In short
How they differ.
Worked out from the makers' own pages, read Oct 20, 2026. Prices change; check before you pay.
- Only Consensus has a free plan.
- The cheapest paid plan costs the same: $20 a month.
- Claude Research also has a phone app and computer app.
Side by side
The details.
| Claude Research | Consensus | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Anthropic · United States | Consensus · United States |
| What it says it is | “With research, Claude investigates your question in depth.” | “Consensus is an AI search engine for research.” |
| Free plan | NoResearch is not on the Free plan (pricing table: Research "No" for Free). Available on Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise. | YesFree Tier per month: unlimited Papers searches, 10 Pro messages, 3 Deep reviews, 10 Study Snapshots. |
| Plans | Free: freePro: $20 a monthMax 5x: $100 a monthTeam (standard seat): $25 a month | Free Tier: freePro Subscription: $20 a monthDeep Plan: $65 a monthTeams / Enterprise: not in US$ |
| Runs on | web, desktop, iOS, Android | web |
| Latest update | Introducing Claude Haiku 5.5, Oct 7, 2026 | — |
| Its terms | “We may use your chats or coding sessions to improve our models, if:”What it does with your data · Anthropic Privacy Center: How do you use personal data in model training? | “Consensus doesn't train models on your searches or uploads.”What it does with your data · Consensus docs: What is Consensus |
| Disputes | None on file | None on file |
| Sources | Prices, Oct 20, 2026 · Description · company-reported | Prices, Sep 12, 2026 · Description · company-reported |
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