Read any paper
with an AI colleague
right beside you.
Explanations, figure walkthroughs, translation, auto highlights and smart citations in one PDF reader. It runs on the subscription you already pay for, with no API keys and no cloud account.
Free and open source · Windows · Linux · Source on GitHub · Your papers stay on your device
Ask anything about this paper
Works with the tools you already use
Your AI colleague
Everything you need to understand a paper
Select, drag or click. The answer shows up next to the text, in your language.
“We scale the dot products by 1/√dₖ to counteract small gradients in the softmax.”
Built for deep reading
A reader that keeps up with your research
Library & folders
Drop PDFs, paste arXiv links or import a BibTeX file. Ask questions across a folder or your whole library.
Scholar Deep Search
Search the literature or get recommendations based on what is in your library.
Markup & notes
Five highlight colors, notes on every highlight, Markdown and BibTeX export.
Every Color Hunt palette, as your theme
Browse thousands of palettes live. Colors adjust automatically so text stays readable in light and dark.
Web and desktop
The same app in your browser, on your phone, or as a macOS, Windows or Linux app.
Your subscription, your data
Claude Agent SDK and Codex SDK under the hood. Papers stay on your device; only the AI you pick sees the text.
How it works
Up and running in a minute
STEP 1
Run Lunaread
Open the desktop app, or run npm start. It uses the Claude Code or Codex login already on your computer.
STEP 2
Open a paper
Upload a PDF or paste an arXiv ID. Everything is stored locally.
STEP 3
Read with AI
Select, drag or ask. Explanations and translations appear right next to the text.
Desktop app
Take Lunaread to your desktop
The desktop app runs the AI server inside the app, so your Claude or ChatGPT login works with nothing else to set up.
Unsigned builds. On macOS, right-click the app and choose Open on first launch. On Linux, make the AppImage executable. All releases
FAQ
Questions, answered
Do I need an API key?
No. Lunaread uses the Claude Code or Codex CLI already logged in on your computer, so requests run on the Claude or ChatGPT subscription you already have. API keys work too, if you prefer.
Why does the web version need a local server?
Your subscription login lives on your computer, so a small Lunaread server runs there (npm start, or the desktop app). This site talks to it at 127.0.0.1; nothing goes through a Lunaread cloud.
Where are my papers stored?
Papers, highlights, notes and chats stay in your browser or desktop app (IndexedDB). Paper content is sent only to the AI you choose.
Which papers can I open?
Any PDF: upload a file, drop it in, or paste an arXiv ID or PDF link.
Which languages are supported?
Explanations and translations in Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, French, German and Vietnamese.
Is it free?
Lunaread is open source. You only pay for the AI subscription or API usage you already have.
Start reading smarter today.
Open your first paper in seconds. No sign-up, no API key.