Side-by-side comparison · Research & Search
ChatGPT Deep Research vs Consensus vs Kagi
Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.
Comparing 3 tools, the maximum.
At a glance
Pick it if: ChatGPT users who want a proper write-up on a question and are happy to wait a few minutes for it.
Pick it if: Anyone who wants to know whether something is backed by actual studies before repeating it.
Pick it if: People who search all day for work and are tired of ads and spammy results.
Overview
| Attribute | ChatGPT Deep Research | Consensus | Kagi |
|---|---|---|---|
| In one line | ChatGPT's research mode, which browses for you and writes up a cited report. | Searches academic papers and tells you what the evidence actually says. | A paid search engine with no ads or tracking, plus an AI assistant that cites sources. |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium | Paid |
| Starting price | $8/mo | $20/mo | $5/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | No |
| Works with Claude Code | No | No | Yes |
Rating breakdown
Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.
| Attribute | ChatGPT Deep Research | Consensus | Kagi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 3.8 | 4.3 | 4.3 |
| Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it. | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together. | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them. | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.5 |
| Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan. | 3.5 | 4.0 | 3.5 |
| Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over. | 3.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
Feature comparison
A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.
| Attribute | ChatGPT Deep Research | Consensus | Kagi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access & platform | |||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | No |
| Mobile app | Yes | – | Yes |
| Desktop app | Yes | No | No |
| Browser extension | Yes | – | Yes |
| API access | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Teams & business | |||
| Team workspace | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Enterprise plan or SSO | Yes | Yes | No |
| Connects to other apps | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Open source or self-hosted | No | No | No |
| AI abilities | |||
| Works with your files | Yes | – | Yes |
| Understands images | Yes | No | Yes |
| Makes images | Yes | No | No |
| Makes video | Yes | No | No |
| Writes code | Yes | No | Yes |
| Runs agents or automations | Yes | No | No |
| Learns your brand or style | Yes | No | – |
| Works in many languages | Yes | – | Yes |
| Capabilities score | 16/ 17 | 5/ 17 | 9/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | ChatGPT Deep Research | Consensus | Kagi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans | Free Free Seeing what a report looks like. | Free Free Occasional fact-checking. | Trial Free Seeing the difference. |
Go $8/mo Casual users who want more chat, not more research. | ProOur pick $20/mo, or $12/mo billed yearly Anyone who checks evidence weekly. | Starter $5/mo Light searchers. | |
PlusOur pick $20/mo Anyone who wants deep research weekly. | Deep $65/mo, or $45/mo billed yearly Researchers and clinicians doing frequent literature reviews. | ProfessionalOur pick $10/mo Anyone who searches every day. | |
Pro From $100/mo Heavy users who run research daily. | Teams Custom Labs, departments and research groups. | Ultimate $25/mo Heavy AI users. | |
Duo and Family Duo $14/mo, Family $20/mo Couples and households. | |||
| Which plan to pick | If you have Plus already, you are set; its deep research allowance covers most people. Do not buy ChatGPT just for research unless you also want the rest of it, because Perplexity Pro costs less and is faster. Pro is only worth it if you run reports every day. | Start on Free. If you find yourself rationing the 10 Pro messages, Pro billed yearly is good value at $12 a month. Deep is only for people whose job is literature reviews; most readers here will never need it. | Use the free trial for a week, then take Professional. 300 searches on Starter goes in a couple of weeks for most people. Only pay for Ultimate if you'd otherwise pay for an AI chat subscription, since it bundles the top models. Yearly billing saves 10%. |
Key features
| Attribute | ChatGPT Deep Research | Consensus | Kagi |
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Pros and cons
| Attribute | ChatGPT Deep Research | Consensus | Kagi |
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Who each one is for
| Attribute | ChatGPT Deep Research | Consensus | Kagi |
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Questions people ask
Which is better, ChatGPT Deep Research, Consensus or Kagi?
They tie on our overall rating (ChatGPT Deep Research 3.8/5, Consensus 4.3/5 and Kagi 4.3/5). ChatGPT Deep Research is best for market and industry scans and comparing products or suppliers. Consensus is best for fact-checking health claims and finding studies on a topic. Kagi is best for everyday search without ads or tracking and research where you want trustworthy sources.
Which is cheaper, ChatGPT Deep Research, Consensus or Kagi?
ChatGPT Deep Research: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $8/mo. Consensus: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $20/mo. Kagi: There's no free plan. Paid plans start at $5/mo.
How we compare
Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.
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