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Verified Oct 15, 2026

Science42: DORA

Verified Oct 15, 2026 Active
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Desktop app that drafts cited academic and biomedical research papers, from Insilico Medicine.

academic writingbiomedical researchcitation managementdesktop appFreemium · from $17/mo

Listed on EffectHub ·

Screenshot of the Science42: DORA website
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pharma.ai as we captured it — our own screenshot, not the vendor’s press image.

Pricing

Pricing model
Freemium
Paid options from
$17/mo
Billing
Monthly

Free trial allows 2 document generations/day. The Advanced plan is listed at $17/month (or $175/year) under an active 50%-off promotion; the Professional tier lists at $35/month. A separate open-source version can be self-hosted for free with your own API keys.

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Overview

About Science42: DORA

DORA (Draft Outline Research Assistant) is a desktop application from Insilico Medicine for drafting academic and biomedical research papers. It generates document drafts with citations, offers AI-assisted editing and review passes, builds visualizations, and connects to scientific and biomedical databases so citations and background research can be pulled in during drafting rather than added by hand afterward. It ships as a downloadable desktop app rather than a browser tool, and an open-source, self-hosted version is available for users who want to supply their own LLM API keys instead of paying for hosted access.

Platforms
Windows · macOS
API
Not confirmed
Last verified
Oct 15, 2026

Verified sources

  • Confirms Insilico Medicine as the maker, the desktop-only distribution, and the open-source self-hosting optionpharma.ai ↗
  • Lists the Free/Advanced/Professional/Enterprise pricing tiers and the 50%-off promotionpharma.ai ↗
Fact check

Is Science42: DORA legit?

We don’t label tools safe or unsafe. Below are the records we checked ourselves, each with the date we read it.

Domain registered
Dec 16, 2017 (8 years ago)Registry record (RDAP), registrar GoDaddy.com, LLC, looked up Sep 15, 2026
TLS certificate
Issued by Google Trust Services, valid until Dec 2, 2026Seen in our own connection to the site on Oct 15, 2026
Last checked
Oct 15, 2026The site answered
Operated by
Insilico MedicineOur research, card verified Sep 1, 2026

How we collect these records

Editorial verdict

Pros & cons of Science42: DORA

medium confidence

DORA is aimed at researchers who want database-connected citation and drafting help for scientific papers specifically, backed by Insilico Medicine's biomedical focus. It is a desktop-only download rather than a web app, and the current low price reflects an active discount rather than the standard rate.

Pros

  • Direct integration with scientific and biomedical databases for citations
  • Includes AI editing/review passes and visualization generation, not just drafting
  • Open-source self-hosted option avoids the subscription entirely

Cons

  • Desktop-only, no browser version currently offered
  • Listed price reflects a temporary 50% discount, not the standard rate
  • No API for the hosted version

Best for

  • Biomedical and scientific researchers drafting papers with heavy citation needs
  • Teams wanting an open-source, self-hosted alternative to hosted AI writing tools
  • Users comfortable installing a desktop application

Not for

  • Users who want a browser-only tool with no install
  • Anyone assuming the current discounted price is permanent

Watch out: The $17/month price is explicitly promotional (50% off); budget for roughly double that once the promotion ends.

#6inResearch & Citation Tools· of 6 tools, ranked by rating and popularity

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