In short
How they differ.
Worked out from the makers' own pages, read Oct 20, 2026. Prices change; check before you pay.
- Both have a free plan.
- Elicit's cheapest paid plan is cheaper: $11 a month against $20.
- Both run on the same kinds of device (web).
Side by side
The details.
| Consensus | Elicit | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Consensus · United States | Elicit · United States |
| What it says it is | “Consensus is an AI search engine for research.” | “The AI Research Assistant” |
| Free plan | YesFree Tier per month: unlimited Papers searches, 10 Pro messages, 3 Deep reviews, 10 Study Snapshots. | YesBasic (free): limited Research Agent and Research Reports; unlimited search across more than 138 million papers. |
| Plans | Free Tier: freePro Subscription: $20 a monthDeep Plan: $65 a monthTeams / Enterprise: not in US$ | Basic: freePlus: $11 a monthPro: $49 a monthScale: $169 a monthEnterprise: not in US$ |
| Runs on | web | web |
| Latest update | — | Routines and more flexible research with the Agent, Sep 30, 2026 |
| Its terms | “Consensus doesn't train models on your searches or uploads.”What it does with your data · Consensus docs: What is Consensus | “PDFs you upload are encrypted and remain private to your account only, until you choose to delete them.”What it does with your data · Elicit Help: Privacy for uploaded papers |
| Disputes | None on file | None on file |
| Sources | Prices, Sep 12, 2026 · Description · company-reported | Prices, Oct 20, 2026 · Description · company-reported |
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