Side by side
Elicit vs Perplexity
A fact-based comparison built only from each tool's verified directory profile — pricing summaries, plan availability, platforms, and stated strengths and limitations. No rankings, no sponsored placement.
| Criterion | Elicit | Perplexity |
|---|---|---|
| Category | AI Research Tools | AI Research Tools |
| In one sentence | An AI research assistant that searches academic papers, extracts data into tables and produces research reports and systematic reviews. | An AI answer engine that searches the web and cites sources, with access to models from several providers on paid plans. |
| Problem it solves | Literature reviews require finding, screening and extracting data from many papers, which takes weeks by hand. | Saves time finding and checking information by returning cited answers instead of a list of links. |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Developer API | Yes — docs | Yes — docs |
| Open source | No | No |
| Platforms | Web, API, MCP | Web, iOS, Android, Comet browser |
| Pricing (summary) | Basic is free with unlimited search, summaries and paper chat. Pro is $49 per user per month on annual billing ($588/year) and Scale $169 per month on annual billing ($2,028/year). Enterprise is custom. Checked 2026-10-19 | Free costs nothing. Pro is $20/month or $200/year, Max $200/month or $2,000/year, and Enterprise Pro starts at $40 per seat per month. The Sonar API is billed separately per token plus per-request fees. Checked 2026-10-19 |
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How to choose
Both profiles link to the vendors' official pricing — plan details change often, so verify there before buying. Pick based on the criterion rows above that matter to your workflow, not on rankings: we don't rank tools, because the right choice depends on your needs.