Consensus
Ask a yes-or-no research question and get an answer grounded in 220 million peer-reviewed papers, not a plausible-sounding guess.
What is Consensus?
Founded in 2021 by Eric Olson and Christian Salem, Consensus was built to solve a specific, narrow problem: general AI chatbots are convincing even when they're wrong, and academic search engines are thorough but slow to actually answer a question. Consensus sits between the two. Type a research question in plain language, and it searches a corpus of more than 220 million peer-reviewed papers — sourced from OpenAlex and Semantic Scholar, plus exclusive full-text partnerships with publishers like Taylor & Francis, Sage and the American Chemical Society — then returns findings with citations you can actually check.
Its signature feature is the Consensus Meter: ask something with a yes-or-no shape, like "does creatine improve cognitive function," and it aggregates findings across the most-cited relevant studies into a simple yes / no / possibly verdict, rather than making you read ten abstracts to figure that out yourself. A newer Scholar Agent, built on GPT-5, automates a full multi-step literature review end-to-end, and a dedicated Medical Mode filters the corpus down to clinical guidelines and top-journal articles specifically for clinicians. The trade-off worth knowing upfront: coverage is noticeably stronger in STEM and health sciences than in humanities or social sciences, and its summaries can sometimes flatten genuinely contested or nuanced findings into something that sounds more settled than it is.
Corpus size and partnership figures are Consensus's own published numbers as of 2026. Consensus is a research aid, not a substitute for a full systematic review — always verify important findings against the original papers.
Key features
Consensus Meter
Turns a yes/no research question into an aggregated verdict across the most-cited relevant studies.
Study Snapshots
Quick, structured summaries of an individual paper's methods, sample size and findings.
Scholar Agent
Automates a full multi-step literature review, built on GPT-5, rather than one search at a time.
Medical Mode
Filters results to clinical guidelines and top-journal articles for healthcare-specific questions.
Ask Paper
Chat directly with an individual paper to ask specific follow-up questions about it.
Advanced filters
Narrow results by study design, sample size, journal quality and publication date.
Pricing
Free
- Limited searches & Pro Analyses
- Basic Consensus Meter access
- Good for occasional, light use
Pro
- 15 Deep Searches / month, unlimited Pro Analyses
- Unlimited Study Snapshots & Ask Paper messages
- ~40% student discount available
Deep
- 200 Deep Searches / month
- Everything unlimited from Pro
- Built for heavy, ongoing literature review work
Teams (custom, from Pro features per seat) and Enterprise (custom, with SAML/Shibboleth integration for universities) plans also exist. Prices reflect Consensus's published pricing as of July 2026 and may change — cards link to Consensus's official pricing page.
Available models
Integrations & platforms
Pros, cons & best for
Pros
- Every answer is grounded in real, citable peer-reviewed papers
- The Consensus Meter genuinely accelerates early-stage research
- Affordable relative to other academic AI tools in its category
Cons
- Weaker coverage in humanities and social sciences than STEM and health
- Summaries can oversimplify contested or nuanced findings
- Not a substitute for a full, rigorous systematic review
Best for
- Researchers and graduate students doing literature reviews
- Clinicians needing a quick, evidence-based clinical answer
- Anyone who wants a fast first pass before deeper reading
Take a look inside
Alternatives
For other research-focused approaches with a different angle:
Our verdict
Consensus does something genuinely useful that general chatbots don't do well: it turns "what does the research actually say" into a quick, citable answer instead of a confident-sounding guess. The Consensus Meter in particular is a small feature with an outsized effect on how fast you can get oriented on a new question. It's not a replacement for careful reading or a real systematic review, and its strength leans toward STEM and health sciences rather than every field equally, but for the specific job of a fast, evidence-grounded first pass, it's one of the best-built tools in its category.
FAQ
Is Consensus free to use?
Yes, a free tier exists with limited searches and analyses. Paid Pro and Deep plans unlock unlimited use and deeper research features.
What is the Consensus Meter?
A feature that answers a yes/no-shaped research question by aggregating findings across the most-cited relevant studies into a simple yes / no / possibly verdict.
Can Consensus replace a systematic literature review?
No. It's a strong tool for a fast, evidence-grounded first pass, but a rigorous systematic review still requires careful, comprehensive human reading and methodology.
Does Consensus cover every academic field equally well?
No, coverage is noticeably stronger in STEM and health sciences than in humanities or social sciences, reflecting where its underlying paper sources are concentrated.
What is Medical Mode?
A filtered version of Consensus's search, launched in October 2025, that narrows results to clinical guidelines and top-journal medical articles for healthcare professionals.
Do students get a discount?
Yes, verified students can get a discount of roughly 40% off the Pro plan, making it one of the more affordable serious academic AI tools available.