Consensus vs Elicit
AI Research Tools pricing comparison · 2026
Consensus has a free plan, then $20–$65/mo, while Elicit has a free plan, then $75–$375/user/mo. Consensus is typically 81% more affordable, though your actual cost depends on tier and team size.
Sources & confidence
Every dollar amount and contract clause below traces back to a sourced fact. We don't manufacture composite scores.
Plans at a glance
Every tier per product. Lock one to drive the cost row above and reveal a tier-specific outbound CTA.
Contract terms
The fine print, surfaced. Green = buyer-friendly. Each clause backed by a quoted source.
What users say
Aggregated, with sample sizes. We use whichever review platform has data.
Consensus and Elicit are two leading AI research tools that take fundamentally different approaches to helping researchers navigate scientific literature. Consensus uses AI to search over 400 million peer-reviewed papers (Consensus, Oct 2026) and deliver evidence-based answers with synthesized findings, while Elicit specializes in systematic review automation with structured data extraction, automated reports, and PRISMA-compliant workflows across 138 million papers. Consensus starts free with 10 monthly-refreshing Pro Analyses and goes up to $12.99/user/month, whereas Elicit starts free with 5,000 one-time credits and scales to $79/user/month for teams needing pooled reports and paper monitoring alerts.
Plan-by-Plan Pricing
| Plan | Consensus | Elicit |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free /month | Free /month |
| Pro | $20 /month | $75 /user/month |
| Deep | $65 /month | $375 /user/month |
| Enterprise | — | Custom |
Cost at Scale
Total cost of ownership — licenses, implementation, and hidden costs included.
Consensus
6 scenariosElicit
1 scenarioMarket Intelligence
Consensus
- Median annual cost
- $45,750
- Average negotiated discount
- 16%
- Based on
- 60 deals
Elicit
- Median annual cost
- $1,249
- Based on
- 86 deals
Contract Terms
| Term | Consensus | Elicit |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-renewal | Yes | Yes |
| Cancellation | Cancellation takes effect at end of current billing period; for annual plans, this can be up to 12 months away | Cancellation takes effect at the end of the then-current billing term, and Elicit generally does not provide refunds for amounts already paid. |
| Minimum commitment | Annual (based on user reports of annual billing) | one year for annually billed plans |
| Price escalation | Usage limits subject to change mid-contract per contract terms; users report significant limit reductions (75%) without price reduction | — |
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Our Verdict
Choose Consensus if you need quick evidence-based answers synthesized across broad topics, prefer a generous free tier that refreshes monthly (10 analyses/month vs Elicit's one-time 5,000 credits), or want the most affordable paid plan at $8.99/month annual for unlimited AI-powered paper analysis and citation export.
Choose Elicit if you conduct formal systematic reviews requiring automated reports, structured data extraction tables, and PRISMA-compliant workflows, need paper monitoring alerts to track new publications on specific topics (Pro plan), or manage a research team that benefits from pooled report allocation and centralized billing.
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Which tool is better for systematic literature reviews?
Elicit is significantly better for formal systematic reviews. It offers automated reports (4-20 per month depending on plan), structured data extraction into tables, and PRISMA-compliant workflow support designed for meta-analyses and evidence synthesis. Consensus focuses on quick evidence-based answers and synthesis across papers, which is useful for initial literature scans but lacks the structured review capabilities that Elicit provides. For Cochrane-style systematic reviews, Elicit's workflow is purpose-built.
02 Can I use Consensus and Elicit together?
Yes, many researchers use both tools complementarily. Consensus excels at rapid evidence scans and getting synthesized answers to broad research questions across 200M+ papers, making it ideal for initial exploration. Elicit then provides the structured systematic review workflow with data extraction tables and automated reports needed for formal evidence synthesis. Using Consensus Free (10 analyses/month) alongside Elicit Plus ($10/month) costs just $10/month and covers both quick evidence lookup and formal review needs.