Alternatives · AI Research
Consensus alternatives
Consensus compared with 12 alternatives: Elicit, SciSpace, Scite, Undermind, Semantic Scholar and 7 more.
Consensus's current pricing could not be confirmed from its own site. 11 of the 12 alternatives are free or have a free plan. One more offers a free trial.
12 tools · Listings checked up to Oct 5, 2026 · Where the facts come from
At a glance
| Tool | Price | Free plan | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| ConsensusThis tool | Free plan | Yes | Web, Android |
| Elicit | Free plan · from $49/mo | Yes | Web, Browser extension |
| SciSpace | Free plan · from $12/mo | Yes | Web, iOS, Browser extension |
| Scite | Free trial · from $20/mo | Trial only | Web, Browser extension |
| Undermind | Free plan · from $16/mo | Yes | Web |
| Semantic Scholar | Free | Free | Web, Browser extension |
| Ai2 Asta | Free | Free | Web |
| AnswerThis | Free plan · from $14/mo | Yes | Web |
| Edison Scientific | Free plan | Yes | Web |
| Keenious | Free plan · from $10/mo | Yes | Web |
| Liner | Free plan · from $14.99/mo | Yes | Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Browser extension |
| OpenRead | Free plan | Yes | Web |
| Paperguide | Free plan · from $12/mo | Yes | Web, Browser extension |
How each one differs from Consensus
- Free plan · from $49/mo
Elicit
AI research assistant for literature search and systematic reviews
- Only Elicit lists a browser extension.
- Only Consensus lists an Android app.
Suits: Researchers running systematic reviews with screening and data extraction
- Free plan · from $12/mo
SciSpace
AI research platform for literature review and reading papers
- Only SciSpace lists an iOS app.
- Only SciSpace lists a browser extension.
- Only Consensus lists an Android app.
- SciSpace also covers chat assistant.
Suits: Students and researchers who want search, reading and writing tools in one place
- Free trial · from $20/mo
Scite
Research assistant that shows how papers have been cited
- Consensus has a free plan. Scite does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Scite lists a browser extension.
- Only Consensus lists an Android app.
- Scite also covers chat assistant.
- Consensus also covers AI agents.
Suits: Checking whether a paper's findings were supported or disputed by later work
- Free plan · from $16/mo
Undermind
AI literature search agent that reads hundreds of papers
- Only Consensus lists an Android app.
- Undermind also covers chat assistant.
Suits: Complex research questions where keyword search misses relevant papers
- Free
Semantic Scholar
Free AI-powered search engine for scientific literature
- Only Semantic Scholar lists a browser extension.
- Only Consensus lists an Android app.
- Consensus also covers AI agents.
Suits: Free literature search across all fields of science
- Free
Ai2 Asta
AI research assistant for finding papers and analyzing data
- Only Consensus lists an Android app.
- Ai2 Asta is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
Suits: Researchers who want a stated reason for each paper a search returns
- Free plan · from $14/mo
AnswerThis
AI literature review assistant with a library and writer
- Only Consensus lists an Android app.
- AnswerThis also covers long-form writing.
Suits: Graduate students writing a literature review for a thesis
- Free plan
Edison Scientific
AI agents for scientific research, led by the Kosmos AI Scientist
- Only Consensus lists an Android app.
- Edison Scientific is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Consensus also covers AI search.
Suits: Biology and drug-discovery teams analyzing large experimental datasets
- Free plan · from $10/mo
Keenious
Academic search that recommends papers from your own text
- Only Consensus lists an Android app.
- Keenious also covers chat assistant.
- Consensus also covers AI agents.
Suits: Students looking for sources that match a draft essay or assignment
- Free plan · from $14.99/mo
Liner
AI search with cited answers, research agents and a writer
- Only Liner lists macOS, Windows and iOS apps.
- Only Liner lists a browser extension.
- Liner also covers long-form writing and highlights.
Suits: People who want every line of an AI answer tied to a source
- Free plan
OpenRead
AI platform for searching, reading and comparing papers
- Only Consensus lists an Android app.
- OpenRead also covers chat assistant and notes.
- Consensus also covers AI agents and citations.
Suits: Readers who want paper search, questions and notes in one place
- Free plan · from $12/mo
Paperguide
AI research platform for literature and systematic reviews
- Only Paperguide lists a browser extension.
- Only Consensus lists an Android app.
- Paperguide also covers chat assistant and long-form writing.
Suits: Teams running systematic reviews that need documented screening decisions
Limits worth knowing in Consensus
- Paid prices could not be confirmed: the pricing page did not show them when read, and Consensus's own pricing summary leaves out dollar amounts.
- The free tier allows 10 Pro messages and 3 Deep Searches per month. Pro includes 15 Deep Searches, Deep 200 and Team 50 per seat.
- API calls beyond a plan's included credits cost $0.05 each; 500 are included on Pro, Team and Enterprise and 2,000 on Deep.
- An Android app is listed on Google Play. No iOS app was found on the US App Store when checked.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to Consensus?
The alternatives to Consensus in this directory are Elicit, SciSpace, Scite, Undermind, Semantic Scholar, Ai2 Asta, AnswerThis, Edison Scientific, Keenious, Liner, OpenRead and Paperguide. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Consensus.
Is there a free alternative to Consensus?
Yes. Semantic Scholar and Ai2 Asta are free to use. Elicit, SciSpace, Undermind, AnswerThis, Edison Scientific, Keenious, Liner, OpenRead and Paperguide have a free plan alongside paid ones.
Which Consensus alternatives work on Windows?
The Consensus listing does not include a Windows app. Liner lists one.
Which Consensus alternatives work on macOS?
The Consensus listing does not include a macOS app. Liner lists one.
Is there an open-source alternative to Consensus?
Ai2 Asta is described as open source on its own site.
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.