Elicit vs iatroX (2025): AI for Research vs AI for Practice
Current iatroX access
askiatroX and the PSA, PARA, MRCP Part 1, MRCEM SBA question banks are free. Other exam banks offer free samples, with full access included in all-access (£29/month or £99/year in the UK; US$29/month or US$99/year elsewhere).
Up to 10 new sample questions per day, shared across exams and subject to availability, with explanations and no account required. One complete guided Tutor session is included with a verified free account; continued Tutor use is included in all-access.
See all-access plans · Access checked . This comparison is published by iatroX.
At a Glance
Who is it for?
iatroX:Clinicians treating patients (Point of Care).
Elicit:Academics & Researchers writing papers.
Why choose iatroX?
- **Clinical Safety**: Grounded in established national guidelines (current authoritative clinical and prescribing guidance).
- **Actionable**: Synthesises a management plan, not just a literature summary.
- **UK Focused**: Filters for UK-licensed drugs and pathways.
- **Zero-Shot**: Answers the question immediately without needing to select papers.
Why choose Elicit?
- **Literature Matrix**: Builds incredible tables comparing methodology across 100+ papers.
- **Primary Research**: Finds the cutting-edge data that hasn't made it into guidelines yet.
- **Bias Analysis**: Automatically flags funding sources and sample size limitations.
- **Discovery**: Finds relevant papers even if keywords don't match perfectly.
Feature Comparison
| Capability | iatroX | Elicit |
|---|---|---|
| Source Material | Secondary Evidence (Guidelines) | Primary Evidence (Academic Papers) |
| Primary Output | Clinical Answer / Plan | Literature Review / Synthesis |
| Target User | Doctor on the Ward | Doctor in the Library |
| Speed | Instant Answer | Deep Analysis (Minutes) |
In-Depth Analysis
Overview
Elicit is a superpower for creating knowledge. If you are writing a paper, doing an audit, or trying to find the answer to a question that has no guideline, Elicit is the best tool to search the raw scientific literature.
iatroX is a superpower for applying knowledge. In clinical practice, we generally do not treat patients based on a single new paper; we treat them based on synthesized guidelines. iatroX retrieves these guidelines to ensure you are practicing safe, defensible medicine.
Key Differences
- Ask Elicit: "Does magnesium help sleep?" -> It analyzes 15 papers, summarizes the findings, and notes that evidence is mixed.
- Ask iatroX: "How do I treat insomnia?" -> It provides the current UK clinical guidance on sleep hygiene, CBT-i, and short-term Z-drugs.
Use-Cases
Writing a Systematic Review
When to choose iatroX
- N/A
When to choose Elicit
- **Essential.** Can save hundreds of hours of screening papers.
Treating a UTI
When to choose iatroX
- **Recommended.** Gives the current approved antimicrobial guidance.
When to choose Elicit
- **Dangerous.** Might suggest a drug effective in a recent trial but not licensed or available in your hospital.
Answering a Patient's Niche Question
When to choose iatroX
- Good for standard advice.
When to choose Elicit
- **Recommended.** Useful if the patient asks about a brand new treatment they saw on the news.
FAQs
- Is Elicit free?
- Elicit has a limited free tier, but power features require a subscription.
- Can iatroX find research papers?
- No. iatroX looks for clinical guidelines (current authoritative clinical guidance). Use Elicit or Consensus for raw research papers.