Overview

RevMan supports diagnostic test accuracy, intervention, methodology, overview, prognosis, qualitative and flexible reviews. It combines structured writing, analysis and visual reporting, but does not cover screening. Choose it when review production is the focus; teams seeking an end-to-end workflow that includes screening will need another tool.

Key features

Authors can edit separate parts of a review simultaneously and see who else is working on it. Ready-made and custom templates, structured headings and Cochrane methodological guidance give teams a shared framework while allowing some flexibility in how they organize a review.

For quantitative work, RevMan supports pairwise meta-analyses, sensitivity and subgroup analyses, and fixed-effects, random-effects, Mantel-Haenszel and inverse-variance models. Forest, SROC and funnel plots, risk-of-bias assessments and PRISMA flow diagrams bring analysis and reporting outputs into the same workflow. That range benefits authors doing these forms of synthesis; it is less compelling for projects that need only screening or reference management.

Study data and references can be imported from Covidence. RIS reference imports can use data from Crossref, PubMed or CRS. The integration boundary matters for Cochrane-linked work: GRADEpro integration is not enabled for non-Cochrane reviews, and Cochrane Library data cannot be downloaded and reused in RevMan.

Cochrane says RevMan Web complies with GDPR for processing EU personal data, encrypts data at rest and uses 256-bit SSL for communications. It is hosted on AWS, uses Cochrane Account single sign-on with OpenID Connect, and stores AWS-hosted customer data in London and Ireland. After a subscription ends, subscribers retain access to reviews and their history for 60 days, a short window for teams that need to preserve or continue work.

Pricing

RevMan has a free tier, paid annual individual subscriptions and an organization subscription. The £80/user/yr starting point is not the only relevant cost: student and academic eligibility is shown after login, EU and UK individual prices are billed with VAT, and organizational pricing varies by type and seat count.

Practice review: Free. One person per review, no data export, and the review is deleted after 30 days. This is for a brief individual practice run, not a project whose work must be retained or shared.
Cochrane author access: Free for authors working on Cochrane Reviews. It is the no-cost route for that specific audience.
Individual student annual subscription: 80.00 GBP per year, billed £80.00 + VAT (EU & UK); eligibility is shown after login. A fit for eligible students who need an individual subscription.
Individual academic annual subscription: 100.00 GBP per year, billed £100.00 + VAT (EU & UK); eligibility is shown after login. It offers the academic individual option where eligibility applies.
Individual standard annual subscription: 130.00 GBP per year, billed £130.00 + VAT (EU & UK). This is the individual subscription without the student or academic eligibility condition.
Organization subscription: 560.00 GBP per contact, with pricing starting at £560 for up to 8 users; the price varies by organization type and number of seats. Teams should assess their seat needs against a starting price rather than assume a flat per-user rate.

A 30-day trial is offered. The free practice plan is substantially more constrained than a continuing subscription: it permits one person, blocks export and deletes the review after 30 days.

Platforms

RevMan is available on Linux, macOS, Windows and the web. RevMan Web supports Chrome, Firefox and newer Edge versions; mobile devices and touchscreen use are not supported. Desktop and browser coverage is broad, but phone-first or tablet workflows are out.

Who it's for

RevMan is a good match for students, academics and review teams who need structured writing, meta-analysis and visual outputs in a shared environment. It is also relevant to authors working across the review types it supports. It is not the right choice for teams that require built-in screening, mobile access, or a free practice project with export and longer-term retention.

Pros and cons

Pros: Several analysis models, sensitivity and subgroup analyses, and multiple review visualizations support a substantial synthesis workflow.
Pros: Simultaneous editing, templates and structured guidance give collaborators a consistent way to produce a review.
Pros: Linux, macOS, Windows and web access accommodate different desktop environments.
Cons: No screening workflow means teams may need a separate tool for that stage.
Cons: The free practice review is single-person, non-exportable and deleted after 30 days, so it is unsuitable for ongoing work.
Cons: No mobile or touchscreen support limits access away from a supported desktop browser or computer.
Cons: Non-Cochrane reviews cannot use GRADEpro integration, and Cochrane Library data cannot be reused in RevMan.

Alternatives

For broader browsing, compare the Literature Review Software directory; for tools focused on this workflow, see Systematic Review Software.

Elicit is a freemium web and API option with unlimited search across more than 138 million papers, unlimited summaries and unlimited chat with papers on its Basic plan; consider it when those research functions matter more than RevMan’s review-writing and meta-analysis workflow.
Rayyan offers a free plan forever with 3 active reviews, 2 free reviewers, 1 sample and limited mobile app access. Pick it when mobile access or a bounded free screening-oriented workflow is the priority.
Synthesis is a paid option with a free trial and Linux, macOS and Windows support; compare it if you prefer a paid tool with a trial.
Bibliometrix is a free, open-source R package available on CRAN with a web interface; choose it when that package-based approach fits better than RevMan’s subscription model.
ASReview is free and open source, with no licensing fees or subscriptions, and supports web, self-hosted and desktop platforms; running your own hardware or server may incur cost. It suits readers prioritizing open-source screening workflows over RevMan’s integrated review writing and analysis.
Litmaps has a free web plan capped at 20 inputs, 100 articles and one Litmap, with no collaboration. Choose it for a smaller, individual literature-mapping project rather than a shared analytical review workflow.
ResearchRabbit has a free web plan with unlimited searches across 310+ million articles, unlimited library and collections, sharing and up to 50 seed articles; it is a fit when discovery and collection sharing are the main need.
CADIMA is a free web option with no topic restrictions and no stated reviewer limit; consider it if those terms suit your project.

Verdict

Choose RevMan if you are producing a systematic review and want structured writing, collaboration, analysis and visual reporting in one workspace. Its method and output range is the main reason to pay; look elsewhere if you need screening, mobile use, or a free plan that preserves and exports project work.

	Lit Mind Maps	RevMan
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Free trial		Yes
Paid from	$15/mo	£6.67/mo
Platforms	Web	Linux, macOS, Web, Windows
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Discovery tools	search
Screening workflow	No	No
Full-text management	No
Systematic review tools	No	Yes
Evidence mapping	Yes	No
Collaboration		Yes

Lit Mind Maps vs RevMan

Lit Mind Maps

RevMan