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Covidence is a web-based systematic review management platform covering the full workflow from title/abstract screening through data extraction and risk-of-bias assessment. It’s a non-profit SaaS product based in Melbourne, Australia, founded in 2014, and in 2015 Cochrane selected it as the standard production platform for Cochrane Reviews — a partnership that still shapes the product today, from its Cochrane-trained RCT Classifier to its RevMan export path. That Cochrane relationship is a large part of why Covidence is so heavily used in academic and health-sciences systematic reviews specifically, rather than literature-review tools built for a more general audience.
What Covidence does
Covidence covers the stretch of a review between an imported search export and a synthesis-ready dataset, through a browser-based workspace (no local install):
- Reference import and deduplication. Imports RIS/other citation exports from databases like MEDLINE, Embase, and CENTRAL, and automatically flags likely-duplicate records before screening starts.
- Dual-level screening. Title/abstract screening, then full-text screening, with each reviewer voting Include, Exclude, or Maybe; disagreements are flagged for a third reviewer or team resolution, and inter-rater agreement is tracked throughout.
- Relevance Sorting. A machine-learning model reorders the unscreened queue using the review team’s own in-progress screening decisions — the same reordering-not-autonomous-decision shape used by comparable tools in this category — so likely-relevant records surface sooner while a human still screens every record.
- RCT Classifier. Built with Cochrane on a large labeled dataset of published records, this optional filter flags likely-randomized-controlled-trial records for reviews scoped to RCT evidence; Covidence frames it, like Relevance Sorting, as reviewer-visible and reversible rather than an autonomous exclusion.
- Structured data extraction. Build custom or template-based extraction forms, run them through dual extraction with consensus, and optionally use AI auto-populate (on a DOI + uploaded PDF) to pre-fill fields for a human to verify — see Building a Data Extraction Template in Covidence for the mechanics of configuring one.
- Risk-of-bias assessment and PRISMA export. Built-in risk-of-bias tools plus a PRISMA-compliant flow diagram generated automatically from the platform’s own recorded screening and extraction counts.
- RevMan integration. Extracted data can export directly into Cochrane’s RevMan Web for meta-analysis, reflecting the platforms’ shared Cochrane lineage.
Pricing
Covidence has no permanent free tier, but offers a free trial (500 records) to test the workflow before buying. As of this writing, published pricing runs:
- Single — $339/year. One review, unlimited collaborators on that review, valid for 12 months.
- Package — $907/year. Up to 3 reviews, unlimited collaborators, valid for 12 months.
- Organizations — custom pricing. Unlimited reviews, users, and collaborators, 24/7 support, and personalized training — this is also the tier most universities buy into, since Covidence reports 450+ institutions with unlimited institutional access and 260+ subscribing institutions overall.
All tiers include mobile screening, cloud-based access with 128-bit SSL encryption, and integration with EndNote, Zotero, Mendeley, and RevMan. Covidence reports 2,500+ daily active users across 200+ countries, plus complimentary access for reviewers in low-income countries and for COVID-19 research — confirm current plan details and eligibility directly with Covidence before budgeting, since pricing and inclusions change.
How Covidence compares to other screening tools
Covidence’s Cochrane partnership and RCT Classifier make it a common default for health-sciences and Cochrane-affiliated reviews specifically, where its lack of a permanent free tier matters less against institutional licensing. Rayyan is the closest free-to-start alternative, with its own AI relevance-ranking model and a broader academic user base outside health sciences; DistillerSR targets regulated, enterprise reviews (pharma, HTA submissions) that need a fully documented audit trail; and ASReview is a free, open-source tool built around active-learning screening rather than either platform’s approach. For a direct three-way comparison, see Covidence vs. Rayyan vs. DistillerSR, and for the fuller landscape, see Systematic Literature Review Tools: A Comparison Guide and AI Tools for Systematic Literature Reviews. If you’re already using Covidence and building out your extraction step, Systematic Review Data Extraction Form and Title and Abstract Screening cover the underlying methodology independent of which tool runs it.
Frequently asked questions
What is Covidence used for?
Covidence is used to manage a systematic review, scoping review, or other structured evidence synthesis from reference import through screening, risk-of-bias assessment, and data extraction — including generating a PRISMA flow diagram and exporting extracted data for meta-analysis.
Is Covidence free?
Covidence has no permanent free tier. It offers a free trial covering the first 500 imported records so a team can test the workflow, but a paid Single, Package, or Organizations plan is required to complete a full review.
Who developed Covidence, and what’s its relationship to Cochrane?
Covidence is a non-profit SaaS platform based in Melbourne, Australia, founded in 2014. In 2015, Cochrane selected it as the standard production platform for Cochrane Reviews, and the two organizations maintain an ongoing partnership — visible today in Covidence’s Cochrane-trained RCT Classifier and its direct export path into Cochrane’s RevMan Web.
Does Covidence generate PRISMA flow diagrams?
Yes. Covidence generates a PRISMA-compliant flow diagram automatically from the screening and extraction counts already recorded in the platform, without a separate manual step.
What’s the difference between Covidence and Rayyan?
Both support dual-reviewer screening, conflict resolution, and PRISMA reporting for academic reviews. Covidence has no permanent free tier but adds a Cochrane-trained RCT Classifier, structured extraction forms, and risk-of-bias tools aimed at health-sciences and Cochrane-affiliated reviews; Rayyan has a permanent free tier and an AI relevance-ranking model trained on each review’s own in-progress decisions, with a broader academic user base outside health sciences. See Covidence vs. Rayyan vs. DistillerSR for a full side-by-side.
