Elicit - Research assistant

Score: 7.5/10 | 💰 Pricing: Freemium/Paid | 🏷️ research

In Brief

Elicit is like having a caffeine-fueled intern that never sleeps or complains, constantly scouring the web for relevant sources to your research topics. It’s not perfect, but it sure beats manual Googling.

✅ What We Love

  • Automatic Source Collection: Elicit’s bot is tireless, finding and organizing articles, papers, and even Reddit threads that you might’ve missed. It’s like having a smart, lazy researcher at your beck and call.
  • Seamless Integration: The browser extension works smoothly, adding relevant sources to your Elicit dashboard as you browse. No more tab hoarding!
  • Practical AI: Unlike other AI assistants that struggle with context, Elicit’s AI understands research topics well enough to find meaningful sources. It’s like having a research-savvy parrot that can actually help.

❌ What Sucks

  • Limited Customization: While the bot is smart, it could use some fine-tuning. You can’t teach it new tricks or tell it to ignore specific sites. Yet.
  • Free Tier Limitations: The free version is generous with its features, but paid plans aren’t cheap. If you’re not a heavy user, the cost might outweigh the benefits.

💰 Pricing

  • Free: Unlimited sources, basic filtering, browser extension.
  • Pro Monthly ($15/month): Advanced filters, priority support, API access.
  • Enterprise (Custom pricing): Custom bot training, dedicated support, team management tools.

💡 Best For

Academics, journalists, or anyone who needs to stay updated on specific topics. Elicit shines when you need to keep track of ongoing discussions and breaking news in your field.

🚫 Skip If

You’re a casual browser with no specific research goals, or if you prefer manual control over your source gathering process.

The Verdict

Elicit is like having an eager research assistant that’s always one step ahead. It won’t replace the human touch, but it’ll save you hours of Googling and make you look brilliant at parties. Worth a try, even with its minor quirks.