Research tools differ by what they search and how they show their evidence. Some answer web questions with citations, others work over academic papers and extract data from them.
Whatever the tool, open the cited sources before you rely on a claim. A summary is a pointer to the evidence, not the evidence.
Students, analysts, consultants and writers who need sourced answers or literature searches and will open the sources themselves.
Documented plan details, listed alphabetically. Free-plan availability does not mean every feature is included. Compare confirmed free plans across categories.
Scroll sideways in the table to compare prices and tradeoffs.
| Tool | Free plan | Paid entry price | Main tradeoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| ConsensusChecked 21 Oct 2026 | Basic paper search; 10 Pro messages a month; up to 3 Deep reviews a month | From $12/mo (currency not named), billed annually | Only annual-billing prices are shown, and free AI analysis is capped at 10 Pro messages a month. |
| ElicitChecked 21 Oct 2026 | Limited Research Agent and Reports usage; unlimited search across 138 million papers, summaries and chat with full-text papers; Zotero import | From $49/user/mo (currency not named), billed annually | Research Agent and Reports usage is limited on Basic, and the paid plans cost $49 and $169 per user a month. |
| PerplexityChecked 21 Oct 2026 | The page lists Pro as "everything in Free and" more; the free plan's own limits are not stated | From $17/mo, billed annually | The page gives plan names and prices but no numeric free-plan limits, and it does not show a month-to-month price. |
| SciteChecked 21 Oct 2026 | No free plan | From $12/mo (currency not named), billed annually | No free plan is listed, the trial enrols you automatically in the chosen plan, and only yearly-billed prices are shown. |
Research
Academic search engine with a free plan, cited AI analysis and Deep reviews.
Best for: Finding what peer-reviewed research says about a question, with cited AI analysis
Research
Research assistant for academic papers, with free search and paid systematic-review tools.
Best for: Searching and extracting data from academic papers, including systematic reviews
Research
Answer engine with inline citations, a free plan, and Pro and Max tiers.
Best for: Researching questions where inline citations to sources matter
Research
Research assistant built on Smart Citations, with a 7-day trial and an API on Pro.
Best for: Checking how papers cite each other, with an API on the Pro plan
Chosen from published plan details. Not hands-on tested, and not influenced by affiliate status.
Web research with inline citations
Pro is listed at US$17 a month on annual billing, and answers carry inline citations.
Extracting data from academic papers
The free plan lists unlimited search across 138 million papers, and Pro adds a systematic-review workflow.
Quick cited answers on a free plan
Free lists basic paper search, 10 Pro messages and up to 3 Deep reviews a month.
Citation context and an API
Basic is $12 a month billed yearly after a 7-day trial, and Pro adds API access.
Free research plans are limited by features, not time. Consensus lists basic paper search, 10 Pro messages and up to 3 Deep reviews a month. Elicit lists unlimited search across 138 million papers with limited Research Agent and Reports usage. Perplexity's page does not state the free plan's own limits. Scite lists no free plan.
Counted from our records of the 4 tools here: 3 have a confirmed free plan, 1 offer only a free trial, 1 price per seat, 1 meter credits or usage, and 3 show prices without naming the currency.
We have not verified any vendor's data handling and do not give legal advice. See the privacy review checklist.
Go deeper: Web research vs document research tools (guide); Why is my AI summary inaccurate? (guide); Turn research notes into a presentation (workflow); Elicit vs Consensus: research tools compared (comparison);cost planner.
Perplexity answers open web questions. Elicit, Consensus and Scite work over academic literature, with different strengths.
Look for inline citations, source text and citation context. Scite focuses on how papers cite each other.
Elicit lists unlimited paper search; Consensus caps free AI analysis at 10 Pro messages a month; Scite offers only a 7-day trial.
If you will build on the tool, check API access: Elicit and Scite list it on Pro, Consensus includes API and MCP uses on paid plans.
Guide · Published 22 Oct 2026
Common reasons an AI summary leaves out or invents details, how to tell them apart and a prompt and checklist that make errors easier to catch.
Guide · Published 21 Oct 2026
How to choose between answer engines that cite the web and tools built for academic papers, with the limits and prices each vendor states.
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