# Consensus vs Elicit

> Consensus: Search peer-reviewed research and get cited, evidence-based answers in seconds
> Elicit: AI research assistant for literature search, systematic reviews and evidence reports

- Consensus profile: https://finderatlas.com/tools/consensus
- Elicit profile: https://finderatlas.com/tools/elicit
- Comparison page: https://finderatlas.com/compare/consensus-vs-elicit
- Last reviewed: October 2026

## Verdict

Consensus and Elicit are both Education & Research tools. Elicit scores higher in FinderAtlas's editorial review (8.3 vs 8.0 out of 10). Both have a free plan or trial. Only Consensus is available on Android. Only Elicit offers an API.

### Choose Consensus if

- You want a tool built for quick literature scans, finding citable peer-reviewed sources, checking what the evidence says on a yes/no question.
- Every answer links back to cited peer-reviewed papers.
- Consensus Meter gives a quick view of agreement on yes/no questions.

### Choose Elicit if

- You want a tool built for literature reviews.
- Free plan with unlimited search across 138M+ papers.
- Sentence-level citations for AI-generated claims.

## Pricing

| | Consensus | Elicit |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Free plan or trial | Yes | Yes |
| Starting price | $0 | $0 |

## Features

| Feature | Consensus | Elicit |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Search and Deep Search | Yes | Not listed |
| Consensus Meter | Yes | Not listed |
| Study Snapshots | Yes | Not listed |
| Ask Paper | Yes | Not listed |
| Threads | Yes | Not listed |
| Medical Mode | Yes | Not listed |
| Citation Graph | Yes | Not listed |
| Citation Export and Collections | Yes | Not listed |
| Research Agent | Not listed | Yes |
| Research Reports | Not listed | Yes |
| Systematic Literature Review | Not listed | Yes |
| Data extraction tables | Not listed | Yes |
| Library | Not listed | Yes |
| Routines | Not listed | Yes |
| Chat with papers | Not listed | Yes |
| Zotero import | Not listed | Yes |
| API and MCP server | Not listed | Yes |

## Platforms

| Platform | Consensus | Elicit |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | No | No |
| macOS | No | No |
| iOS | No | No |
| Android | Yes | No |
| API | No | Yes |
| Browser Extension | No | No |

## Consensus strengths

- Every answer links back to cited peer-reviewed papers
- Consensus Meter gives a quick view of agreement on yes/no questions
- Export to RIS, BibTeX and CSV fits existing reference workflows
- Medical Mode narrows results to top medical journals and clinical guidelines
- Free search available without payment
- Stated use by students at over 10,000 universities (company claim)

## Consensus limitations

- Deep reviews are capped (3/month free, 15 on Pro), so heavy literature reviews need the $65 Deep plan
- Corpus size claims differ across the company's own pages (200M+ vs 400M+)
- Focused on academic literature, so it is not a general-purpose assistant

## Elicit strengths

- Free plan with unlimited search across 138M+ papers
- Sentence-level citations for AI-generated claims
- Structured extraction of paper details into tables
- Dedicated systematic review workflow and Routines for tracking new research
- API and MCP server for use with other tools

## Elicit limitations

- Research Agent and Reports usage is limited on the free plan
- Systematic reviews, Routines and API access need Pro at $75 per user per month ($49 billed annually)
- Pricing page shows only annual-billing rates for Pro and Scale
- Focused on research; not a general-purpose assistant
- No mobile app

## FAQ

**Is Consensus better than Elicit?**

It depends on your workflow. Consensus is built for quick literature scans, finding citable peer-reviewed sources, checking what the evidence says on a yes/no question. Elicit is built for literature reviews.

**What are the key feature differences between Consensus and Elicit?**

Consensus: Search peer-reviewed research and get cited, evidence-based answers in seconds. Elicit: AI research assistant for literature search, systematic reviews and evidence reports.

**Does Consensus or Elicit have a free plan?**

Yes, both do. Consensus is freemium and Elicit is freemium, and each has a free plan or trial.

**Which is cheaper, Consensus or Elicit?**

Both can be used for free. Paid plans differ in limits and features, so compare the tiers in the pricing table above.