Perplexity's new Deep Research tool undercuts OpenAI's $200/mo agent

Perplexity just rolled out a new feature called “Deep Research,” expanding the growing list of AI companies attempting to tackle complex research tasks.

Perplexity announced its version on February 14, following similar “Deep Research” releases from Google and OpenAI.

According to TechCrunch, all three products have the same name but different strengths, with each aiming to deliver thorough, citation-rich analyses instead of lightweight chatbot responses.

Let's dive into the features and how they compare across models.

Key features

Perplexity’s Deep Research conducts multiple searches, reads hundreds of sources, and then compiles everything into a detailed report.

It’s free to use for anyone with a Perplexity account, though non-subscribers face a daily limit of queries. (They won't share the exact number.) Paying subscribers get unlimited queries.

OpenAI’s version, meanwhile, sits behind a hefty $200/month paywall.

Perplexity vs. OpenAI vs Google

Here's how each of the new Deep Research tools fared on “Humanity’s Last Exam,” an AI benchmark spanning 100+ academic subjects:

• OpenAI's Deep Reseach: 26.6%

• Perplexity: 21.1% score

• Gemini Thinking: 6.2%

• GPT-4o: 3.3%

As for other tradeoffs? Perplexity tends to be faster, finishing most research tasks in under three minutes, while OpenAI’s tool can take 5–30 minutes for similar queries.

Why all this means for indie hackers

For founders, Perplexity's new tool is a big deal for a few reasons:

1. Research on a Budget. Even if you have limited funds, you can still get thorough research done. Perplexity’s freemium tier is a lifeline for indie hackers looking to prototype ideas and validate assumptions without expensive monthly tools.

2. Time Savings. Most indie hackers need to ship fast and iterate faster. This tool is great for researching new markets, new competitors, and new tech.

3. Citations. Lots of AI chat tools give you a summary but leave you guessing where the information came from. Perplexity’s citations help you track sources, verify claims, and even dig deeper if you spot interesting leads. That’s crucial for critical business decisions.

What’s Next

Perplexity says it will extend Deep Research to its iOS, Android, and Mac apps soon.

For now, if you want to test drive Perplexity’s feature, head to their site, switch to “Deep Research,” and run a query.