Scite vs Consensus
Plans, free access, limits and intended use side by side, taken from each vendor’s own pages. No score and no winner: the facts show where the two differ.
Change tools
Check whether later papers support or contradict a finding
Explore research papers with cited answers and study filters.
- Free access
- Scite: Free access
- Consensus: Free access
- Paid from
- Scite: USD 20 per month billed yearly
- Consensus: USD 12 per month
- Plans listed
- Scite: 5
- Consensus: 6
- Public API
- Scite: Not confirmed
- Consensus: Yes
Where Scite and Consensus differ
- Pricing checkPrices confirmed for Scite; pricing review due for Consensus.
- PlansScite lists 5 plans and Consensus lists 6.
Head to head
Each value from the tool’s profile and the vendor’s own pages
| Scite | Fact | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Access and price | ||
| Free access availableFree account · USD 0 | Free accessSame | Free access availableFree |
| USD 20 per month billed yearlyScite Basic | Lowest listed paid plan | USD 12 per monthPro (annual) · billed annually · USD 144 a year |
| Free MCP credits; Basic $20/month billed yearly | Pricing model | Free plan; Pro from USD 12/month billed annually |
| 5 | Plans listedDiffers | 6 |
| Not confirmed | Public API | Yes |
| Not confirmed | Card to start | Not confirmed |
| Not confirmed | Open source | No |
| What it is for | ||
| Researchers and students checking how a paper has been cited | Built for | Finding and synthesizing published research |
| Research & sources | CategorySame | Research & sources |
| Platforms |
|
| Works with | Not listed |
| How current | ||
| Profile sources checked | ||
| Prices confirmed · Oct 4, 2026 | Pricing checkDiffers | Pricing review due · Sep 24, 2026 |
Official source check for both tools. No hands-on testing and no score: “Differs” marks a documented difference, not a better tool.
Plans and prices
Scite
Prices confirmed · Oct 4, 2026- Free accountUSD 0
- Scite BasicUSD 20 per month billed yearly
- Scite ProUSD 50 per month billed yearly
- Scite TeamUSD 250 per month for 8 seats
- Scite for organizationsCustom
Consensus
Pricing review due · Sep 24, 2026- FreeFree
- Pro (annual)USD 12 per monthbilled annually · USD 144 a year
- Pro (monthly)USD 20 per monthbilled monthly
- Deep (annual)USD 45 per monthbilled annually · USD 540 a year
- Deep (monthly)USD 65 per monthbilled monthly
Show 1 more plan
- Team and EnterpriseContact sales
Strengths and limits
Scite
Strengths
- Citation context rather than a count: The home page and Terms describe showing whether later research supported or contradicted a finding, which gives you a place to start reading.
- Works inside AI assistants: The MCP connector lets ChatGPT and Claude call Scite, and the home page says answers are grounded in real papers.
- Clear data-use terms: The Terms say customer data is not used to train, fine-tune or improve Scite's AI systems.
Limits to plan around
- Free access has a limited scope: The recurring free allowance is for MCP use, not a promise of the full paid web plan. The separate 7-day trial converts to a paid subscription unless cancelled.
- Use of content is restricted: The Terms bar bulk retrieval, redistribution and using Scite content to train or evaluate AI models.
- Fees are non-refundable: The Terms say fees are non-refundable, so cancel before the trial ends if you do not want to continue.
Consensus
Strengths
- Large research index: Answers draw on a search of more than 220 million peer-reviewed papers, per the pricing page.
- Fine-grained study filters: Filters for study design, population, sample size and journal rank, plus a preprint switch, narrow results before you read.
- Reference-manager exports: Search results export to CSV, RIS or formatted bibliographies, and Deep reports export to PDF.
Limits to plan around
- Abstract-only evidence: When full text is unavailable, a cited paper may have been read from its abstract alone, so methods and caveats can be missing.
- Small Free allowance: Free has up to 3 Deep reviews monthly, each also consuming a Pro message. Official Pro-message allowances differ; confirm the available count in account settings.
- Team prices not listed: The Team and Enterprise tab of the pricing page shows no amounts; larger licenses are quoted by sales.
See both products
Start from your task, not from a winner.
Run both tools on the same real task, then compare the result, how much editing it needs and how fast it uses your plan’s allowance.
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Comparing tools from different categories is fine, and often useful — a writing assistant and a research tool solve different halves of the same job. The table will show you exactly where they diverge.
Questions about comparing tools
How does the comparison work?
Add two tools to the comparison tray from any tool card, then open this page. The table pulls each tool's verified plan details, platforms, strengths and limits from its profile, so both columns carry the same kind of evidence, with a separate source-check date for each tool.
Do you declare a winner?
No. The table sets two tools against each other on documented facts, not on a score. Which one wins depends on your task, your budget and your usage volume — three things we cannot see from here.
Why are some cells empty or marked unverified?
Because we could not confirm that detail on the vendor's own pages. Rather than filling the gap with a figure from elsewhere, we mark it and say why on the tool's profile.
Can I compare more than two tools?
Not at once. Two columns keep the differences readable and force a real decision. Remove either selected tool to replace it, or clear both to start a new pair.
Every figure in the table above comes from the linked profile, where the source and the verification date are listed. Browse all tools or read the editorial policy.