Consensus AI: The Evidence-Based Search Engine
An **AI search engine** that provides instant, evidence-based answers to scientific questions by synthesizing findings from a corpus of over **200 million peer-reviewed papers**.
Consensus’ Core Features: Synthesis and Speed
Consensus focuses on getting the user a scientifically-backed answer as quickly as possible. Its core features are centered on aggregation and transparent source citation.
Consensus Meter
For Yes/No questions (e.g., “Does mindfulness reduce blood pressure?”), the AI analyzes the top papers and displays a visual meter showing the percentage of studies that conclude **Yes, No, or Possibly**.
AI-Powered Synthesis (Copilot/Pro Analysis)
Generates a clear, cited summary (a synthesis) of the findings from the top 10 to 50 relevant papers, providing a cohesive answer to your question with direct evidence.
Study Snapshot & Badges
Instantly extracts key methodological details from a single paper (e.g., number of participants, study type, intervention). Badges highlight key quality indicators like **Highly Cited** or **Systematic Review**.
The Three Search Modes: From Quick to Deep
Consensus offers tiered search depth, allowing users to choose the speed and volume of papers the AI synthesizes for an answer.
Quick Search (Free)
Synthesizes findings from the **top 10 relevant paper abstracts**—ideal for brainstorming, checking an assumption, or gathering a fast overview of a topic.
Pro Search (Paid)
Analyzes up to **20 papers** using both abstracts and full-text access (where available) for a more comprehensive and detailed answer, improving accuracy for literature reviews.
Deep Search (Paid)
Conducts a full literature review-style analysis of up to **50 papers**, often breaking the query down into sub-questions for a highly structured, in-depth report.
Trade-offs: Advantages and Drawbacks
Key Strengths (Why Researchers Use It)
- **High Credibility:** Exclusively searches peer-reviewed literature, minimizing “hallucination” of sources.
- **Instant Evidence Synthesis:** Provides a rapid, cited summary of the scientific consensus on a question.
- **Intuitive Interface:** Easy to use, functioning like a simplified, scientific-only search engine.
- **Strong Student Discount:** Offers 40% off Pro for students, making premium features very accessible.
Practical Limitations (Areas for Caution)
- **Limited Full-Text Access:** Analysis relies on full-text only if available through partnerships, often defaulting to abstracts, especially in the free plan.
- **Yes/No Bias:** Excels at empirical questions but is less useful for open-ended or nuanced humanities/theory-based research.
- **Feature Limits on Free:** Key advanced features like the Consensus Meter and Study Snapshots are heavily limited or unavailable in the free plan.
- **No Custom Extraction:** Unlike other tools, it doesn’t offer the multi-column data extraction tables seen in Elicit.
Consensus AI Pricing and Subscription Tiers
Consensus operates on a freemium model, with the free tier providing unlimited search, but requiring a paid subscription for the powerful synthesis and analysis tools.
Free
$0/month
- Unlimited Basic Search
- Quick Search (10 paper abstracts)
- Unlimited Filters & Quality Indicators
- Limited access to AI analysis features
Pro (Most Popular)
$10/user/month
Billed annually ($12/month monthly)
- Unlimited Pro Searches (20 papers)
- 15 Deep Searches/month (50 papers)
- Unlimited Consensus Meter & Snapshots
- Full access to Copilot & Ask Paper
The **Deep** plan ($45/user/month annually) is available for power users, increasing the limit to **200 Deep Searches per month**. A **40% student discount** is available on the Pro plan with a valid .edu or .ac email.
🔥 Final Assessment: The Scientific Shortcut
Consensus AI is an exceptional tool for anyone who needs to quickly determine **what the science says** on a specific question, particularly in medical, social science, and empirical fields. The **Consensus Meter** is a game-changer for getting an immediate overview of the evidence base. While it lacks the multi-step, rigorous data extraction of Elicit, it is faster and more intuitive for initial evidence gathering and for answering questions with a high degree of confidence and verifiability.
💜 Special Hosting Offer for ExploreAITools Readers
Hostinger is offering a simple and affordable hosting plan with a limited-time discount. A great option if you’re planning to build a blog, portfolio, or AI-based website.
Includes free SSL • Fast support • Perfect for beginners & creators
