Desktop app for serious paper reading

Read papers as a connected field, not as isolated PDFs.

ReadMap is built around the relationship between papers. Follow citation trails, open cited work in place, compare papers side by side, annotate while you read, and keep every project in its own persistent workspace.

Download trial See why it is different

Reading plans with saved tabs, split layouts, and exact reading position
Citation-aware PDF actions including cited-paper open and reference graph
AI assistant for passage explanation, related-paper recommendations, and synthesis

Paper A

Open cited paper

Paper B

note box

Cited paper jump Go from anchor to source

Move from an inline citation directly into the referenced paper.

Persistent state Come back to the exact context

Tabs, split layout, page position, and notes stay attached to the plan.

Product position

Most tools manage papers. ReadMap keeps the relationship visible while you read.

Typical workflow

You read one paper, then break context to chase the next one.

Citation trails live in a browser tab or a separate discovery app
Comparison usually means reopening files and rebuilding layout manually
Annotations stay local to one paper instead of helping a larger reading thread

ReadMap workflow

The relationship itself becomes part of the reader.

Open a cited paper from the anchor that triggered the question
Compare source and destination papers inside one plan in split view
Keep graph context, notes, and AI prompts grounded in the active reading chain

Trace

Follow the pull between papers through citation anchors, related references, and graph context.

Compare

Split the workspace, line up evidence, and move between papers without losing your place.

Synthesize

Annotate, collect notes, and use the assistant with actual paper context rather than an empty chat.

Inside the app

Built for the moment when reading turns into mapping, comparison, and output.

Reading plans

Each project keeps its own memory.

Plans preserve tabs, active pane, split direction, zoom, page position, and annotations, so you can switch research threads without reconstructing the workspace.

PDF actions

Citation-aware reading

Copy citation details, open cited PDFs, and keep reference behavior tied to the document.

Annotation mode

Highlights, underlines, note boxes

Mark passages directly, place movable notes on the page, and keep annotations scoped to the work.

Library

Zotero-connected intake

Import papers from Zotero and continue reading inside a relationship-aware workspace.

Appearance

9 skins plus custom skin support

Switch between nine built-in skins and add your own custom backdrop image behind the active skin.

Assistant

Explain, recommend, synthesize

The assistant can explain the current paper, recommend related papers, and work from the active plan instead of generic prompts.

AI Assistant

Explain passages, recommend papers, and synthesize the active reading thread.

ReadMap includes an optional AI assistant attached to the reading workspace. It can work from the active paper, the current reading plan, your text selection, and your annotations. That means the assistant can answer questions about the paper you are reading and also recommend related papers from the active research context.

AI Recommendations

Recommend related papers from the active paper or the active plan.

Ask ReadMap to recommend papers that match the paper you opened, fill a gap in your plan, or broaden a reading thread. Recommendations stay tied to the current research context instead of starting from a cold search box.

Selection actions

Ask about the exact passage

Send the current selection into the assistant directly while you read, quote, and annotate.

Paper understanding

Explain, compare, and synthesize

Use the assistant to explain passages, compare papers inside a plan, and turn reading into working notes.

Provider control

Local fallback or hosted models

Keep the assistant available with local fallback, or configure Grok, DeepSeek, and Qwen when you want hosted AI.

Trial build

Ship a portable trial zip, let users unzip it, and start testing quickly.

Getting started is simple: download the .zip, extract it anywhere, launch the app, then create a plan and bring papers into it. No installer is required for the trial flow.

Download the trial

Choose your platform and download the ReadMap trial .zip package.

Unzip the package

Extract the archive to Desktop, Downloads, or any folder you control.

Launch ReadMap

Open the included executable or app bundle directly from the extracted folder.

Create a plan and add papers

Create a reading plan, then drag PDFs into it or open papers from download links inside the app.