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Napkin AI vs SciFig

Two fact sheets from our own research, side by side — pricing, platforms, API access and status re-checked by us rather than quoted from the vendors.

The short answer

Entry price
Napkin AI from $9/seat/mo, SciFig from $8.33/mo — different billing units, so no direct winner
Free plan
Both have one
Public API
Both have one
Higher Trust score
Napkin AI — 77 vs 64 for SciFig
Best fit
Napkin AI: Consultants and managers turning bullet points into slide diagrams · SciFig: Researchers who need a journal-style diagram without illustration skills

From our own records as of each tool's last check. Anything we have not confirmed is left out rather than guessed. How we verify

Napkin AITurns pasted or imported text into editable diagrams, flowcharts, mind maps, infographics and charts, with no prompt to write.SciFigTurns a plain-language description into a publication-ready scientific diagram in a chosen journal style.

Side by side

FactNapkin AISciFig
CategoryDiagramming & WhiteboardsDiagramming & Whiteboards
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemium
Starts at$9/seat/mo$8.33/mo
Public APIYesYes
Trust score77 / 10064 / 100
PlatformsWeb, APIWeb, API
CompanyNapkin AI—
Launched2024—
Last verifiedOct 29, 2026Oct 15, 2026

What our research says

Napkin AI

Napkin is a quick way for writers, teachers and consultants to add a clear diagram to a slide or post without opening a design tool. Designers who need pixel-level layout control or long, data-heavy charts will outgrow it.

Pros

  • Works from existing text instead of prompts
  • Every generated element stays editable
  • Exports to PPT and SVG on paid plans, PNG and PDF on Free
  • Free weekly credits cover light use

Cons

  • Free visuals carry Napkin branding
  • Credits scale with words selected, so long passages burn through them
  • No student or non-profit discounts

SciFig

Handy for researchers who need a clean mechanism or pathway diagram fast and would otherwise fight with a general vector editor. The credit system rewards light, occasional use; anyone producing figures constantly for a lab will burn through the free tier quickly and need to budget for a subscription.

Pros

  • Six input modes and six publication styles to match journal conventions
  • Every element stays editable after generation, not a flat image
  • Exports to PPTX, layered SVG, and 8K PNG/JPG
  • Public API and MCP server for generating figures from code or an AI assistant

Cons

  • Credit-based pricing makes heavy use expensive to predict
  • Company behind the product is not disclosed on the site
  • Best experience requires a desktop browser, not mobile

Which one fits

Choose Napkin AI if you need

  • Consultants and managers turning bullet points into slide diagrams
  • Bloggers and teachers adding explanatory visuals to text
  • Products that need visuals generated from text via API

Choose SciFig if you need

  • Researchers who need a journal-style diagram without illustration skills
  • Turning a described process into an editable figure for a slide deck or paper

Napkin AI vs SciFig: the questions people ask

Is Napkin AI cheaper than SciFig?

They charge in different units, so there is no like-for-like answer: Napkin AI starts at $9/seat/mo, SciFig at $8.33/mo. Entry price is the lowest paid plan as we last verified it.

Does Napkin AI or SciFig have a free tier?

Both: Napkin AI has a free tier, and SciFig has a free tier.

Which has a public API, Napkin AI or SciFig?

Both ship a public API, so either can be built on; the fact table above shows the platforms each one runs on.

More comparisons

All SciFig alternatives →Browse all Diagramming & Whiteboards →