Consensus Free Plan 2026: What's Included & What's Not
Honest breakdown of the free tier limits and features
Consensus costs Free to $45 per user/month as of June 2026, with 3 plans available including a free tier. Plans: Free (free), Pro at $10/user/month, and Deep at $45/user/month. Pricing depends on your chosen tier, contract length, and negotiated discounts.
Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.
- Free tier: Yes
Consensus offers 3 pricing tiers: Free, Pro, Deep. A free plan is available. Paid plans include Pro at $10/month, Deep at $45/month. The Pro plan is routine research.
Yes, Consensus offers a forever free plan as of June 2026. The free tier includes 3 features with limits on usage. Paid plans start at $10/month (Pro). Pricing verified from 2 sources by CostBench.
Consensus's free plan is available indefinitely with no time limit.
What's Included in the Free Plan
- Basic Quick Search
- Abstract summaries
- 3 Deep Searches/month
What's NOT Included (Paid Only)
- Unlimited Pro Search
- 15 Deep Searches/month
You'll Need to Upgrade When...
- You exceed the user limit
- You need features like Unlimited Pro Search or 15 Deep Searches/month
- You require premium support or SLA guarantees
- You need to remove branding or watermarks
- You need advanced integrations or API access
Hidden Restrictions on Free Plan
- Consensus branding may appear on your content or communications
- Support is limited to community forums or email with longer response times
- Export options may be restricted or include watermarks
- API access is typically limited or not available
- Advanced reporting and analytics require paid plans
Free vs Paid: Which Do You Need?
Free Plan is Enough If...
- You're an individual or very small team
- You need only basic features
- You don't mind usage limits
- Branding on output is acceptable
- Community support is sufficient
You Need Paid If...
- Your team is growing beyond limits
- You need advanced features
- Professional branding is required
- You need priority support
- Integrations/API access is critical
Free vs Pro Plan Comparison
| Free $0 | Pro $10/month | |
|---|---|---|
| Features | 3 included | 2+ included |
| Support | Community/Email | Priority Support |
| Branding | Consensus branding | Your branding |
| Best For | Basic research | Routine research |
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Is Consensus free?
Yes, Consensus offers a forever free plan with 3 core features included. However, there are limits on users and features that may require upgrading.
02 What's included in Consensus's free plan?
Consensus's free plan includes: Basic Quick Search, Abstract summaries, 3 Deep Searches/month. Key limits include basic usage caps.
03 What's NOT included in Consensus's free plan?
The free plan excludes: Unlimited Pro Search, 15 Deep Searches/month. You'll also have Consensus branding and limited support options.
04 When should I upgrade from Consensus's free plan?
Consider upgrading when: you hit user or storage limits, need features like Unlimited Pro Search or 15 Deep Searches/month, require premium support, or want to remove branding. The cheapest paid plan starts at $10/month.
05 Is Consensus's free plan really free forever?
Yes, Consensus's free plan is available indefinitely with no time limit. However, feature and usage limits may restrict what you can do without upgrading to a paid plan.