Consensus review

Consensus is the quickest way on this list to get a cited answer to a research question. You ask in plain language, and it searches more than 400 million peer-reviewed papers and scholarly works, then writes an answer in which each claim links to a paper. The free plan includes basic paper search, 10 Pro messages a month and up to 3 Deep reviews, which are longer literature reviews across many studies. Pro, at $12 per month on annual billing, removes the message cap and raises Deep reviews to 15 a month. The Deep plan, at $45 per month billed annually, allows 200 Deep reviews for people who review literature constantly. Students and faculty with a valid school email, and US clinicians with an NPI number, can claim up to 40 percent off. It does less extraction and screening than Elicit, but for a student who needs evidence behind an essay, it is simple and fast.

Who it is for

Students and clinicians who want quick, cited answers to research questions from published studies.

Price

Free plan; Pro $12 per month billed annually ($144 a year); Deep $45 per month billed annually.

Pro Upgrade for unlimited Pro messages. Cited AI analysis of peer-reviewed research. $12/mo $144 annually
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 10, 2026.

Key features

• Search across 400M+ peer-reviewed papers and scholarly works
• Pro messages for AI search and analysis: 10 a month free, unlimited on Pro
• Deep reviews for longer literature reviews: 3 a month free, 15 on Pro, 200 on Deep
• Citation graph and paper search tools
• API and MCP access for connecting AI agents

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Answers cite the papers behind each claim
• Strength: Students and faculty with a school email can get up to 40% off
• Strength: Free plan includes a few Deep reviews each month
• Weakness: The free plan caps Pro messages at 10 a month
• Weakness: Heavy review work needs the Deep plan at $45 per month billed annually
• Weakness: Focused on published research, so it is not a general web assistant

Key facts

• Free plan: Yes, with 10 Pro messages a month
• Paper index: 400M+ papers and scholarly works
• Discount: Up to 40% off for students, faculty and US clinicians

Where it ranks

Consensus is No. 1 in our Best AI Research Assistants verdict.