Consensus vs Elicit
Choose Consensus if you mainly want to find papers and quickly assess what the evidence says; choose Elicit if you need a structured workflow for screening studies and extracting data for a systematic review. Both offer free research tools, AI-assisted analysis, and paid plans, but their most distinctive features serve different stages of the research process.
Last updated October 25, 2026.
At a glance
| Dimension | Consensus | Elicit |
|---|---|---|
| Dedicated systematic review workflow | NA | Pro: screening, extraction, and report workflow |
| Systematic review screening capacity | NA | Pro: up to 5,000 papers per review |
| Evidence overview | Consensus Meter for yes-or-no questions | Research Reports and extraction tables |
| Free-plan research limits | Unlimited paper searches; 3 Deep Reviews monthly | Unlimited paper search; limited Agent and Reports usage |
| Entry paid price, billed annually | Pro: $12 per month | Plus: $11 per user per month |
| Higher-volume individual plan | Deep: $45 per month, billed annually | Pro: $39 per user per month, billed annually |
| API and MCP access | Free: 30 included calls monthly | Pro, Scale, and Enterprise |
| Reference-management workflow | Zotero imports and citation exports | Zotero imports; paid-plan exports |
| Team collaboration | Shared collections; Teams plan | Live editing on Scale and Enterprise |
| Platforms | Web; iOS and Android apps | Web; Chrome and Edge extension |
| Custom deployment | NA | Enterprise: custom deployment options |
| Support | In-product chat and email | Enterprise: dedicated customer success team |
Scroll the table sideways to compare each row.
Which should you choose?
Choose Consensus if
- Researchers comparing evidence on a focused question
- Readers who want a visual summary of agreement and disagreement
- Individuals who need a stated monthly allowance of Deep Reviews
- Teams already using Consensus through supported AI tools
Choose Elicit if
- Researchers conducting structured systematic reviews
- Teams screening papers against defined eligibility criteria
- Users extracting comparable data into review tables
- Teams needing live collaborative editing on Scale or Enterprise
The verdict
Consensus is the better fit when the deciding factor is fast, cited evidence synthesis: its Consensus Meter shows how findings lean on yes-or-no questions, and its Deep Reviews support broader investigation. Elicit is the better fit when the deciding factor is a repeatable systematic review workflow with screening criteria, extraction tables, and review reports. Neither replaces checking the underlying papers and AI-generated findings.
Consensus vs Elicit: common questions
- Which should I use for a systematic review?
- Elicit is the more direct fit for a structured systematic review: its Pro plan includes a dedicated workflow for gathering, screening, extracting from, and reporting on papers. Consensus offers Deep Reviews and research workflows, but does not publish a comparable dedicated systematic review screening capacity.
- Which is better for quickly checking where research stands?
- Consensus is the more direct fit for a quick evidence overview. Its Consensus Meter visualizes how relevant papers lean on a yes-or-no question; the meter is a snapshot of selected papers, not a conclusion about every study on the topic.
- Can I use Consensus and Elicit for free?
- Yes. Consensus lists unlimited paper searches, 3 Deep Reviews, and 30 API and MCP calls per month on its free plan. Elicit lists unlimited paper search and limited Research Agent and Research Reports usage on its free Basic plan.
- How much do the entry paid plans cost?
- Billed annually, Consensus Pro costs $12 per month, or $144 per year. Elicit Plus is listed at $11 per user per month, or $132 annually. Elicit lists systematic review screening under Pro rather than Plus.
- Can either product extract data from research papers?
- Yes, but their published workflows differ. Consensus offers Study Snapshots for paper details. Elicit offers extraction columns within its Research Agent and a dedicated screening-and-extraction workflow for systematic reviews on Pro and higher plans.
- Do Consensus and Elicit work with Zotero?
- Both publish Zotero import options. Consensus also describes exporting citations for reference managers; Elicit lists RIS and other export formats on its paid Plus plan.
- Can I connect either tool to an API or MCP client?
- Yes. Consensus includes 30 API and MCP calls per month on Free, with higher allowances on paid plans. Elicit offers API and MCP access on Pro, Scale, and Enterprise.
- Which supports collaborative research teams?
- Consensus offers shared collections and a Teams plan with individual logins and centralized billing. Elicit offers live editing and real-time collaboration on Scale and Enterprise; its Enterprise plan also lists a dedicated customer success team.