Rayyan’s Decline: Increasing Costs, Decreasing Usability
Rayyan has become quite frustrating to use. Even with a Pro subscription, many features still require additional institutional access or extra payments, which limits the overall experience.
Additionally, they now impose screening limits for users without a paid plan, making it much harder for new researchers or collaborators to use the platform effectively.
Overall, what used to be a simple and accessible tool now feels overly restricted and heavily monetized.
Additionally, they now impose screening limits for users without a paid plan, making it much harder for new researchers or collaborators to use the platform effectively.
Overall, what used to be a simple and accessible tool now feels overly restricted and heavily monetized.
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Doesn’t work on iPhone
Keeps displaying a message saying doesn’t work on iPhone (I have an iPhone 16 up to date etc), says to download the app. I was on the app… and takes me back to the app store to this app (which I have installed), so not worth the download because can’t do anything!
Title and abstract mismatch
Premium - offline: title/abstract mismatch. Manual refresh resolves it.
como siempre, o pagas o nada.
No sé qué han hecho que ya no te permiten hacer nada de forma gratuita desde dispositivos ipad.
Recurrent Technical and Workflow Challenges
Several recurring issues are significantly affecting usability. Reviews periodically disappear, and the blinding functionality prevents reviewers from using shared tag sets, resulting in duplicate or inconsistent tags across the team. The platform also offers no way to pre-define exclusion reasons for reviewers to select during screening, which makes the process unnecessarily cumbersome. In addition, full-text screening is still inaccessible from the mobile app, limiting the app’s usefulness to the very early stages of the review. Given these limitations, we have not proceeded with data extraction within the platform.
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Full text screening
I love the mobile app, and I would love if the full text screening feature could be added to the mobile app version.
Response from developer
We have great news for you! Please upgrade to version 1.7 which includes full text screening!
Crash
The application is crashing every time I screen a paper !
Reset bug
It was wonderful, but now when I’m reading the reviews it reset to beginning.
Disappointing
For now I am really disappointed by Rayyan. I don’t know really where the benefit is compared to free apps like Zotero. I mean I’ve paid a quarterly student subscription hoping that the including excluding process could be automated way better but still have to do it manually. To me it’s absolutely not user friendly designed. Adding new exclusion reasons and labels can’t be done without a title being marked and so on. You can’t add new datasets using the app on macOS. You have to take the web based version. There’s so many weird and bad steps you have to do to use this app somehow. I don’t know. I actually would like to have my money back but it is what it is now. Definitely would not recommend. The integrated chat bot for help is not helping you because he leads you through steps that aren’t there anymore. I’ve booked a webinar in a few days. If that helps a lot I am changing this review but for now: wouldn’t recommend at all.
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Response from developer
The mobile app was designed for iOS devices although yes you can install it on compatible MacOS devices (with an M1 processor or later) but the key benefit is being able to zoom, swipe and tap using the touch screen of your mobile devices and to work on the go and even offline. Rayyan offers a free membership with web access. The mobile app is a premium feature of our service.
replace doom-scrolling with screening
i got this because i find title abstract screening so incredibly dull and have thousands to do, so everytime i pick up my phone to try and distract myself from screening while im at my desk, I am met with the Rayyan app which lets me scroll and tap to inc/excl/maybe (or swipe l/r to incl/exc) so the scrolling itch is scratched, which i thought was very clever from the devs.
as a bonus, I can take breaks from my desk to screen in more comfortable seats or on the move. the amount of time Rayyan could save me was worth paying for because i’m effectively buying my time back (this from someone who reuses bread bags for bin liners only buys meat if it’s heavily discounted… im very frugal basically) so i think the other reviews and overall 2.8 rating is unfair,
as a bonus, I can take breaks from my desk to screen in more comfortable seats or on the move. the amount of time Rayyan could save me was worth paying for because i’m effectively buying my time back (this from someone who reuses bread bags for bin liners only buys meat if it’s heavily discounted… im very frugal basically) so i think the other reviews and overall 2.8 rating is unfair,
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Response from developer
We really appreciate your encouraging words and comments. With version 1.7 we introduced full text screening on the mobile app so you can add more productive hours back into your day by turning fractured time into productive time wherever you may fins yourself.
Ultimately useless
As somebody already noted, unless buying the full version, the iPad one has a limit of 100 decisions, which makes it ultimately useless to download if you do not intend to pay or do not have the possibility to. It’s shameful really because decisions are a basic tool within the online version, and the app and website are already pretty restricted for basic users, why add such excessive money grabbing aggressive techniques?
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Perfectly Fine
Works Great
Great app
User friendly, and makes the process way easier when you don’t have access to your laptop, but they need to allow access to all users to make unlimited decisions.
Response from developer
Thank you for your thoughtful review and we are glad you find it way easier to use. The mobile app requires a dedicated development team so its very existence is connected to the ability to cover the cost of its development. We offer limited free use to everyone. We will consider your feedback for the future.
Idioma
O app é muito bom, pena que não tem opção de alterar o idioma. Sugiro ter opções de outra idioma, como o português.
Severely limited free tier makes it unusable
The app itself functions well, but the 100-screening limit makes it essentially useless for anyone conducting a full systematic review. Systematic reviews typically require screening thousands of studies, so this cap severely restricts its practical value. While I understand the need for a paid model, the free tier should at least allow a meaningful trial for real-world use.
I’ve also noticed that the developers tend to respond defensively to critical reviews, insisting that ratings should reflect functionality rather than limitations. However, usability includes access—if an app can’t realistically be used for its intended purpose without paying, that’s an important factor in rating it. Rather than dismissing feedback, a more constructive approach might be to acknowledge users’ concerns and consider how to make the app more appealing. Addressing these issues openly could go a long way in improving ratings and user satisfaction.
I’ve also noticed that the developers tend to respond defensively to critical reviews, insisting that ratings should reflect functionality rather than limitations. However, usability includes access—if an app can’t realistically be used for its intended purpose without paying, that’s an important factor in rating it. Rather than dismissing feedback, a more constructive approach might be to acknowledge users’ concerns and consider how to make the app more appealing. Addressing these issues openly could go a long way in improving ratings and user satisfaction.
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Landscape mode is missing!
App does it better than brownser version but there is no landscape mood
Loving this app
As a PhD student with an extremely busy life, being able to screen articles from my phone and on the go is invaluable. Would not be able to do this any other way. May goodness can’t thank the makers of this app enough.
Cost and trial
Very expensive for short term works might be get more engagement if you could screen 50 articles per day
Love you rayyan
Works fine at iphone13
Shame about the limit
This was a great idea and I found it so useful to have the app on my phone as I’m on maternity leave with a young baby so can rarely sit in-front of the computer but the phone is easy. Unfortunately it seems theres a limit of 100 screenings and then you have to pay a significant monthly fee. Very disappointing as I’m undertaking multiple reviews at the moment
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Response from developer
Thank you for your feedback. We regret that you would rate the mobile app 1 star after finding it so useful. There are annual and quarterly pricing options that work out to be less than $9 dollars per month.
