Consensus vs Elicit
AI Research Tools pricing comparison · 2026
Consensus pricing ranges from $0–$45/user/month, while Elicit ranges from $0–$79/user/month. Consensus is typically 80% more affordable, though your actual cost depends on tier and team size.
Consensus and Elicit are two leading AI research tools that take fundamentally different approaches to helping researchers navigate scientific literature. Consensus uses GPT-4 to search over 200 million papers and deliver evidence-based answers with synthesized findings, while Elicit specializes in systematic review automation with structured data extraction, automated reports, and PRISMA-compliant workflows across 138 million papers. Consensus starts free with 10 monthly-refreshing Pro Analyses and goes up to $12.99/user/month, whereas Elicit starts free with 5,000 one-time credits and scales to $79/user/month for teams needing pooled reports and paper monitoring alerts.
Plan-by-Plan Pricing
| Plan | Consensus | Elicit |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free /month | Free /user/month |
| Pro | $10 /month | $12 /user/month |
| Deep | $45 /month | $49 /user/month |
| Team | — | $79 /user/month |
Cost at Scale
Total cost of ownership — licenses, implementation, and hidden costs included.
Consensus
3 scenariosElicit
3 scenariosMarket Intelligence
Consensus
- Median annual cost
- $400
- Based on
- 5 deals
Elicit
- Median annual cost
- $1,249
- Based on
- 86 deals
Our Verdict
Choose Consensus if you need quick evidence-based answers synthesized across broad topics, prefer a generous free tier that refreshes monthly (10 analyses/month vs Elicit's one-time 5,000 credits), or want the most affordable paid plan at $8.99/month annual for unlimited GPT-4-powered paper analysis and citation export.
Choose Elicit if you conduct formal systematic reviews requiring automated reports, structured data extraction tables, and PRISMA-compliant workflows, need paper monitoring alerts to track new publications on specific topics (Pro plan), or manage a research team that benefits from pooled report allocation and centralized billing.
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Is Consensus or Elicit cheaper for individual researchers?
Consensus Premium at $8.99/month annual ($107.88/year) is cheaper than Elicit Plus at $10/month annual ($120/year) for individual researchers. Both offer free tiers, but Consensus refreshes its 10 Pro Analyses monthly, while Elicit provides 5,000 one-time credits that do not renew. Students get an even better deal with Consensus, which offers a 40% student discount bringing Premium to $5.39/month annual. Elicit does not offer a comparable individual student discount.
02 Which tool is better for systematic literature reviews?
Elicit is significantly better for formal systematic reviews. It offers automated reports (4-20 per month depending on plan), structured data extraction into tables, and PRISMA-compliant workflow support designed for meta-analyses and evidence synthesis. Consensus focuses on quick evidence-based answers and synthesis across papers, which is useful for initial literature scans but lacks the structured review capabilities that Elicit provides. For Cochrane-style systematic reviews, Elicit's workflow is purpose-built.
03 Can I use Consensus and Elicit together?
Yes, many researchers use both tools complementarily. Consensus excels at rapid evidence scans and getting synthesized answers to broad research questions across 200M+ papers, making it ideal for initial exploration. Elicit then provides the structured systematic review workflow with data extraction tables and automated reports needed for formal evidence synthesis. Using Consensus Free (10 analyses/month) alongside Elicit Plus ($10/month) costs just $10/month and covers both quick evidence lookup and formal review needs.