific scenario. Institutional Basic and Premium licenses remain available, granting full access to all adopters of books or free course materials without additional per-student access fees.
It's aimed at instructors and institutions using social learning and collaborative annotation for course materials, with the July 2026 pricing change meaning new courses at unlicensed institutions can no longer offer a genuinely free student access option — instructors setting up new courses should factor in this required $5-25 per-student fee, while institutions with a Basic or Premium license avoid this fee entirely for their adopted materials. See our Education tools directory for related tools like Newsela and Packback.
What Can You Use Perusall For?
Social learning and annotation
Enables collaborative annotation and discussion of course materials.
Open educational resource access
Provides free access when using uploaded materials or open educational resources.
Institutional course material licensing
Provides institutional licenses covering per-student access fees.
Perusall Features
- Social annotation — Enables collaborative, social annotation of course readings and materials.
- Course Choice model — Lets instructors choose a $5-25 per-student platform fee for new courses at unlicensed institutions.
- Institutional licensing — Provides Basic and Premium institutional licenses covering per-student fees.
Who Is Perusall For?
- Instructors — Uses social annotation for course materials, choosing a per-student fee for new unlicensed courses.
- Institutions with licenses — Avoids per-student fees entirely with a Basic or Premium institutional license.
Perusall Pros & Limitations
What We Like
- Genuinely free when using uploaded materials or open educational resources
- Institutional Basic/Premium licenses eliminate per-student fees entirely for adopted materials
- Courses set up before July 6, 2026 remain unaffected by the new pricing model
Limitations
- New courses at unlicensed institutions after July 6, 2026 can no longer offer a $0 Student Access Fee option
- Instructors must now choose a $5-25 per-student platform fee for new courses without an institutional license
- A real shift away from the previously free model specifically for unlicensed institution new-course setups
Perusall Pricing
| Plan | Price | Main Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free (open resources) | $0 | Uploaded materials or open educational resources |
| Course Choice (new courses, unlicensed) | $5-25/student | Instructor-selected platform fee, required since July 6, 2026 |
| Institutional Basic/Premium | Institutional license | No additional per-student access fees |
Pricing was last verified September 2026. Check the official website for the latest pricing.
AI Listing Jungle Ranking
- Global Rank:
- #672
- Overall Score:
- 20.6/100
- Monthly Users:
- –
- Rank Change:
- ▼ 16
This ranking reflects AI Listing Jungle's own independent scoring methodology and is not an endorsement by Perusall or its company. How Our Rankings Work
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Perusall still free?
Yes, when using uploaded materials or open educational resources, or with an institutional license.
What changed on July 6, 2026?
New courses at unlicensed institutions can no longer use a $0 Student Access Fee — instructors must choose $5-25/student instead.
Are existing courses affected?
No, courses set up before July 6, 2026 aren’t affected by the new pricing model.
Do institutional licenses avoid the per-student fee?
Yes, Basic and Premium institutional licenses cover access without additional per-student fees.
Our Take
Perusall's July 2026 elimination of the $0 Student Access Fee option for new courses at unlicensed institutions is a genuinely significant recent change worth understanding before setting up a new course.
Institutions considering a Basic or Premium license should weigh that cost against the alternative of instructors passing a $5-25 per-student fee directly to students for new courses.
Perusall Alternatives
Perusall Comparisons
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