Side by side
Consensus vs Elicit
Both stand on ai research assistants. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan AndroidAPIExtension+2
Consensus combines broad academic search with filters, research workflows, and citations linked to paper passages. The free tier supports unlimited paper searches, while Pro and Deep add higher usage allowances for other features.
Visit Consensus
Free plan APIWeb
Elicit 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.
Visit ElicitThe facts
| Consensus | Elicit | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | No | Not published |
| Runs on | Android, API, Extension, iPhone, Web | API, Web |
| Lowest paid plan | Pro: $20 a month | Plus: $11 per user a month |
| Plans published | 5 | 5 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | consensus.app | elicit.com |
| On ai research assistants | #1 of 28 | #6 of 28 |
Consensus: what it does well
- Searches a weekly updated database of over 220 million papers.
- Research Agent plans multi-step searches and returns cited answers.
- Medical Mode includes papers and clinical guidelines.
- Imports Zotero libraries and exports CSV or RIS.
- Available on web, Android, iOS, and as an extension.
What to know first
- Free tier limits Pro messages and Deep reviews.
- Free tier includes 30 API and MCP calls monthly.
- Paid plans have monthly API and MCP call allowances.
Elicit: what it does well
- Research Agent draws on 138 million academic papers.
- Supports up to 20 uploaded resources per session.
- AI claims include sentence-level citations.
- Exports reports, tables, and references in several formats.
What to know first
- Basic has limited Research Agent and Report usage.
- API access requires Pro or above.
- Plus costs $11 a month.
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