Consensus
AI-powered search across scientific papers. Evidence-based answers.
About Consensus
Consensus is an AI-powered academic search engine that scans over 200 million peer-reviewed scientific papers to deliver evidence-based answers with citations. Unlike general-purpose AI chatbots, Consensus is purpose-built for research: every answer is grounded in published literature, with direct links to source papers and a visual "Consensus Meter" showing the degree of scientific agreement on a given question.
The platform supports natural language queries — you can ask questions like "Does creatine improve cognitive function?" or "What are effective treatments for insomnia?" — and receive synthesized answers drawing from relevant studies. Consensus filters out non-peer-reviewed sources and low-quality research, making it a trusted tool for over 5 million researchers, students, clinicians, and evidence-based professionals. It's particularly valuable for literature reviews, clinical decision-making, and fact-checking scientific claims.
Key Features
- ✓Consensus Meter: Visual indicator showing the level of scientific agreement (Yes / Possibly / No) across relevant studies for any research question.
- ✓Natural Language Search: Ask research questions in plain English. The AI understands complex queries and returns synthesized, citation-backed answers.
- ✓Study Snapshots: Quick summaries of individual papers including methodology, sample size, key findings, and limitations.
- ✓Advanced Filtering: Filter results by study design (RCT, meta-analysis, etc.), publication date, journal quality, and sample size.
- ✓Deep Search / Pro Search: In-depth analysis of up to 50 papers per query for comprehensive literature reviews.
- ✓Ask Paper: Chat with individual papers using GPT-4 to extract specific data points, methods, or conclusions.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free | See official pricing | Basic search, limited Pro Searches & Study Snapshots |
| Premium | See official pricing | Unlimited analyses, more Pro/Deep searches, export results |
| Deep | See official pricing | Unlimited Pro & Deep searches, full research capabilities |
| Team | See official pricing | Shared workspaces, analytics, 3-5 users |
| Enterprise | Custom | API access, unlimited users, institutional integrations |
Some pricing plans have not been verified against official sources recently. Confirm on the official pricing page before purchasing.
Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- ✅ Every answer backed by peer-reviewed citations
- ✅ Consensus Meter shows scientific agreement at a glance
- ✅ Filters out low-quality and non-peer-reviewed sources
- ✅ Natural language queries — no Boolean operators needed
- ✅ 200M+ papers indexed across all scientific fields
⚠️ Cons
- ⚠️ Free tier limits advanced features significantly
- ⚠️ Deep Search limited to 3-25 uses on free plan
- ⚠️ Some pricing plans feel expensive for light users
- ⚠️ Coverage varies by discipline (stronger in medicine/psychology)
- ⚠️ Cannot access paywalled full-text without institutional access
Use Cases
Academic Researchers & Students
Accelerate literature reviews by getting AI-synthesized summaries of relevant papers with direct citations. Filter by study design to find the highest-quality evidence for your research question.
Clinicians & Healthcare Professionals
Quickly find evidence-based answers to clinical questions. The Consensus Meter helps gauge the strength of scientific support for treatments and interventions.
Science Writers & Journalists
Fact-check scientific claims by searching the peer-reviewed literature directly. Get citable evidence for articles, reports, and public communications in minutes rather than hours.
Alternatives
Frequently Asked Questions
Academic Researchers & Students
Accelerate literature reviews by getting AI-synthesized summaries of relevant papers with direct citations. Filter by study design to find the highest-quality evidence for your research question.
Clinicians & Healthcare Professionals
Quickly find evidence-based answers to clinical questions. The Consensus Meter helps gauge the strength of scientific support for treatments and interventions.
Science Writers & Journalists
Fact-check scientific claims by searching the peer-reviewed literature directly. Get citable evidence for articles, reports, and public communications in minutes rather than hours.
Is Consensus better than Google Scholar?
For evidence synthesis and quick answers, Consensus is significantly faster. It summarizes findings across multiple papers and shows scientific agreement. Google Scholar is better for comprehensive paper discovery and accessing full-text PDFs, especially paywalled content.
Can I trust Consensus answers for clinical decisions?
Consensus provides evidence-based summaries with direct citations to peer-reviewed research, making it a valuable starting point. However, all answers should be verified against original papers, and clinical decisions should involve proper medical evaluation. It's a research aid, not a medical advisor.
Is there a student discount?
Yes, Consensus offers a student discount of up to 40% off Premium plans. Verify your student status (typically with a .edu email address) to access the discounted rate.