Comparison
| Tool | Price from | Free plan | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
 Consensus | 12 USD/mo | ? | AI search engines |
 Perplexity | not listed | yes | AI search engines |
 Mapify | 9.99 USD/mo | yes | AI search engines |
 Kagi | 5 USD/mo | trial | AI search engines |
 Microsoft Edge Copilot Mode | 9.99 USD/mo | yes | AI search engines |
 Brand24 | 249 USD/mo | trial | AI search engines |
 iAsk | 9.95 USD/mo | yes | AI search engines |
Each alternative in short
1. Perplexity
AI answer engine giving sourced, real-time answers to questions, with a Computer mode for delegating work.
Yes, there is a free plan. Meta description describes Perplexity as free; plan limits are not stated in the text.
2. Mapify
Turns PDFs, YouTube videos, webpages, audio and text into structured, editable mind maps for students, researchers and knowledge workers.
Yes, there is a free plan. 30 AI credits one-time, 5 PDF/doc to mind maps, 5 YouTube videos to mind maps, prompt/Markdown to mind maps, YouTube transcript access, editing of mind maps. No credit card needed.
3. Kagi
Ad-free, privacy-focused search engine and AI assistant, funded by user subscriptions, for people who want search results without tracking or ads.
There is a free trial. Trial plan with 100 searches and 100 Kagi Assistant interactions; free use of 150 searches, Orion Browser, Kagi Translate and the Small Web.
4. Microsoft Edge Copilot Mode
AI assistant built into the Edge browser that works across your open tabs to compare options, summarize pages and finish tasks.
Yes, there is a free plan. Copilot in Edge is available without payment; higher usage limits and premium AI experiences are included with Microsoft 365 subscriptions.
5. Brand24
AI social listening tool that tracks brand mentions, sentiment and customer feedback across social media, news, blogs and forums.
There is a free trial. Free 14-day trial of the product.
6. iAsk
Free AI answer engine and homework helper that gives cited answers to questions, for students and researchers.
Yes, there is a free plan. Free plan: AI search with limited ads, iAsk Writer, AI summarizer, search history, companion AI, personal AI assistant, and unlimited daily searches on the non-Pro model.
FAQ
What is the best alternative to Consensus?
The most popular option in the same category is Perplexity. See the comparison table above.