Consensus
FreemiumAI search engine that answers questions with cited, peer-reviewed research.
By Tanmay Verma, Founder · Last verified 07 Jul 2026
3.9k views
Added 4/3/2026
77/100Safe BetIn short
Consensus — AI search engine that answers questions with cited, peer-reviewed research. Best for Graduate students writing literature reviews, Clinicians checking treatment effectiveness, Fact-checkers and science journalists. Free to start; paid plans from $10.99/mo.
Is Consensus actually worth it?
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Editorial Verdict
Best for
Graduate students writing literature reviewsClinicians checking treatment effectivenessFact-checkers and science journalistsResearchers exploring a new fieldAnyone needing fast, cited scientific answers
Not ideal for
Deep single-paper analysis or full-text readingNon-STEM fields (e.g., philosophy, arts)Casual curiosity without need for citationsUsers requiring real-time or non-peer-reviewed data
Consensus is the best tool for quickly getting cited, peer-reviewed answers to scientific questions. Its study-type filters and Meta Analysis are genuinely useful for researchers and clinicians. However, it lacks full-text access and deep integration with reference managers. If you need full-text reading or work outside STEM, consider Semantic Scholar or direct journal access.
Skip Consensus if Skip Consensus if you need full-text access to papers, work outside STEM fields, or require real-time or non-peer-reviewed data.
Compare with: Consensus vs Anara, Consensus vs Perplexity, Consensus vs Marvin User Research
Last verified: July 2026
Viability Score
77/100
Safe BetHow likely is Consensus to still be operational in 12 months? Based on 4 signals — momentum (how recently it shipped), wrapper dependency, revenue model, and web presence.
momentum
55
funding runway
80
website health
90
wrapper dependency
100
Last calculated: July 2026
How we score →Key Features
- Question-to-answer with cited papers
- Copilot for follow-up research queries
- Filter by study type (RCT, meta-analysis)
- Filter by sample size and journal tier
- Meta Analysis: cross-paper aggregate results
- Consensus Meter for quick evidence assessment
- Direct citations with links to papers
- Chrome extension for PubMed integration
- Save and organize research collections
- Export citations in BibTeX, APA, etc.
- Top papers extraction for quick overview
- Evidence synthesis from multiple papers
- Ask specific questions and get cited answers
- Basic extractions on free tier
- GPT-4 summaries on Premium
About Consensus
FreemiumBeginner-friendlyNo APIWeb · Plugin
Consensus is an AI-powered search engine that indexes over 200 million peer-reviewed papers to deliver cited, evidence-based answers. You ask a question in natural language and get a synthesized answer with direct citations. You can filter by study type (RCT, meta-analysis), sample size, and journal tier. The Copilot feature lets you ask follow-up questions, and Meta Analysis aggregates results across multiple studies. Consensus Meter gives a quick visual assessment of the evidence. Unlike general AI chatbots, every claim is grounded in published literature. A Chrome extension integrates with PubMed. Free tier includes basic search and limited extractions; Premium ($10.99/mo) adds unlimited searches, GPT-4 summaries, and advanced filters.
Behind the Verdict
Consensus excels at surfacing evidence from peer-reviewed science quickly. The Meta Analysis feature and Consensus Meter provide a bird's-eye view of the literature, saving hours of manual searching. The Copilot allows iterative questioning, which is great for exploring a new topic. However, the free tier is limited to 20 searches per day, and summaries are generated by a standard AI model unless you pay for Premium. The lack of full-text access means you still need to visit the publisher site to read the actual paper. Also, integration with reference managers like Zotero or EndNote is missing, which is a pain point for academics. Consensus is ideal for early-stage literature review and fact-checking, but for deep systematic reviews, you'll want to complement it with PubMed and Scopus. The Chrome extension is handy when you're browsing PubMed. Overall, it fills a clear niche: fast, cited, evidence-based answers without the hallucinations of general AI chatbots.
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Real-world workflow fit
Concrete scenarios for the personas Consensus actually fits — and what changes day-one when you adopt it.
Graduate student writing a literature review
You need to find 10 recent studies on the efficacy of ketamine for depression, sorted by study type and year.
Outcome: In minutes, you get a cited summary with RCTs and meta-analyses, export citations to BibTeX, and save the collection.
Clinician checking treatment guidelines
You want to quickly verify whether omega-3 supplements reduce inflammation based on current evidence.
Outcome: Consensus surfaces a clear answer with links to recent RCTs and a Consensus Meter showing strong supporting evidence.
Science journalist fact-checking a claim
You need to confirm if a viral post about 'coffee causing cancer' has any peer-reviewed backing.
Outcome: A search reveals most studies show no link; you cite two meta-analyses that debunk the claim.
Use Cases
- Quickly check scientific consensus on a claim before citing it
- Find studies supporting or refuting a hypothesis for a grant proposal
- Generate a literature summary for a class assignment or presentation
- Verify the strength of evidence behind a health or policy claim
- Perform exploratory research on a new topic with limited time
Models Under the Hood
GPT-4 (Premium)
as of 2026-07-06
Limitations
- The free tier is limited to 20 searches per day and basic extractions; GPT-4 summaries require Premium.
- Consensus does not provide full-text access, only abstracts and metadata.
- Coverage may vary across fields, and AI summaries may occasionally miss nuances.
as of 2026-06-30
12-month cost
Project the real annual outlay, including the implied monthly cost when only an annual tier is published.
Annual total
Free
Over 12 months
Effective monthly
Free
Billed monthly
Vendor list price only. Add-on usage, seat overages, and contract minimums are surfaced under Hidden costs & gotchas.
Plans compared
For each published Consensus tier: who it actually fits, and what it adds vs. the previous tier. Cross-reference the cost calculator above for projected annual outlay.
Free
$0/mo
Ideal for
Solo researcher or student who needs occasional cited answers (under 20 searches/day) and doesn't require advanced filters or GPT-4 summaries.
What this tier adds
Free is the starting tier with 20 searches/day, basic extractions, and standard AI model—no advanced filters or Copilot.
Premium
$10.99/mo
Ideal for
Active researcher or clinician who searches frequently, needs GPT-4 summaries, advanced filters, and meta-analyses for literature reviews or clinical decisions.
What this tier adds
Adds unlimited searches, GPT-4 summaries, Copilot, advanced filters (sample size, journal tier), Meta Analysis, and citation exports.
Integrations
ChromePubMed
Where the pricing makes sense
The company stage and team size where Consensus's pricing actually pencils out — and where peers do it cheaper.
Consensus is affordable for individual researchers at $10.99/mo for Premium, with a generous free tier. For team or institutional use, it lacks multi-seat plans and may be pricier than institutional subscriptions to PubMed or Google Scholar, which are free. Heavier users might find better value in tools like Scite or Elicit, which offer more advanced analytics.
Setup time & first value
How long it actually takes to get something useful out of Consensus — broken out by persona, not the marketing-page minute.
For individual researchers, Consensus is instant: no account needed for basic search, but creating a free account takes 30 seconds. The Chrome extension can be installed in under a minute. Premium subscription unlocks immediately after payment.
Switching to or from Consensus
How to bring data in from common predecessors and how to get it back out — written for the switcher, not the buyer.
Migrating in
- →From Google Scholar: Use the Consensus Chrome extension to supplement your PubMed searches. No data transfer needed—just start searching directly.
- →From PubMed: Install the Chrome extension to see Consensus answers alongside PubMed results. You can export citations to your existing reference manager.
Migrating out
- ↗To Elicit: Export your saved collections from Consensus and manually import into Elicit—no direct export available.
Resources & Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
Tools that pair well with Consensus
Common stack mates teams adopt alongside Consensus, with the specific reason each pairing earns its keep.
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