Free and open first
Best AI Research Assistants in 2026
AI research assistants can help you explore sources and work with research material. Compare deep research mode with source access and source citations to understand how each approaches evidence. File uploads and source limits can matter when you bring your own material into the process, and team workspace may be relevant for shared work. Perplexity, Kimi Deep Research, and Liner are among the options. Free-plan availability and paid starting prices add cost context. Consider whether source discovery, citation review, uploaded files, or collaboration matters most, then compare the listed capabilities.
- 28 apps
- Research read 23 Sept 2026
- How the order is worked out
- 1
Consensus
Free plan AndroidAPIExtension+2Consensus combines broad academic search with filters, research workflows, and citations linked to paper passages.
- 2
Fabric
Free plan AndroidAPIExtension+4Fabric combines workspace features, connected apps, and AI agents, with plans from $8/user/mo (annual).
- 3
Felo AI Research
Free plan AndroidAPIiPhone+1Felo AI Research pairs source-linked research with several report formats and file analysis. The free tier has daily limits, while Pro offers a larger set of tools and credits.
- 4
Gab AI Research Assistant
by Gab AI Research AssistantFree plan AndroidAPIExtension+5Gab AI Research Assistant offers several report depths, file analysis, and model comparison, with a free plan and paid options.
- 5
Genspark Design
Free plan AndroidiPhoneLinux+3 - 6
Elicit
Free plan APIWebElicit brings paper search, document-based workflows, and cited outputs into one research assistant. The free Basic plan has usage limits, while API access is reserved for Pro and higher.
- 7
Embarke
Free plan Self-hostedWebChoose Embarke if you need research syntheses with structured reports, certainty estimates, risk-of-bias methods, and audit-focused exports.
- 8
Folio
Free plan APIExtensionWebChoose Folio if you want research search, cited synthesis, writing citations, and bibliography creation in one workspace.
- 9
Gemini Notebook
by Gemini NotebookFree plan WebiPhoneAndroidGemini Notebook brings search, uploads, integrations and shared workspace access together across web and mobile.
- 10
Kimi Deep Research
Free plan AndroidExtensioniPhone+3Kimi Deep Research combines source searching, synthesis and cited reporting, with follow-up research and several export options.
- 11
CLARA
Free plan WebChoose CLARA for archival research on corporate accountability, public health, or environmental issues, especially when citations and a personal document workspace are useful.
- 12
GPT Researcher
Free plan APISelf-hostedWebChoose GPT Researcher if you want an open-source research agent that can cite findings from the web and your own files, with self-hosting and export options.
- 13
Innogath
Free plan MacWebWindowsInnogath combines cited research, branching reports, visual maps, and a rich-text Notebook.
- 14
Liner
Free plan AndroidAPIExtension+4Liner brings cited search, research workflows, and document writing together, with a free plan and paid tiers. Review the upload and agent-credit limits against the work you need to do.
- 15
Iris.ai
Free plan APISelf-hostedWebIris.ai combines document processing, enterprise knowledge RAG, and scientific-literature search in one product family.
- 16
Perplexity
Free plan AndroidAPIiPhone+3Perplexity combines real-time web search, citations, and file and app search, with additional capabilities at higher plan levels.
- 17
SciSpace
Free plan AndroidAPIExtension+2SciSpace brings literature discovery, PDF assistance, and writing tools into one research platform.
- 18
Local Deep Research
Free plan APILinuxMac+3Local Deep Research offers a broad, free toolkit for cited investigation across live sources and stored documents.
- 19
You.com
Free plan AndroidAPIiPhone+1You.com groups web search, extraction, research, and grounded-answer APIs for developer applications.
- 20
LeapSpace
Free plan WebChoose LeapSpace for research workflows that combine literature exploration, evidence checking, and reports that make their process visible.
- 21
Praxa
Free plan iPhoneWebConsider Praxa if you want an AI agent with ongoing missions, app connectors and user approval for consequential actions.
- 22
Scite
Free plan APIExtensionWebScite combines citation classification, literature search, manuscript checking, and collection alerts in one service. Its free plan offers a way to start, while advanced access requires a paid plan.
- 23
Undermind
Free plan APIExtensionWebUndermind combines literature search, paper review, citation tracing, and research alerts.
- 24
Rabbit Hole
Free plan MacChoose Rabbit Hole if you need cited public-source research with confidence ratings, critical review, and report exports on macOS.
- 25
Scholarly
Free plan WebChoose Scholarly if you want to turn source material into study resources or cited reports, with browser access and optional team tools.
#1Places #1, #2, #3, #4, #5 on this list can be bought by the makers of the software on it. See the price
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