Best AI Research Assistants in 2026
Updated
In short: Perplexity is ranked #1 of 28 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Genspark Design and Liner. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Genspark Design. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Innogath at $0.80/mo.
AI research assistants are aimed at research tasks such as exploring sources and working with supporting material. Consensus leads the ranking, with Elicit and Scholarly next. Compare source access, source citations, and deep research mode to assess how the entries relate to finding and reviewing evidence. File uploads and source limits are also listed, while a team workspace may be relevant when research is shared. Free plan availability and paid-from pricing offer cost points to compare. Consider whether source discovery, citation review, uploaded files, or collaboration matters most in your workflow, and use the listed criteria to weigh the available options.
28 AI research assistants ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
#3 Liner Also great · 7.2 Free plan · $1.25/mo- Free plan AndroidapiiOSmacOSWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- File uploads
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan AndroidiOSLinuxmacOSWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Source citations
- Yes
- Deep research mode
- Yes
- Source access
- web
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$19.99/mofirst paid tier About Genspark DesignVisit site - Free plan AndroidapiextensioniOSmacOSWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- 14.99 /user/mo
- Source citations
- Yes
- Deep research mode
- Yes
- Source access
- web+files
- File uploads
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$1.25/mofirst paid tier About LinerVisit site - Free plan AndroidextensioniOSmacOSWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Source citations
- Yes
- Deep research mode
- Yes
- Source access
- web+files+connectors
- File uploads
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan AndroidextensioniOSmacOSWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- 16.67 /user/mo
- Source citations
- Yes
- Deep research mode
- Yes
- Source access
- web+files
- File uploads
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$16.67/mofirst paid tier About Gab AI Research AssistantVisit site - Free plan AndroidapiextensioniOSWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$20/mofirst paid tier About ConsensusVisit site - Free planFree trial macOSWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Source citations
- Yes
- Deep research mode
- Yes
- Source access
- web+files
- File uploads
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$0.80/mofirst paid tier About InnogathVisit site - Free plan apiWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- 11 /user/mo
- Source citations
- Yes
- Deep research mode
- Yes
- Source access
- web+files
- File uploads
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$11/mofirst paid tier About ElicitVisit site - Free plan extensioniOSWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Source citations
- Yes
- Deep research mode
- Yes
- Source access
- web+files+connectors
- File uploads
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$1/mofirst paid tier About SciSpaceVisit site - Free plan WebiOSAndroid
- Free plan
- Yes
- File uploads
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$9.99/mofirst paid tier About Gemini NotebookVisit site - Free planFree trial Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- 12 /user/mo
- Source citations
- Yes
- Deep research mode
- Yes
- Source access
- web+files+connectors
- File uploads
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$1/mofirst paid tier About ScholarlyVisit site - Free trial AndroidapiextensioniOSmacOSWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- 8 /user/mo
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$8/mofirst paid tier About FabricVisit site - Free planFree trial apiextensionWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$14/mofirst paid tier About SciteVisit site - apiLinuxmacOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Source citations
- Yes
- Deep research mode
- Yes
- Source access
- web+files+connectors
- File uploads
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WebiOSAndroid
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- 15 /user/mo
- File uploads
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Source citations
- Yes
- Deep research mode
- Yes
- Source access
- web+files+connectors
- File uploads
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WebiOS
- Free plan
- Yes
- Source citations
- Yes
- Deep research mode
- Yes
- Source access
- web+files+connectors
- File uploads
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Source citations
- Yes
- Deep research mode
- Yes
- Source access
- web+files+connectors
- File uploads
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Source citations
- Yes
- Deep research mode
- Yes
- Source access
- web+files+connectors
- File uploads
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Source citations
- Yes
- File uploads
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Source citations
- Yes
- Deep research mode
- Yes
- Source access
- web
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- No
- Paid from
- 26 /user/mo
- Source citations
- Yes
- Deep research mode
- Yes
- Source access
- web+files
- File uploads
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Source citations
- Yes
- Deep research mode
- Yes
- Source access
- web+files+connectors
- File uploads
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - macOS
- Free plan
- Yes
- Source citations
- Yes
- Deep research mode
- Yes
- Source access
- web
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms -
- Source citations
- Yes
- Deep research mode
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which AI research assistant is ranked first on Everything Xiaomi?
Perplexity is ranked #1 of 28 with a score of 7.5. Genspark Design is second and Liner third.
How many of these have a free plan?
12 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Innogath has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.80/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes: documentation depth, a free tier and the platforms it runs on. Paid placements never change a rank.