Perplexity AI has joined the AI research race with its latest feature, Deep Research. This tool offers expert-level research capabilities with real citations, making it useful for professionals. Unlike OpenAI’s Deep Research, which costs $200 per month, Perplexity’s version is free, though non-subscribers have a daily usage limit.
Deep Research is designed for users who need detailed reports on finance, marketing, product research, and other fields. It generates well-structured reports by searching and analyzing information step by step—similar to how humans research topics. Users can export reports as PDFs or share them as Perplexity Pages.
How Perplexity’s Deep Research Compares
Deep Research tools from Perplexity, OpenAI, and Google all aim to improve AI-driven research. However, they differ in pricing, speed, and usability:
- Perplexity’s Deep Research is the fastest and most accessible, completing tasks in under three minutes.
- OpenAI’s Deep Research provides deeper analysis but takes 5 to 30 minutes per query and requires a pricey subscription.
- Google Gemini Deep Research integrates well with Google’s ecosystem, making it ideal for users already using Google tools.
Performance and Accuracy
Perplexity AI’s Deep Research scored 21.1% on Humanity’s Last Exam, an AI benchmark test. This puts it ahead of Google Gemini Thinking (6.2%), Grok-2 (3.8%), and OpenAI’s GPT-4o (3.3%). However, OpenAI’s Deep Research scored higher at 26.6%.
The Future of AI Research
While AI research tools are improving, they are not perfect. Critics warn that over-reliance on AI for research may limit creativity and reduce deep thinking. AI tools often prioritize easily available sources, which may affect the depth of analysis.
Perplexity AI’s Deep Research stands out as a fast, free, and efficient option. With its accessibility and speed, it offers a strong alternative to paid AI research tools. As AI research evolves, professionals will need to balance AI assistance with critical thinking to get the best results.
