Consensus is an AI-powered academic search engine that answers your research questions using evidence from peer-reviewed scientific papers — not web pages, not blogs, not opinions. Ask any question and Consensus searches over 200 million scientific papers, extracts the relevant findings and shows you what the research actually says, with every claim linked directly to its source paper.
The standout feature is the Consensus Meter — a visual indicator that shows what percentage of relevant studies support, contradict or are inconclusive about a given claim. This makes it immediately clear whether scientific evidence is strong, mixed or limited on any topic, which is invaluable for researchers, students, healthcare professionals and anyone who needs evidence-based answers quickly.
Unlike Google Scholar which returns a list of papers to read, Consensus extracts the key findings for you. Instead of spending hours reading abstracts, you get synthesised answers in seconds — with the source papers linked so you can verify every claim. It's best described as Google Scholar meets ChatGPT, built for serious research.
Academic ResearchEvidence-BasedPeer-ReviewedScientific SearchCitationsFree Plan
Key Features
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Consensus Meter
Visual indicator showing what % of studies support, contradict or are inconclusive on any claim.
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200M+ Papers
Searches across all major scientific disciplines — medicine, psychology, economics, biology and more.
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Synthesised Summaries
Extracts key findings from multiple papers and synthesises them into a clear, readable answer.
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Direct Source Links
Every claim links directly to the source paper — full transparency, no hallucinated references.
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Study Snapshots
Premium feature: AI-generated summaries of individual papers including sample size, methods and key findings.
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Smart Filters
Filter results by study type (RCT, meta-analysis, review), year, sample size and journal quality.
Example: "Does exercise improve mental health?"
82% of studies support this claim · 14 papers analysed
The Consensus Meter instantly shows the strength of scientific evidence on any topic.
Pros & Cons
What we love
Consensus Meter — instantly shows evidence strength
Every answer backed by real peer-reviewed papers
No hallucinated references — all claims are verified
Covers all scientific disciplines
Free plan is genuinely useful
Smart filters for study type and quality
Watch out for
Only covers peer-reviewed science — not news or general web
Study Snapshots require Premium plan
Free plan limited to 20 searches/month
Less useful for humanities and arts research
Consensus AI Pricing (2026)
Plan
Price
What's included
Free
$0/mo
20 searches/month, Consensus Meter, basic paper results
Premium
$9.99/mo
Unlimited searches, Study Snapshots, AI summaries, advanced filters, GPT-4 powered answers
Premium (Annual)
$7.99/mo
Everything in Premium — billed annually, best value
Teams
Custom
Multiple seats, shared research libraries, admin controls
* Pricing subject to change. Check consensus.app for current rates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Consensus is best for anyone who needs evidence-based answers from scientific research — students, academics, healthcare professionals, nutritionists, therapists, policy researchers and curious professionals. It's particularly valuable for health and wellness questions, psychology research and any field where peer-reviewed evidence matters more than general web opinion.
Yes — Consensus has a free plan with 20 searches per month, which is enough for occasional research. For regular users, the Premium plan at $7.99/month (billed annually) gives unlimited searches, Study Snapshots and GPT-4 powered synthesis. At under $8/month, it's one of the best-value research tools available.
Google Scholar returns a list of papers you need to read yourself. Consensus reads the papers for you and extracts the key findings — showing you what the research says and whether evidence is strong or mixed via the Consensus Meter. For getting research answers quickly, Consensus is significantly faster. For comprehensive literature review where you need to read full papers, both tools are useful together.
No — this is one of Consensus's key strengths. Unlike ChatGPT or general AI tools that can fabricate citations, Consensus only returns real papers from its indexed database and links directly to the source. Every claim is grounded in an actual paper you can verify. This makes it reliable for academic work where citation accuracy is critical.
Consensus covers all major scientific disciplines including medicine, public health, psychology, nutrition, biology, chemistry, economics, education, environmental science, computer science and social sciences. It's strongest for health, medicine and psychology where there is the most peer-reviewed research. It's less useful for humanities, arts, history or topics that aren't well covered in academic literature.
The best tool for getting quick, evidence-backed answers from scientific research. The Consensus Meter alone makes it worth bookmarking. Free plan is genuinely useful.