Bango
What it is
Bango is free software for automating abstract screening in systematic literature reviews. Users set screening criteria, and the AI returns decisions with reasoning, matched rules, suggested tags, and confidence scores. It imports RIS and BibTeX files and Zotero collections, with support for up to 10,000 articles per project. Analysis tools cover co-authorship networks, citation graphs, keyword maps, publication timelines, author rankings, and co-citation analysis. Bango can create PRISMA 2020 flow diagrams from record counts and export them as SVG or PNG. The maker says project data stays on the user’s computer, without cloud uploads, login, or an account. Its README describes local AES-256-GCM encryption for API keys and says backups leave out credentials. Listed AI connections include hosted providers as well as local and OpenAI-compatible endpoints. It runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows, but macOS builds support Apple Silicon only. The Free plan is free, with no subscription, paywall, or limits.
For and against
For
- Screens articles against user-defined criteria
- Imports RIS, BibTeX, and Zotero collections
- Supports up to 10,000 articles per project
- Generates exportable PRISMA 2020 flow diagrams
- Free with no subscription, paywall, or limits
Against
- Intel Macs are not supported
- GitHub issue responses depend on availability
The verdict
Bango combines abstract screening with bibliometric analysis and PRISMA flow diagrams in a free desktop app. Check its Apple Silicon-only macOS support if choosing a Mac build.
Who it suits
Bango is aimed at researchers, including academics, PhD students, and professional analysts conducting systematic literature reviews. It may suit users who want local project storage and desktop screening tools.
Plans and prices
Free
Free for any researcher · no subscription, paywall, or limits
Read 30 Sep 2026 · bango.boncode.net
On the record
- AI integrations
- The README lists hosted integrations with OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, Mistral AI, and z.ai, plus llama.cpp, Ollama, LM Studio, and other OpenAI-compatible endpoints.github.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Analysis
- Its bibliometric tools include co-authorship networks, citation graphs, keyword maps, publication timelines, author rankings, and co-citation analysis.bango.boncode.net · read 30 Sep 2026
- Audience
- The maker describes Bango as free software for researchers, including academics, PhD students, and professional analysts.bango.boncode.net · read 30 Sep 2026
- Data handling
- Bango says project data stays on the user’s computer, with no cloud uploads, login, or account required.bango.boncode.net · read 30 Sep 2026
- Imports
- It imports RIS and BibTeX files and Zotero collections, and supports up to 10,000 articles per project.bango.boncode.net · read 30 Sep 2026
- Limits
- The maker says macOS builds are for Apple Silicon only; Intel Macs are not supported.github.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- PRISMA
- Bango generates PRISMA 2020 flow diagrams from record counts and exports them as SVG or PNG.bango.boncode.net · read 30 Sep 2026
- Purpose
- Bango automates abstract screening for systematic literature reviews by evaluating articles against user-defined criteria with AI.bango.boncode.net · read 30 Sep 2026
- Research integrations
- Bango supports Zotero import and export and can generate Boolean search strings for PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, EBSCOhost, JSTOR, ScienceDirect, and arXiv.github.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Screening
- AI screening returns decisions, reasoning, matched rules, suggested tags, and confidence scores.bango.boncode.net · read 30 Sep 2026
- Security
- The maker says API keys are encrypted locally with AES-256-GCM using a machine-derived key, and project backups omit credentials.bango.boncode.net · read 30 Sep 2026
- Support
- The README asks users to report issues on GitHub and says responses depend on availability.github.com · read 30 Sep 2026
