iAsk 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.
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Separate the free model from the Pro quota
Explore research papers with cited answers and study filters.
- Free access
- iAsk: Free access
- Consensus: Free access
- Paid from
- iAsk: USD 9.95 per month
- Consensus: USD 12 per month
- Plans listed
- iAsk: 3
- Consensus: 6
- Public API
- iAsk: Yes
- Consensus: Yes
Where iAsk and Consensus differ
- Pricing checkPrices confirmed for iAsk; pricing review due for Consensus.
- PlansiAsk lists 3 plans and Consensus lists 6.
Head to head
Each value from the tool’s profile and the vendor’s own pages
| iAsk | Fact | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Access and price | ||
| Free access availableiAsk Free · USD 0 | Free accessSame | Free access availableFree |
| USD 9.95 per monthiAsk Pro | Lowest listed paid plan | USD 12 per monthPro (annual) · billed annually · USD 144 a year |
| Free plan; Pro $9.95/month | Pricing model | Free plan; Pro from USD 12/month billed annually |
| 3 | Plans listedDiffers | 6 |
| Yes | Public APISame | Yes |
| Not required | Card to start | Not confirmed |
| No | Open sourceSame | No |
| What it is for | ||
| Quick cited answers and page summaries for study questions | Built for | Finding and synthesizing published research |
| Research & sources | CategorySame | Research & sources |
| Platforms |
|
| Works with | Not listed |
| How current | ||
| Profile sources checked | ||
| Prices confirmed · Sep 29, 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
iAsk
Prices confirmed · Sep 29, 2026- iAsk FreeUSD 0
- iAsk ProUSD 9.95 per month
- Students (limited-time offer)USD 0 for one year
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
iAsk
Strengths
- Usable free tier: Free lists unlimited daily searches on the standard model, without a card.
- Low Pro price: Pro is $9.95 a month, with a one-year free offer for students.
- Sources shown with answers: Answers link to the pages used, which makes checking faster.
Limits to plan around
- Chats may be recorded: The privacy policy says chat inputs and transcripts may be collected, stored and shared with vendors.
- Ads on Free: The free plan shows limited ads, and the privacy policy allows targeted advertising.
- Thin legal terms: The terms do not name a country or address and do not describe billing, refunds or cancellation.
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
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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.