Consensus: AI Academic Search for Scientific Evidence
Consensus is an AI-powered academic search engine that answers questions based on peer-reviewed articles. Unlike traditional search tools, it doesn’t just list results, it synthesises verified scientific evidence and presents direct citations to the original sources. Positioned in the category of AI tools for research and literature review, Consensus is a modern, accessible alternative to costly academic databases when teams need to validate decisions, products, or studies with scientific backing.
AgentAya Verdict
This is one of the best AI tools for scientific search and evidence synthesis. Consensus stands out for delivering reliable, fast, and traceable answers drawn from 220M+ peer-reviewed papers. It’s ideal for researchers, consultants, and small teams producing technical reports or impact studies. A limited free plan lets you start at no cost, while Pro and Deep tiers add full-text analysis, advanced synthesis, and auto-translation.
Current limitations include an English-only interface and the lack of native integrations with reference managers or enterprise software.
Score Breakdown
| Category | Score | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Features & Functionality | 4.8 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Semantic search and AI synthesis over 220M+ papers. |
| Integrations | 2.5 ⭐⭐ | CSV/RIS export; no public API by default or auto-sync. |
| Language & Support | 3.0 ⭐⭐⭐ | Interface and help in English only. |
| Ease of Use | 4.0 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Clear, modern UI with a low learning curve. |
| Value for Money | 4.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Solid free tier and scalable paid plans. |
Overall AgentAya Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.2 / 5
An outstanding tool to discover, analyse, and synthesise scientific evidence without technical complexity.
Ideal For
- SMEs and consultancies producing evidence-based reports or studies.
- Researchers and professionals who need academic backing without expensive subscriptions.
- Teams validating hypotheses or reviewing medical, tech, or social science literature.
Not Ideal For
- Users who require a fully localised interface or support in languages other than English.
- Organisations depending on automatic integrations with reference managers.
- Professionals needing a native mobile app.
Key Features
- Advanced Semantic Search: Ask natural-language questions and get answers grounded in peer-reviewed literature.
- Pro Analysis: Synthesises findings from ~10–20 papers with verifiable citations.
- Consensus Meter: Visualises agreement or disagreement across studies for a given question.
- Ask Paper: Chat directly with the full text of an article for method/result explanations.
- Results Export: Export to .CSV or .RIS for use with Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote, and others.
These features help SMEs and technical teams get validated scientific information in minutes, reducing manual review time.
AI Capabilities
Consensus uses AI to search, analyse, and synthesise research with verifiable backing, combining semantic retrieval, quality signals, and precise summarisation.
Core capabilities:
- Pro Analysis: Summarises key findings from top articles and generates a citation-linked synthesis.
- Consensus Meter: Shows the level of agreement/disagreement across studies (e.g., “Does remote work improve productivity?”).
- Scholar Agent (new): Plans complex searches, applies smart academic filters, and organises results by subtopics.
The AI avoids speculation: every answer links to real papers from reputable journals.
Integrations
- Public API (by request): Embed peer-reviewed search results and citations in internal workflows, dashboards, or private AI agents. Returns up to ~20 articles per query with metadata (citations count, publication date, relevance scores, filters by study type/country). Available via application and customised plans.
- Reference Managers: Export in .CSV/.RIS for Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote, RefWorks, Citavi, and Papers.
- Institutional Access: Link to university/library subscriptions for full-text access.
These options make Consensus flexible for both academic research and business systems that need current, verifiable science.
Security & Data Compliance
- User data is not used to train AI models (own or third-party).
- No tracking/selling/sharing with advertisers; activity is anonymised.
- Search data is stored anonymously to improve performance.
- Secure AWS infrastructure with SSL encryption in transit.
- Privacy practices aligned with GDPR-style principles; data/account deletion available on request.
Language – Support & Interface
The interface and help centre are in English only. Support is provided via email and web chat, with faster responses for Pro users.
AI Language – The Tool Itself
While the UI is English-only, the AI accepts queries in multiple languages and can reply in the language of the question. Output language can be set in profile settings, but the best results are often achieved with English queries.
Mobile Access
No native mobile app. The website is mobile-optimised and can be added to the home screen (iOS/Android) as a web app. Deep analysis and exports are more convenient on desktop.
Support, Onboarding & Account Management
Sign up and start searching immediately. The help centre includes short tutorials and step-by-step guides for Quick Search, Pro Analysis, and Deep Search. No dedicated CSM by default; team plans include centralised user/admin controls.
Ease of Use / UX
A clean, distraction-free interface similar to a classic academic search engine. In seconds, users can go from a question to an evidence summary with direct links to the sources. Minimal learning curve; SMEs can obtain verifiable science quickly without technical expertise.
Pricing & Plans
- Free: Quick searches with summaries (typically up to ~10 articles from abstracts).
- Pro: Unlimited searches, full-text analysis, auto-translation, Pro Analysis, Ask Paper.
- Deep: For researchers/clinical teams; full literature reviews and cross-study comparisons.
- Teams & Organisations: Group licensing with centralised administration and shared access.
Case Study
A biotechnology company evaluates the efficacy of new nutritional supplements. With one query, the team accesses a synthesis of 60+ peer-reviewed medical articles and produces a technical report in under a day.
Result: ~75% reduction in review time and deliverables backed by verifiable scientific evidence.
Consensus vs Alternatives
| Aspect | Consensus | Semantic Scholar | ResearchRabbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Focus | Evidence-based answers with citations; 220M+ articles. | Paper discovery with one-sentence TLDRs; classic scholarly search. | Visual literature discovery: citation maps, co-authorships, timelines. |
| AI | Full AI synthesis. | Automatic TLDR + academic data APIs. | Similarity networks & citation graphs; seed-paper recommendations. |
| Integrations | API on request (top-20, metadata, filters, relevance), CSV/RIS export, institutional full-text. | Public API for authors/papers/citations/venues. | BibTeX/RIS export; works with Zotero/Mendeley/EndNote. |
| Best For | SMEs/researchers needing verifiable synthesis and consensus views. | Broad search + quick TLDRs and programmatic access. | Exploring fields and relationships via interactive maps. |
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FAQs
Is Consensus good for SMEs?
Yes. It delivers evidence-based answers and helps produce technical reports in minutes.
Does it support Spanish or other languages?
The interface is English-only, but the AI can respond in the query’s language (including Spanish).
Is Consensus free?
Yes, there’s a free plan with basics, plus paid tiers for advanced analysis.
Is there a mobile app?
No native app; use the browser and optionally install as a web app.
What kind of AI does Consensus use?
Semantic search and synthesis models trained exclusively on peer-reviewed literature.