Why is it called NeuralScio?
NeuralScio combines “Neural” with “Scio.” “Scio” is a Latin verb meaning “I know” or “I understand,” derived from scire, the Latin infinitive meaning “to know.” The name reflects the product’s core idea: using AI to help people search, read, and understand scientific knowledge more effectively.
Who is behind NeuralScio?
NeuralScio is created by an independent developer, with AI-assisted development integrated throughout the project. It is a long-term effort focused on building a technically deep desktop product for scientific discovery, understanding, and the identification of non-obvious connections in research. The product has been developed over an extended period of deliberate work, with careful attention to usability and the quality of the user experience.
General
What is NeuralScio?
NeuralScio is a native desktop research workstation built in C++ and Qt. It combines scholarly search, PDF reading, citation graph exploration, AI-assisted analysis, and LaTeX writing in one product.
Is NeuralScio only a paper search app?
No. Search is only the first stage. The product continues into PDF reading, local library management, citation mapping, AI-assisted interpretation, writing, and experimental agent workflows through MCP where enabled.
Which platforms are supported?
| Platform | Status | | --- | --- | | Windows (minimum: 10 1809 / build 17763+, 64-bit) | Supported | | Windows (recommended: 10 22H2 / build 19045+ or Windows 11) | Tested | | Linux (x86_64) | Supported | | macOS | No verified Public Alpha artifact; source/build path only |
Older Windows 10 builds, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, and Windows 7 are unsupported and not tested.
Is the app free?
Yes during Public Alpha. The desktop app is fully free while we test and stabilize the product. Paid subscriptions, credit checkout, and managed cloud billing are not active yet.
What is included in free Local Alpha?
Local Alpha includes desktop access, your own PDFs/documents, saved and cached papers, local library workflows, and local/cache-based features where available. It does not include NeuralScio-managed hosted search, cloud AI credits, or team billing.
How many interface languages are supported?
The desktop settings layer exposes 19 interface languages plus a system-default option.
AI And Automation
Can I use local AI?
Yes. NeuralScio supports the built-in NeuralScioAI worker with GGUF models and the separate Ollama-compatible provider path.
The built-in worker does not require Ollama. The Ollama-compatible provider requires Ollama or a compatible runtime.
Does NeuralScio support AI agents?
Agent orchestration, MCP, and headless workflows are experimental and depend on the current build and configuration. Local agent tooling can use stdio MCP where enabled; HTTP and SSE require explicit configuration. This does not establish a hosted MCP service.
Does --mcp-stdio still launch the full UI?
No. That wording is outdated. --mcp-stdio enables the headless launch path.
Are there AI safety controls?
Yes. The current stack includes provider-policy handling, managed-model allowlists for hosted AI, prompt composition that treats article and web content as untrusted input, trusted-host allowlists for links, and response filtering for risky content patterns.
Privacy And Local Use
Can my data stay local?
Yes, large parts of the workflow can stay local: saved PDFs, local annotations, cached reading state, and local AI.
Can I use the app offline?
Partly. The strong offline story is cached and saved work. Searching external providers needs network access; sync is experimental and requires network access when enabled. Managed cloud AI is not active during Public Alpha.
Pricing
Do I need a paid plan before trying the product?
No. During Public Alpha, NeuralScio is free. Download the desktop app and use Local Alpha first.
Are paid plans available now?
No. Managed cloud plans (Pro and Team) are paused during Public Alpha. Their launch timing and prices have not been published.
What is BYOK?
BYOK (bring your own keys) lets you connect your own provider keys or local/OpenAI-compatible endpoints where supported. It is an access mode, not a managed cloud trial or paid NeuralScio subscription.
What about managed cloud credits?
Managed cloud AI and account credits are not active for public users during Public Alpha. Credit behavior will be documented if managed billing is introduced. Local and BYOK workflows remain separate from that future system.
Is “Local API” a subscription tier?
No. If supported, connecting your own API keys is BYOK — a technical configuration option, not a plan name. During Public Alpha, Local Alpha is free. Pro and Team are future plans with no published launch timing or prices.
Technical
Where is my data stored?
The exact location depends on the operating system, build, and Qt settings backend. Use Backup, Restore & Data Locations for current guidance and a safe backup procedure. Do not assume that a path copied from another build is authoritative.
Where should I start if I want scripts or automation?
Read MCP & Headless. That page covers launch flags, stdio behavior, network MCP, config requirements, and troubleshooting.