Consensus vs Elicit — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (2026)
Consensus starts at $20/mo. Elicit starts at $12/mo. Elicit is $8/mo cheaper on the entry tier than Consensus.
How pricing works
These two tools don't price the same way, so the headline numbers below aren't directly comparable until you plug in your own volume.
- Consensus (Per Seat) — Consensus bills on a fixed plan from $20/mo, so the listed price is what you pay regardless of volume.
- Elicit (Hybrid) — Elicit is hybrid: a fixed subscription from $12/mo plus metered usage on top. Your real bill moves with volume, not seat count.
Per-minute, per-credit and per-token rates exclude any downstream model, speech or telephony costs unless the vendor states otherwise.
AI research assistant for scientific literature — answers questions with citations from 200M+ academic papers. Pricing: Free (unlimited basic search), Premium $8.99/mo (Consensus Meter, GPT-4 summaries), Enterprise custom. Popular with academics, medical professionals, and researchers who need evidence-backed answers.
AI research assistant for analysts — automates literature reviews, extracts data from PDFs, synthesizes findings across dozens of papers. Pricing: Basic Free (5,000 credits), Plus $12/mo (12,000 credits), Pro $49/mo (60,000 credits), Enterprise custom. Popular with academic researchers, policy analysts, and life-science teams that need automated evidence synthesis.
All plans compared
| Tier role | Plan | Consensus monthly | Consensus annual | Elicit monthly | Elicit annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free / starter | Free / Basic | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Entry paid | Pro / Plus | $20 | $12 | $12 | $12 |
| Pro / power | Deep / Pro | $65 | $45 | $49 | $42 |
| Enterprise | Team / Enterprise / Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Custom | Custom |
Tier names differ across vendors. Rows are aligned by tier role, not name. Full tier structures on each tool's page.
What each is best for
Consensus is worth it if… researchers, medical professionals, and analysts who need answers grounded in peer-reviewed literature with citations — not a general web AI. 99/mo is one of the cheapest AI research tools in market.
Elicit is worth it if… researchers who spend hours reading and synthesizing academic papers — Elicit automates the search + extraction workflow. Plus at $12/mo suits students and solo researchers; Pro at $49/mo suits professional analysts.
Bottom line: Choose based on how you want to pay — Consensus is per seat, Elicit is hybrid.
Choose Consensus over Elicit if…
Choose Consensus if…
- You want fixed-price predictability (per seat, from $20/mo).
- You match the profile Consensus is built for: researchers, medical professionals, and analysts who need answers grounded in peer-reviewed literature with citations — not a general web AI.
- You need a general-purpose productivity option rather than a vertical-specific one.
Choose Elicit if…
- You're fine with a base subscription plus metered usage on top (from $12/mo).
- You match the profile Elicit is built for: researchers who spend hours reading and synthesizing academic papers — Elicit automates the search + extraction workflow.
- You need a general-purpose productivity option rather than a vertical-specific one.
At a glance
| Consensus | Elicit | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Entry price | $20/mo | $12/mo |
| Enterprise available | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | Per Seat | Hybrid |
| Last verified | September 20, 2026 | September 20, 2026 |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified September 20, 2026. Tracked daily.
Frequently asked questions
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Common questions about Consensus and Elicit
- How much does Consensus cost in 2026?
- Does Consensus have a free plan?
- How often does Consensus change prices?
- What are the best Consensus alternatives in 2026?
- How much does Elicit cost in 2026?
- Does Elicit have a free plan?
- How often does Elicit change prices?
- What are the best Elicit alternatives in 2026?