We’ve moved from search boxes to chatbots, and now, to tools that generate structured, source-backed research from a single prompt. Welcome to the era of deep research.
Deep research tools represent a shift in how we approach complex questions. Rather than delivering short summaries or isolated facts, these tools break down prompts into sub-tasks, retrieve and evaluate content from multiple sources, and synthesize information into structured outputs like full reports, tables, and even charts.
What makes deep research tools particularly powerful is their transparency, giving users the ability to view the AI’s reasoning process and examine the sources it consulted.
What Companies are Building Deep Research Tools?
The deep research race kicked off in December 2024 with the launch of Gemini Deep Research by Google. In early 2025, other major players entered the space, offering similar — though distinct — capabilities. Each tool reflects a different approach to generating structured, citation-rich insights from a single prompt, and the landscape continues to evolve rapidly.
- Google, OpenAI, and xAI use proprietary large language models to generate comprehensive reports.
- Perplexity takes a different approach, using a customized version of the open-source DeepSeek R1 model.
- Microsoft’s Researcher “combines OpenAI’s deep research model with Microsoft 365 Copilot’s advanced orchestration and deep search capabilities.”
- AlphaSense recently launched its own deep research functionality, designed for financial services, consulting, and corporate strategy teams. It surfaces high-value insights by tapping into premium, often hard-to-access content, including expert transcripts, broker research, and proprietary internal documents.
- Other players include You.com’s ARI, Elicit Reports, Hugging Face’s Open Deep Research, and Claude Research by Anthropic.
Each brings a unique approach and a different set of trade-offs.
Key Trade-Offs to Consider
Choosing a deep research tool isn’t just about performance — it’s about fit. Here are the main factors to consider:
Data Access
- Most deep research tools rely on publicly available web content.
- Elicit uses academic papers.
- xAI’s Grok DeepSearch and DeeperSearch include social data from X, in addition to web-based data.
- Microsoft and Claude blend internal data with web sources.
- AlphaSense surfaces insights from premium business content, in addition to incorporating internal data for Enterprise Intelligence users.
Cost
- Some tools like Google’s are free.
- Others have usage-based plans.
- Enterprise platforms like Microsoft and AlphaSense bundle their deep research tools into broader offerings.
Output Format
- Deep research tools like those from OpenAI, Google, Perplexity, and AlphaSense go beyond text and include charts or tables.
- Google’s Deep Research allows exports to Sheets and Docs, and even offers audio overviews.
- AlphaSense and Elicit allow users to view the exact location of each citation directly within the deep research output, without needing to navigate to a separate page.
Usability
- Some tools let you edit research plans (ex. Google).
- Others ask follow-up questions (ex. OpenAI).
- Perplexity, AlphaSense, and Elicit send email alerts when reports are ready.
Accuracy & Trust
- In-line citations are increasingly standard.
- Users of deep research tools have noted that they can sometimes give outdated or incorrect information, despite citing sources.
- AlphaSense and Elicit let users view the exact source location for every citation directly within the output, eliminating the need to navigate away from the report.
Speed vs. Depth
- Perplexity prioritizes speed, returning results in under three minutes.
- xAI's and You.com's deep research tools balance speed and depth, delivering responses in approximately five minutes.
- Google Gemini’s Deep Research is slightly slower, typically generating outputs in under 10 minutes.
- OpenAI’s and AlphaSense’s deep research tools offer very comprehensive responses but users may need to wait up to 30 minutes for them to complete.
For many users, waiting 30 minutes may be a worthwhile trade-off for a deeply researched, multi-source report.
Embracing the Future Of Research
Deep research tools are still evolving. We can expect more advanced multimodal capabilities, enabling analysis across text, images, audio, and video. These tools will also become more deeply embedded in enterprise workflows, enabling seamless access to both internal and external data. In parallel, we’ll likely see the rise of industry-specific deep research solutions tailored to the distinct needs of fields like finance, law, and healthcare.
Whether you’re a corporate strategist, investment banking analyst, academic, or simply a curious mind, embracing these innovations means tapping into a more connected, insightful, and efficient approach to generating knowledge and making decisions.
Deep research tools mark the beginning of a more intelligent and integrated future for knowledge discovery.
Read the full report for a deeper dive into deep research tools shaping 2025.
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