BotTasks / Academic research
Best AI tool for academic research
One decision, not a directory. Pricing checked 2026-10-14.
Elicit
AI research assistant for academic papers.
Free tierFree Basic plan; Plus from $11/user/mo billed annuallyResearch
Consensus
Search engine answering from scientific papers.
Free tierFree tier, paid plans availableResearch
- Create a free Elicit account and type your research question as a question, not keywords.
- Scan the returned papers and the extracted summary of each one's findings.
- Add columns for what matters to you, such as sample size, method or outcome, to compare studies side by side.
- Open the full paper for anything you will cite and confirm the extracted details.
- Export the table to CSV or a reference manager (paid plans) for your write-up.
Why Elicit
Elicit is designed for academic literature: it finds papers and extracts structured data from them, which saves hours of manual screening.
When to choose Consensus instead
Choose Consensus if you want a quick, evidence-based answer to a yes/no question with a summary of how many studies agree.
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Pricing at a glance
| Tool | Pricing | Free tier |
|---|---|---|
| Elicit | Free Basic plan; Plus from $11/user/mo billed annually | Yes |
| Consensus | Free tier, paid plans available | Yes |
| Scite | Paid from $12/mo billed yearly; 7-day free trial | No |
| Perplexity | Free tier, paid from ~$20/mo | Yes |
| NotebookLM | Free, with higher limits in Google plans | Yes |
Pricing changes often; check the official site before buying.
FAQ
What is the best AI tool for academic research?
Our pick is Elicit: AI research assistant for academic papers. Pricing: Free Basic plan; Plus from $11/user/mo billed annually.
When should I choose Consensus instead?
Choose Consensus if you want a quick, evidence-based answer to a yes/no question with a summary of how many studies agree.
Does Elicit have a free plan?
Yes. Elicit: Free Basic plan; Plus from $11/user/mo billed annually.