Alternatives · AI Research
Ai2 Asta alternatives
Ai2 Asta compared with 6 alternatives: Undermind, Elicit, Edison Scientific, Consensus, Semantic Scholar and 1 more.
Ai2 Asta is free to use. All 6 alternatives are free or have a free plan.
6 tools · Listings checked up to Oct 5, 2026 · Where the facts come from
At a glance
| Tool | Price | Free plan | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ai2 AstaThis tool | Free | Free | Web |
| Undermind | Free plan · from $16/mo | Yes | Web |
| Elicit | Free plan · from $49/mo | Yes | Web, Browser extension |
| Edison Scientific | Free plan | Yes | Web |
| Consensus | Free plan | Yes | Web, Android |
| Semantic Scholar | Free | Free | Web, Browser extension |
| STORM | Free | Free | Web |
How each one differs from Ai2 Asta
- Free plan · from $16/mo
Undermind
AI literature search agent that reads hundreds of papers
- Undermind starts at $16 per month, billed annually, at the academic rate ($60 for industry). Ai2 Asta is free.
- Ai2 Asta is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Undermind also covers chat assistant.
Suits: Complex research questions where keyword search misses relevant papers
- Free plan · from $49/mo
Elicit
AI research assistant for literature search and systematic reviews
- Elicit starts at $49 per user / month, billed annually ($11 on academic pricing). Ai2 Asta is free.
- Only Elicit lists a browser extension.
- Ai2 Asta is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
Suits: Researchers running systematic reviews with screening and data extraction
- Free plan
Edison Scientific
AI agents for scientific research, led by the Kosmos AI Scientist
- Ai2 Asta is open source, according to its own site.
- Ai2 Asta also covers AI search.
Suits: Biology and drug-discovery teams analyzing large experimental datasets
- Free plan
Consensus
AI search engine that answers questions from peer-reviewed papers
- Only Consensus lists an Android app.
- Ai2 Asta is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
Suits: Checking what peer-reviewed studies say about a specific question
- Free
Semantic Scholar
Free AI-powered search engine for scientific literature
- Semantic Scholar is free. Ai2 Asta is free.
- Only Semantic Scholar lists a browser extension.
- Ai2 Asta is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Ai2 Asta also covers AI agents.
Suits: Free literature search across all fields of science
- Free
STORM
Open-source AI that writes Wikipedia-style reports with citations
- STORM is free. Ai2 Asta is free.
- STORM also covers mind mapping.
- Ai2 Asta also covers AI search.
Suits: Getting a cited overview of an unfamiliar topic
Limits worth knowing in Ai2 Asta
- Ai2 publishes no pricing page; the app runs without an account, and its credit panel lists no credit cost for the three main agents.
- The getting started guide says Generate a report searches computer science, medicine, environmental science and biology papers.
- Data explorations stay active for 24 hours and then become read-only, and uploaded datasets are deleted after 7 days.
- Ai2 says not to upload sensitive or regulated data to the hosted version; that requires a self-hosted deployment.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to Ai2 Asta?
The alternatives to Ai2 Asta in this directory are Undermind, Elicit, Edison Scientific, Consensus, Semantic Scholar and STORM. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Ai2 Asta.
Is there a free alternative to Ai2 Asta?
Yes. Semantic Scholar and STORM are free to use. Undermind, Elicit, Edison Scientific and Consensus have a free plan alongside paid ones.
Which Ai2 Asta alternatives work on Android?
The Ai2 Asta listing does not include an Android app. Consensus lists one.
When were these prices checked?
Every listing on this page was checked on Oct 5, 2026, against the pages it cites. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.