Elicit Free Plan 2026: What's Included & What's Not
Honest breakdown of the free tier limits and features
Elicit pricing varies by team size and features, ranging from $120 to $780 per user/month in 2026. Your actual cost depends on the tier you choose, contract length, and negotiated discounts.
Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.
- Free tier: No free tier available
- Billing: Monthly and annual (save 15-20%)
- Hidden costs: Add ~35% for implementation, support, and training
Elicit offers a freemium model with limited features; upgrade to unlock more.
What's Included in the Free Plan
- 5,000 one-time credits
- Search across 138M+ papers
- Chat with Papers (limited)
- Basic table exports
- Data extraction from papers
- Mobile app access
What's NOT Included (Paid Only)
- 4 automated reports per month (monthly billing)
- 48 automated reports per year (annual billing)
- Unlimited search across 138M+ papers
- Unlimited Chat with Papers
- Unlimited table exports
- Data extraction and synthesis
- Priority email support
Free Plan Limits
| Limit | Free Plan | Paid Plans |
|---|---|---|
| Credits | 5,000 one-time (not monthly) | Unlimited/Higher |
| Reports | None | Unlimited/Higher |
| Alerts | None | Unlimited/Higher |
| Exports | Limited | Unlimited/Higher |
| Support | Community support | Unlimited/Higher |
You'll Need to Upgrade When...
- You exceed the user limit
- You need features like 4 automated reports per month (monthly billing) or 48 automated reports per year (annual billing)
- 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
- Elicit 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 Plus Plan Comparison
| Basic $0 | Plus $12/user/month | |
|---|---|---|
| Features | 6 included | 7+ included |
| Support | Community/Email | Priority Support |
| Branding | Elicit branding | Your branding |
| Best For | Students and occasional researchers testing Elicit's capabilities without ongoing commitment | Independent researchers and grad students needing regular automated reports and systematic review support |
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Is Elicit free?
Yes, Elicit offers a freemium plan with 6 core features included. However, there are limits on credits, reports that may require upgrading.
02 What's included in Elicit's free plan?
Elicit's free plan includes: 5,000 one-time credits, Search across 138M+ papers, Chat with Papers (limited), Basic table exports, Data extraction from papers, and 1 more features. Key limits include Credits: 5,000 one-time (not monthly), Reports: None, Alerts: None.
03 What's NOT included in Elicit's free plan?
The free plan excludes: 4 automated reports per month (monthly billing), 48 automated reports per year (annual billing), Unlimited search across 138M+ papers, Unlimited Chat with Papers, Unlimited table exports. You'll also have Elicit branding and limited support options.
04 When should I upgrade from Elicit's free plan?
Consider upgrading when: you hit user or storage limits, need features like 4 automated reports per month (monthly billing) or 48 automated reports per year (annual billing), require premium support, or want to remove branding. The cheapest paid plan starts at $12/user/month.
05 Is Elicit's free plan really free forever?
Yes, Elicit'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.
Get Elicit pricing updates
We'll notify you when pricing changes or new free features are added.