Consensus answers one kind of question very well: what does the research say? It is the quickest of the scholarly agents to give a usable answer.
Key Takeaways
- Answers from papers. — Consensus searches scientific literature first and applies AI after, so answers cite studies rather than web pages.
- Built for quick evidence checks. — The Consensus Meter shows the share of studies supporting or contradicting a yes/no question; Deep Search writes a structured report.
- Growing fast. — Raised $30 million in May 2026 and says 2.5 million researchers start work with it each month.
What does Consensus do?
Consensus searches a scientific index of roughly 220 million records drawn mainly from Semantic Scholar and OpenAlex, then summarizes what the papers say with citations. Features include the Consensus Meter for yes/no questions, per-paper Study Snapshots, and Deep Search, which produces a structured report with research gaps and a bibliography in a few minutes (Pillitteri, third-party).
In May 2026 Consensus raised $30 million led by GreatPoint Ventures and DJ Patil; its founder says 2.5 million researchers start work with it each month and that the company is building toward an "AI OS for researchers" (Signalbase).
How does Consensus score?
Editorial scores from published documentation and announcements through October 31, 2026, not benchmark results. Total: 15/20, on the same criteria as the Best AI Research Tools guide.
| Criterion | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Depth | 3/5 | Deep Search reports in minutes; less configurable than Elicit for structured reviews. |
| Citations | 5/5 | Every answer cites papers; study snapshots show methods and sample sizes. |
| Reach | 2/5 | Scientific literature only. |
| Access | 5/5 | Free tier and low-cost paid plans; MCP server on paid plans (third-party reported). |
How is Consensus priced?
Consensus offers Individual and Team and Enterprise plans, billed monthly or annually, with a free tier. Its pricing page did not display prices when we checked. A third-party guide lists Premium at $8.99 a month, Pro at $15 a month with 15 Deep Searches, Teams at $9.99 per seat a month billed annually, and Enterprise on request; treat those as indicative.
Who is Consensus for?
- Fits: students, clinicians, analysts and writers who need to know quickly what the evidence says on a specific question.
- Look elsewhere: for structured extraction and systematic reviews (Elicit), exhaustive discovery (Undermind) or non-scientific topics (Perplexity Deep Research).
What are the Consensus alternatives?
- Elicit: systematic reviews and data extraction.
- Undermind: deep literature search with high recall.
- Perplexity Deep Research: citation-first research across the web.
- Compare: Elicit vs Consensus vs Undermind.
Related questions
- Which AI research agents are worth using in 2026?
- Elicit, Consensus or Undermind for scientific literature?
- How reliable are research agent citations, and how should a company govern them? (partner site CTAIO)
- What does Elicit add for systematic reviews?
Sources
- Signalbase, Consensus funding (May 2026).
- Pasquale Pillitteri, Consensus AI guide 2026 (third-party).
Is Consensus AI free?
Yes, there is a free tier with unlimited searches and a monthly allowance of AI analyses. Paid plans add more analyses and Deep Search. Consensus's public pricing page did not show prices when we checked; a third-party guide lists Pro at $15 a month with 15 Deep Searches.
What is the Consensus Meter?
For yes/no research questions, the Consensus Meter shows the share of relevant studies that support, contradict or give mixed results, so you can see the balance of evidence before reading individual papers.
Does Consensus include preprints?
Yes. Its index includes some preprints and conference proceedings, so not every result is peer-reviewed. Check the publication venue before you cite a result.
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