Elicit
Level 21: Scientific Literature & Evidence
Science · Level 21
In short
Elicit is an AI tool in the Science & Research category from Elicit PBC in Oakland, United States. The pricing model is freemium. It is with an English interface that handles German content.
What is Elicit?
Elicit is an AI assistant for academic literature work. Instead of a keyword search you state your research question in plain language; Elicit searches a corpus of more than 125 million papers and returns not just titles but the key finding of each work.
The real time saving is data extraction: you define columns — sample size, study design, intervention, effect size — and Elicit fills them in for every paper found, turning a reading list into a structured evidence table. Systematic reviews additionally get screening workflows that pre-sort thousands of abstracts against your inclusion criteria.
Every statement carries its source, so answers are verifiable. A free allowance is enough to try it out; serious work runs on Plus or Pro.
Core features & strengths
- Semantic literature search instead of keyword search
- Automated data extraction into tables
- Screening workflows for systematic reviews
Who is this tool for?
Students, doctoral researchers, scientists and anyone who has to work evidence-based.
Typical use case
You are writing a master's thesis and need the state of research on an intervention question. You enter it in Elicit, get 200 relevant studies with sample size and outcome in a table, and filter down to the 25 papers you actually read in full.
What is Elicit good for?
- Students, doctoral researchers, scientists and anyone who has to work evidence-based.
- You are writing a master's thesis and need the state of research on an intervention question.
- Semantic literature search instead of keyword search
- Automated data extraction into tables
- Screening workflows for systematic reviews
When a different tool fits better
Elicit does not replace expert judgement: extracted values must be checked against the original, and coverage is thin for German-only or unindexed literature.
Pricing & plans
Plans in detail
- Free0 $0 €monthly
- 5,000 one-time credits upon signup
- Basic search and analysis capabilities
- Plus12 $11.16 €monthly (billed annually)
- 12,000 credits per month
- Advanced export options
- Increased document upload limits
- Enterprisecontact salescontact salescustom
- Single Sign-On (SSO)
- Dedicated support
- Custom usage limits
Good to know
- Credits renew monthly for paid plans.
- Annual billing offers discounts compared to monthly billing.
Prices checked on 22/08/2026. Prices based on public provider information, without warranty. Euro amounts are approximations; the provider's pricing page prevails.
Supported languages
Interface = the tool's menu language, content = the language you can work in. Without guarantee — vendors keep expanding their language coverage.
Privacy & GDPR
Data flow: Prompts, uploaded papers, and usage data are processed by the US provider Ought, Inc. and its subprocessors, so US law and international data transfers may apply.
Training on your inputs: The pricing page says Enterprise data is not used for training by default; the supplied information does not establish an equally broad default exclusion or opt-out for other plans.
For companies: Organizations should execute a DPA and appropriate transfer safeguards before processing personal or confidential data; contractually backed advanced controls are primarily associated with Enterprise.
Practical advice: Submit only lawfully usable and preferably anonymized research content, and do not upload patient data, trade secrets, or sensitive unpublished material without an appropriate contract and authorization.
- GDPR:
- EU data protection regulation: defines how personal data may be processed and what rights you have (access, deletion, objection).
- SCC (Standard Contractual Clauses):
- EU model clauses that let a provider legally process data outside the EU.
- DPA:
- Data Processing Agreement: contractually binds the provider to process your data only on your instructions. Usually mandatory for companies.
- Opt-out:
- Training on your data is on by default; you have to switch it off yourself in the settings.
- Training on user data:
- Your inputs may feed into future model versions. Confidential content could in theory resurface in other users' answers.
Privacy data checked on 29/07/2026. Editorial summary based on public provider information — not legal advice. When in doubt, check the provider's current privacy terms.
Fact sheet
| Vendor | Elicit PBC |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Oakland, United States |
| Category | Science & Research |
| Pyramid level | Level 21 – Scientific Literature & Evidence |
| Pricing model | Freemium |
| Free forever option | Limited |
| Open Source | No |
| Entry plan | Free: 0 $ (0 €) |
| German | content only, English interface |
| English | interface and content |
| Privacy classification | US Cloud |
| Data processing agreement | Organizations should execute a DPA and appropriate transfer safeguards before processing personal or confidential data; contractually backed advanced controls are primarily associated with Enterprise. |
Alternatives to Elicit
- Consensus — Freemium · HQ: Boston, United States · US Cloud
- Scholarcy — Freemium · HQ: London, United Kingdom · GDPR / EU
- scite.ai — Paid · HQ: New York, United States · Unclear
- Supp.AI (Allen Institute) — Free · HQ: Seattle, United States · Unclear
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