Best AI tools for research in 2026

AI search and research assistants with sources.

1. Perplexity (AI search)

   Answer engine that searches the web and cites sources.

   Pricing: Free; paid Pro and Enterprise · Visit Perplexity

2. NotebookLM (Research)

   Upload documents and get grounded summaries, Q&A and Audio Overviews.

   Pricing: Free; higher limits with Google AI plans · Visit NotebookLM

3. Elicit (Research)

   AI research assistant for searching and summarizing papers.

   Pricing: Free tier; paid plans · Visit Elicit

4. Consensus (Research)

   AI search engine over peer-reviewed research.

   Pricing: Free tier; paid plans · Visit Consensus

5. Gemini (Assistant)

   Google's AI assistant, also built into Gmail, Docs and other Workspace apps.

   Pricing: Free; paid Google AI plans · Visit Gemini