4 TOOLS · CURATED BY USE CASE

Research AI tools.

Search, document and literature tools for exploring ideas and working with sources.

Check citations against the underlying sources. Document, research-query and export limits can differ from ordinary chat limits.

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PX

Perplexity

Research

Citation-first answer engine with web search, source links, limited file uploads, Pro Search, and monthly Research queries.

Ongoing free plan

Practically unlimited basic searches, three Pro Searches daily, one Research query monthly, and limited file uploads.

  • ↳Fast cited answers from the live web

Keep in mindFree excludes advanced model selection, image generation, and premium support. File uploads and Pro Search are tightly limited.

See plan details Sources reviewed
Sep 23, 2026
NL

NotebookLM

Research

Source-grounded research notebook that answers with citations and generates audio, video, reports, quizzes, flashcards, tables, and slides.

Ongoing free plan

100 notebooks, 50 sources each, 50 chats daily, three audio and video overviews daily, and ten Deep Research runs monthly.

  • ↳Studying and synthesizing your own sources

Keep in mindGenerated images and videos carry visible and invisible watermarks on Standard. Commercial permissions and a general artifact-download policy remain unknown.

See plan details Sources reviewed
Sep 23, 2026
EL

Elicit

Research

Academic research assistant for searching papers, summarizing evidence, chatting with full text, generating reports, and managing references.

Ongoing free plan

Unlimited paper search, summaries, and full-text paper chat, with limited Research Agent and Research Report usage.

  • ↳Literature discovery and evidence synthesis

Keep in mindBasic report exports work, but Find Papers and Paper Chat table exports require Plus. Agent and Report quotas are unpublished.

See plan details Sources reviewed
Sep 23, 2026
CO

Consensus

Research

Academic search and research agent for finding peer-reviewed evidence, comparing studies, generating snapshots, and running deeper reviews.

Ongoing free plan

Unlimited Papers searches monthly, ten Pro messages, three Deep reviews, ten Study Snapshots, and 30 API or MCP calls.

  • ↳Evidence-backed answers from peer-reviewed research

Keep in mindAdvanced AI work is metered despite unlimited basic paper searches. Commercial permissions and free-plan card requirements were not established.

See plan details Sources reviewed
Sep 23, 2026

An editorial selection, not a measured ranking. Some provider links are affiliate links; others go directly to the provider.