AI research assistant
Elicit pricing and free plan (2026)
An AI research assistant for finding papers, summarising them and running systematic-review style screening and data extraction into tables.
Quick verdict
- Best for
- Researchers who want a dedicated systematic review workflow with screening and extraction into table columns.
- Skip if
- You want a low monthly price. Pro is $75 billed monthly and Scale is $279 billed monthly, the highest paid prices among the tools profiled here.
- Price from
- From $75/mo (Pro) billed monthly; from $49/mo (Pro) billed annually. USD per month; see the pricing table below.
- Free plan limits
- Basic plan is free: unlimited search across 138M+ papers (vendor figure), unlimited summaries and unlimited chat with papers; usage of the Research Agent and Research Reports is limited (exact limits not verified).
- Last checked
- 5 October 2026
Best for
- Researchers who want a dedicated systematic review workflow with screening and extraction into table columns.
- People who want to try unlimited search, summaries and paper chat on a free plan before paying.
Not a fit if
- You want a low monthly price. Pro is $75 billed monthly and Scale is $279 billed monthly, the highest paid prices among the tools profiled here.
- You mainly want help writing and polishing text. Elicit is built around finding, screening and extracting from papers.
- You need unlimited use of the Research Agent or Research Reports. Usage is limited on the free Basic plan.
Elicit describes itself as an AI research assistant. The pages we read list search across a large paper database (a vendor figure of 138M+ papers), summaries of papers, chat with papers, and Research Reports. The paid Pro plan adds a dedicated systematic review workflow that screens papers and extracts data into table columns.
The main thing to know before you compare prices is the billing method. Elicit shows $75 per month for Pro when billed monthly and $49 per month when billed annually. The same gap applies to Scale ($279 vs $169). If another site quotes one number without saying which, this is likely why it disagrees with others.
For how Elicit sits next to the other tools, read the literature review guide and the free plans comparison. Everything here comes from the vendor’s pages, listed under Sources. Nobody has run the tool in real work for this profile.
Pricing and free plan
| Plan | Price per month | Billing | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | Free | Free | Limited usage of the Research Agent and Research Reports; unlimited search across 138M+ papers (vendor figure); unlimited summaries; unlimited chat with papers. The exact usage limits were not shown as numbers. |
| Pro | $75 | Billed monthly | Dedicated systematic review workflow that screens up to 5,000 papers; 20 table columns; API access. |
| Pro | $49 | Billed annually | $588 per year; the page says "Save 35%". Same features as Pro billed monthly. |
| Scale | $279 | Billed monthly | 5 times the usage; live collaboration; extraction from images. |
| Scale | $169 | Billed annually | $2,028 per year; the page says "Save 39%". Same features as Scale billed monthly. |
| Enterprise | Not verified (5 October 2026) | Not verified | Custom pricing, not displayed as a number. |
What looks good
- The free Basic plan lists unlimited search, summaries and chat with papers.
- Pro lists a dedicated systematic review workflow, screening up to 5,000 papers, 20 table columns and API access.
- The pricing page shows both monthly and annual prices, with the annual saving stated (35% for Pro, 39% for Scale).
Limits and open questions
- Paying monthly is much more expensive than paying annually: Pro is $75 vs $49 per month, Scale is $279 vs $169 per month. Compare the same billing method when you compare tools.
- Usage of the Research Agent and Research Reports is limited on the free plan, and the numbers were not shown, so the real limit is not verified.
- The "138M+ papers" figure is a vendor claim; check coverage in your field with searches you already know the answer to.
- Screening and extraction are the vendor's description of the workflow. Run a small sample and compare it with your own reading.
Hands-on testing
Not yet done. Nobody here has run this tool in real work, so this page is based on the vendor's published pages only, listed under Sources. Notes will be added if that changes.
Affiliate status
This site has no affiliate relationship with this tool at present. The link on this page goes to the official site and earns nothing. See the disclosure.
FAQ
Is Elicit free?
Yes, the Basic plan is free. As listed on 2026-10-05 it has unlimited search, summaries and chat with papers, with limited usage of the Research Agent and Research Reports.
How much does Elicit Pro cost?
Pro is $75 per month billed monthly, or $49 per month billed annually ($588 per year, "Save 35%" on the page).
How much does Elicit Scale cost?
Scale is $279 per month billed monthly, or $169 per month billed annually ($2,028 per year, "Save 39%" on the page).
What do I get from Pro that the free plan lacks?
Pro lists a dedicated systematic review workflow that can screen up to 5,000 papers, 20 table columns and API access. Scale adds 5 times the usage, live collaboration and extraction from images.
Does Elicit replace reading the papers?
No. Treat screening and extraction results as a first pass and check them against the papers.
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