Consensus vs Semantic Scholar
Consensus scores 6.7 to Semantic Scholar's 6.0 among the literature search tools we rate, and is the better pick for 2 of the 5 kinds of buyer below.
Consensus wins, 6.7 to 6.0
Semantic Scholar is free, with no paid plan at all; Consensus starts at $20 a month. That price buys a visual map of connected papers, a table that pulls study details across many papers at once, and a full literature review draft, none of which Semantic Scholar offers. Semantic Scholar answers back with a free, documented API and citation alerts on saved searches, both absent from Consensus, though its summaries only cover computer science, biology and medicine.
Pick Consensus if you want a paper map and a written literature review.
Pick Semantic Scholar if you want free access with a documented API and alerts.
Best for
Who each one suits, decided on the criteria that matter to that buyer and the checked facts where the two differ.
- Answers a research question from the literature: Consensus yes, Semantic Scholar no
- Map of connected papers: Consensus yes, Semantic Scholar no
- But Semantic Scholar leads on alerts for new papers: Semantic Scholar yes, Consensus no
- Pulls data from many papers into a table: Consensus yes, Semantic Scholar no
- Writes a literature review for you: Consensus yes, Semantic Scholar no
- Monthly price, cheapest paid plan: $0 against $20
- Browser extension: Semantic Scholar yes, Consensus no
- Export formats: BibTeX, EndNote, MLA, APA, Chicago against CSV, RIS
- But Consensus leads on works in languages other than English: Consensus yes, Semantic Scholar no
How they score
Both are scored the same way, against the other literature search tools we rate, from facts on each vendor's own pages. Consensus leads on 3 of 6 criteria.
Where they differ
Every point where the two vendors' published facts disagree, with a link to where each fact was read. "Not published" means the vendor does not say either way.
Published by only one of them
Where they match (17)
Pricing, plan by plan
Every plan each vendor publishes, monthly and yearly where both are offered.
Consensus
Semantic Scholar
For everything else about each tool, read the full Consensus review and Semantic Scholar review.
Consensus vs Semantic Scholar: common questions
Which is better, Consensus or Semantic Scholar?
Consensus scores 6.7 and Semantic Scholar 6.0 out of 10 among the literature search tools we rate. Consensus is ahead on finding papers, reading and analysing papers and access, teams and privacy. Semantic Scholar is ahead on pricing and citing and writing.
Is Consensus or Semantic Scholar cheaper?
Consensus's cheapest paid plan is $20/mo and Semantic Scholar's is Free. Compare what each plan includes below before going on price alone.
What can Consensus do that Semantic Scholar cannot?
On the facts both vendors publish: answers a research question from the literature, map of connected papers, pulls data from many papers into a table, writes a literature review for you and works in languages other than English.
What can Semantic Scholar do that Consensus cannot?
On the facts both vendors publish: alerts for new papers and browser extension.
