Alternatives · AI Research
Elicit alternatives
Elicit compared with 12 alternatives: Consensus, SciSpace, Undermind, Scite, Semantic Scholar and 7 more.
Elicit has a free plan. Paid plans start at $49 per user / month, billed annually ($11 on academic pricing). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ElicitThis tool | Free plan · from $49/mo | Yes | Web, Browser extension |
| Consensus | Free plan | Yes | Web, Android |
| SciSpace | Free plan · from $12/mo | Yes | Web, iOS, Browser extension |
| Undermind | Free plan · from $16/mo | Yes | Web |
| Scite | Free trial · from $20/mo | Trial only | Web, Browser extension |
| Semantic Scholar | Free | Free | Web, Browser extension |
| Ai2 Asta | Free | Free | Web |
| Anara | Free plan · from $8/mo | Yes | Web, macOS, iOS, Browser extension |
| 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 |
| Paperguide | Free plan · from $12/mo | Yes | Web, Browser extension |
How each one differs from Elicit
- Free plan
Consensus
AI search engine that answers questions from peer-reviewed papers
- Only Consensus lists an Android app.
- Only Elicit lists a browser extension.
Suits: Checking what peer-reviewed studies say about a specific question
- Free plan · from $12/mo
SciSpace
AI research platform for literature review and reading papers
- SciSpace starts at $12 per month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly). Elicit starts at $49 per user / month, billed annually ($11 on academic pricing).
- Only SciSpace lists an iOS app.
- SciSpace also covers chat assistant.
Suits: Students and researchers who want search, reading and writing tools in one place
- 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). Elicit starts at $49 per user / month, billed annually ($11 on academic pricing).
- Only Elicit lists a browser extension.
- Undermind also covers chat assistant.
Suits: Complex research questions where keyword search misses relevant papers
- Free trial · from $20/mo
Scite
Research assistant that shows how papers have been cited
- Scite starts at $20 per month, billed monthly. Elicit starts at $49 per user / month, billed annually ($11 on academic pricing).
- Elicit has a free plan. Scite does not, though it has a free trial.
- Scite also covers chat assistant.
- Elicit also covers AI agents.
Suits: Checking whether a paper's findings were supported or disputed by later work
- Free
Semantic Scholar
Free AI-powered search engine for scientific literature
- Semantic Scholar is free. Elicit starts at $49 per user / month, billed annually ($11 on academic pricing).
- Elicit 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
- Ai2 Asta is free. Elicit starts at $49 per user / month, billed annually ($11 on academic pricing).
- Only Elicit lists a browser extension.
- 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 $8/mo
Anara
AI research assistant that cites the exact source passage
- Anara starts at $8 per seat / month, billed yearly ($10 billed monthly). Elicit starts at $49 per user / month, billed annually ($11 on academic pricing).
- Only Anara lists macOS and iOS apps.
- Anara also covers chat assistant and web clipper.
Suits: Researchers who want answers grounded in their own library of papers
- Free plan · from $14/mo
AnswerThis
AI literature review assistant with a library and writer
- AnswerThis starts at $14 per month, billed yearly ($35 billed monthly). Elicit starts at $49 per user / month, billed annually ($11 on academic pricing).
- Only Elicit lists a browser extension.
- 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 Elicit lists a browser extension.
- Edison Scientific is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Elicit 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
- Keenious starts at $10 per month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly). Elicit starts at $49 per user / month, billed annually ($11 on academic pricing).
- Only Elicit lists a browser extension.
- Keenious also covers chat assistant.
- Elicit 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
- Liner starts at $14.99 per month, billed annually ($17.99 billed monthly). Elicit starts at $49 per user / month, billed annually ($11 on academic pricing).
- Only Liner lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Liner also covers long-form writing and highlights.
Suits: People who want every line of an AI answer tied to a source
- Free plan · from $12/mo
Paperguide
AI research platform for literature and systematic reviews
- Paperguide starts at $12 per seat / month, billed annually ($8 with the academic discount). Elicit starts at $49 per user / month, billed annually ($11 on academic pricing).
- Paperguide also covers chat assistant and long-form writing.
Suits: Teams running systematic reviews that need documented screening decisions
Limits worth knowing in Elicit
- The pricing page defaults to industry rates; the $11 Plus plan appears only when Academic is selected.
- The systematic review workflow, Routines and API access start at the Pro plan.
- Monthly usage does not roll over. Extra usage on Pro and Scale is billed in $100 increments, up to a limit you set.
- Real-time collaboration, extraction from figures and the admin panel need Scale or Enterprise.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to Elicit?
The alternatives to Elicit in this directory are Consensus, SciSpace, Undermind, Scite, Semantic Scholar, Ai2 Asta, Anara, AnswerThis, Edison Scientific, Keenious, Liner and Paperguide. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Elicit.
Is there a free alternative to Elicit?
Yes. Semantic Scholar and Ai2 Asta are free to use. Consensus, SciSpace, Undermind, Anara, AnswerThis, Edison Scientific, Keenious, Liner and Paperguide have a free plan alongside paid ones.
Which Elicit alternatives work on Windows?
The Elicit listing does not include a Windows app. Liner lists one.
Which Elicit alternatives work on macOS?
The Elicit listing does not include a macOS app. Anara and Liner list one.
Is there an open-source alternative to Elicit?
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.