Research answers with cited sources
Research & search
Rankings pending: these tools have not yet been tested, so order is provisional. How we test.
Top 3
#1
Perplexity
Answer engine with cited sources.
Free tier Not yet tested
#2
Gemini Notebook (NotebookLM)
Research notebook grounded in your sources, with audio overviews.
Free tier Not yet tested
#3
Elicit
AI research assistant for academic papers.
Free tier Not yet tested
Budget pick
Consensus
AI search engine over peer-reviewed research.
Free tier Not yet tested
Local / open-source pick
Ollama
Run open LLMs locally with one command.
Free tier Open source Not yet tested
Comparison
| Tool | Pricing | Free tier | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perplexity | Free tier; Pro $20/mo, Max $200/mo | Yes | Not yet tested |
| Gemini Notebook (NotebookLM) | Free; higher limits with Google AI Pro ($19.99/mo) | Yes | Not yet tested |
| Elicit | Free Basic plan; Plus $11/mo (annual) | Yes | Not yet tested |
| Consensus | Free tier; Pro $20/mo ($12/mo annual) | Yes | Not yet tested |
| Scite | 7-day free trial; Basic $20/mo ($12 annual) | No | Not yet tested |