Comparison ยท updated
Elicit vs Consensus (2026): pricing, free plans and which to pick
Pick Elicit for deeper research work such as research reports and systematic literature reviews.
Verdict
Pick Elicit for deeper research work such as research reports and systematic literature reviews. Pick Consensus for quick, cited answers from peer-reviewed papers. Both have a free plan, so try each on a real question before you pay.
| Criteria | Elicit | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes, Basic is free with limited Research Agent and Research Reports use | Yes, with basic paper search, 10 Pro messages and up to 3 Deep reviews a month |
| Paid plans | Pro $49 and Scale $229 per user per month billed annually ($75 and $375 billed monthly) | Pro $12 a month and Deep $45 a month, billed annually |
| Best for | Research agent, research reports and systematic reviews across 138 million+ papers | Quick answers from peer-reviewed literature |
Based on each product's official site: Elicit, Consensus. Features change often, so check before you buy.
Sourced pricing
Pricing from the official sites
- Elicit. Free Basic plan with limited Research Agent and Research Reports use. Industry pricing: Pro $49 and Scale $229 per user per month billed annually ($588 and $2,748 a year), or $75 and $375 billed monthly. Academic pricing, billed annually: Plus $11, Pro $39 and Scale $89 per user per month ($132, $468 and $1,068 a year). Enterprise through sales. Source: elicit.com/pricing, checked .
- Consensus. Free plan at $0 with basic paper search, 10 Pro messages and up to 3 Deep reviews a month. Pro is $12 a month billed annually ($144 a year) with unlimited Pro messages and 15 Deep reviews a month. Deep is $45 a month billed annually ($540 a year) with 200 Deep reviews a month. Students, faculty and US clinicians can get up to 40% off. Source: consensus.app/pricing, checked .
Questions
Frequently asked
Which is better, Elicit or Consensus?
Pick Elicit for deeper research work such as research reports and systematic literature reviews. Pick Consensus for quick, cited answers from peer-reviewed papers. Both have a free plan, so try each on a real question before you pay.
How do Elicit and Consensus compare on free plan?
Elicit: Yes, Basic is free with limited Research Agent and Research Reports use. Consensus: Yes, with basic paper search, 10 Pro messages and up to 3 Deep reviews a month.
How do Elicit and Consensus compare on paid plans?
Elicit: Pro $49 and Scale $229 per user per month billed annually ($75 and $375 billed monthly). Consensus: Pro $12 a month and Deep $45 a month, billed annually.
Is Elicit or Consensus cheaper?
Consensus is cheaper. Consensus Pro is $12 a month billed annually ($144 a year). Elicit Pro is $49 per user a month billed annually ($588 a year), or $75 billed monthly. Sources: elicit.com/pricing, checked 2026-11-10, and consensus.app/pricing, checked 2026-10-25.
Which is better for a systematic review?
Elicit. Its Pro plan ($49 per user a month, billed annually) has a dedicated systematic review workflow that can screen 5,000 papers. Source: elicit.com/pricing, checked 2026-11-10.
Are Elicit and Consensus free?
Both have a free plan. Consensus Free includes basic paper search, 10 Pro messages and up to 3 Deep reviews a month. Elicit's free plan includes unlimited chat with papers. Sources: each tool's official pricing page.
What else should I try for research?
On our AI research and notes ranking, Gemini Notebook is #1, Elicit #2 and Consensus #3. Semantic Scholar is a free option for finding papers, and Undermind runs deep literature searches.
When was this comparison last updated?
This comparison was last updated on 2026-11-12. Features change often, so check each official site before you buy.
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