Felo is an AI research and search platform that answers natural-language questions with cited sources. Developed by Sparticle in Japan, its biggest strength is multilingual support: it searches and translates across information sources in more than 30 languages. It can visualize search results as mind maps, auto-generate literature reviews, create AI presentations (Slide), and offer LiveDoc, a canvas you can co-edit with AI — covering everything from “researching” to “summarizing and creating” in a single screen. In addition to the web version, iOS/Android apps are available, and you can start with a free plan.
Key Features
- AI answers with citations: Enter a question and Felo searches the web and generates an answer with links to its sources. You can follow the citations back to the original articles, making fact-checking easier
- Multilingual search across 30+ languages: Even if you ask in Japanese, it searches and translates sources in English, Chinese, and other languages and reflects them in the answer — giving you access to primary sources you would not find in your own language alone
- Mind map visualization: Automatically generates a mind map of the topic you searched. You can see how concepts connect at a glance and spot gaps in your research
- Automatic literature reviews: For academic topics, Felo can automatically compile a review organizing related literature, shortening the prep work for paper surveys
- AI presentation creation (Slide): Automatically turns your search and research results into presentation slides, reducing the effort of converting findings into reports
- LiveDoc (AI collaborative canvas): A canvas you can co-edit with AI in real time. It consolidates documents and ideas into a single workspace and also works for team collaboration
Pricing
| Plan | Monthly Price | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Generous limits on fast searches; professional searches limited to 5 per day. Standard models |
| Pro | $14.99 (approx. ¥2,099) | Up to 300 professional searches per day. Access to advanced AI models such as OpenAI o1 and Claude |
Pricing is as of August 2026. For the latest details, including plan specifics and whether annual billing is available, please check the official site.
Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Cited answers let you research while verifying sources, making it easier to trust the information
- Cross-lingual search reaches overseas primary sources even when you ask in your own language
- Covers what comes “after” the search — mind maps, literature reviews, and slide generation
- A Japan-born service with careful attention to Japanese UI and answer quality in Japanese
- Free plan available, plus mobile apps (iOS/Android)
⚠️ Cons
- The free plan allows only 5 professional searches per day, so serious use effectively requires the Pro plan
- Answers are AI-generated, so cross-checking against the cited sources is still the user’s job
- As a search-focused tool, broad creative work and coding assistance like general-purpose chat AIs are not its main use case
- Features are added quickly, so the UI and feature set can change often
Comparison with Similar Services
| Comparison | Felo | Perplexity | Genspark | ChatGPT (search) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | Felo (Sparticle, Japan) | Perplexity AI (US) | MainFunc (US) | OpenAI (US) |
| Strengths | Cross-lingual search, mind maps, slide generation | Fast cited answers, Deep Research | AI-agent research and document creation | Integration with a general-purpose chat AI |
| Citations | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Visualization / outputs | Mind maps / Slide / LiveDoc | Page generation (Pages) | Sparkpage, slides | Mainly text answers |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Who Is It For
- Researchers and students who want to ask questions in their own language while covering overseas primary sources in English and beyond
- People who want to check search results with citations and turn them into reports and documents within a single tool
- Researchers and graduate students who want to streamline the prep work of paper and literature surveys
- Anyone who wants to survey a topic’s big picture with mind maps while researching
- Teams who want to try a Japan-born AI service as their research platform for work
Summary
Felo is a platform built around cited AI search that covers the whole journey from research to deliverables — cross-lingual search, mind maps, literature reviews, slide generation, and LiveDoc. Its multilingual capability, letting you “ask in Japanese and reach overseas sources,” is a differentiator with real practical value for Japanese users in particular. Start with the free plan to test the search quality and visualization features, and consider the Pro plan once professional searches become part of your daily routine.