How is PICO Portal Individual different from Rayyan?
ComparisonRayyan does not search 470 million articles or write the cited answer. You arrive with a file. PICO Portal Individual can search, then screen, on one record.
What does Rayyan do that PICO Portal Individual does not?
Rayyan is the closer peer for screening alone, and a student can start on the free tier.
Rayyan is a title and abstract screening tool. You upload the records. It labels includes and excludes. Open Rayyan.
How do they compare on search, answer, and screen?
| PICO Portal Individual | Rayyan | |
|---|---|---|
| Access | 14-day free trial. No department contract. | Free tier, plus a paid plan. |
| Search | 470 million articles from OpenAlex, ORCID and PubMed. | You upload the file. |
| Answer | Plain language. Each claim links to a source you can open. | None. |
| Screen | Named reviewer, time, rationale, and the source passage. | Title and abstract labels. Collaboration. |
Who should use which?
PICO Portal Individual — Search and screen in one place, with the source passage on the decision.
Rayyan — A screening-only job when the search file already exists.
Can I use PICO Portal Individual and Rayyan in the same review?
Yes. Keep Rayyan for You upload the file. Put the include or exclude in PICO Portal Individual. The record shows the named reviewer, the time, the rationale, and the source passage.
Do I name Rayyan in the methods?
Yes, if you searched there. Also name PICO Portal Individual if the decision sits there. A reader must be able to open the same record.
Can a student start without a university license?
Yes. PICO Portal Individual starts with a 14-day free trial and does not need a department contract. Rayyan: Free tier, plus a paid plan.
What do I lose if I leave Rayyan?
Rayyan is the closer peer for screening alone, and a student can start on the free tier.
Does either tool write the review?
No. Rayyan returns None. PICO Portal Individual returns a cited answer. You write the sentence.
Where is the decision record?
On the PICO Portal Individual record: named reviewer, timestamp, rationale, source passage. Rayyan: Title and abstract labels. Collaboration.
Can I upload a file from Rayyan?
Yes, if it is a citation file. You then see that file in the same queue as the OpenAlex results.
Which tool do I open first?
Open Rayyan if you already have a list. Open PICO Portal Individual if you have a question and no file.
Is the answer a substitute for the paper?
No. Open the citation. The passage is on the record so a second person can check the claim.
What can a supervisor check?
The question, the search, each include or exclude, and the passage. You see the queue, the conflicts, and the agreement while the stage is still open.