Side-by-side comparison · Research & Search
ChatGPT Deep Research vs Kagi vs Prompt Cowboy
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: People who search all day for work and are tired of ads and spammy results.
Pick it if: Anyone who feels their AI results are mediocre and suspects the prompt is the reason.
Kagi scores highest overall, but Prompt Cowboy gives you more for your money. Which one is right comes down to what you value most.
Overview
| Attribute | ChatGPT Deep Research | Kagi | Prompt Cowboy |
|---|---|---|---|
| In one line | ChatGPT's research mode, which browses for you and writes up a cited report. | A paid search engine with no ads or tracking, plus an AI assistant that cites sources. | Turns a rough one-line idea into a detailed, well-structured prompt for any AI tool. |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Paid | Freemium |
| Starting price | $8/mo | $5/mo | $8/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | No | Yes |
| Works with Claude Code | No | Yes | No |
Rating breakdown
Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.
| Attribute | ChatGPT Deep Research | Kagi | Prompt Cowboy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 3.8 | 4.3Winner | 4.2 |
| Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it. | 4.0 | 4.5 | 5.0 |
| FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together. | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.0 |
| Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them. | 4.5 | 4.5 | 3.5 |
| Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan. | 3.5 | 3.5 | 4.0 |
| 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 | Kagi | Prompt Cowboy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access & platform | |||
| Free plan | Yes | No | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes | No |
| Desktop app | Yes | No | No |
| Browser extension | Yes | Yes | – |
| API access | Yes | Yes | – |
| Teams & business | |||
| Team workspace | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Enterprise plan or SSO | Yes | No | No |
| Connects to other apps | Yes | Yes | No |
| Open source or self-hosted | No | No | No |
| AI abilities | |||
| Works with your files | Yes | Yes | No |
| Understands images | Yes | Yes | No |
| Makes images | Yes | No | No |
| Makes video | Yes | No | No |
| Writes code | Yes | Yes | No |
| Runs agents or automations | Yes | No | No |
| Learns your brand or style | Yes | – | Yes |
| Works in many languages | Yes | Yes | – |
| Capabilities score | 16/ 17 | 9/ 17 | 3/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | ChatGPT Deep Research | Kagi | Prompt Cowboy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans | Free Free Seeing what a report looks like. | Trial Free Seeing the difference. | FreeOur pick Free Learning what a good prompt looks like. |
Go $8/mo Casual users who want more chat, not more research. | Starter $5/mo Light searchers. | Individual $8/mo People who use it daily and want prompts in their own voice. | |
PlusOur pick $20/mo Anyone who wants deep research weekly. | ProfessionalOur pick $10/mo Anyone who searches every day. | Team $8/seat/mo Small teams who want shared instructions. | |
Pro From $100/mo Heavy users who run research daily. | 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. | 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%. | Free is genuinely enough for most people. Pay for Individual only if you are writing prompts all day and the style matching would save you editing time. Team costs the same per seat, so if more than one person will use it, take Team for the shared instructions and single bill. |
Key features
| Attribute | ChatGPT Deep Research | Kagi | Prompt Cowboy |
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Pros and cons
| Attribute | ChatGPT Deep Research | Kagi | Prompt Cowboy |
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Who each one is for
| Attribute | ChatGPT Deep Research | Kagi | Prompt Cowboy |
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Questions people ask
Which is better, ChatGPT Deep Research, Kagi or Prompt Cowboy?
Kagi scores highest overall in our ratings (ChatGPT Deep Research 3.8/5, Kagi 4.3/5 and Prompt Cowboy 4.2/5). ChatGPT Deep Research is best for market and industry scans and comparing products or suppliers. Kagi is best for everyday search without ads or tracking and research where you want trustworthy sources. Prompt Cowboy is best for better prompts for Claude and ChatGPT and deep-research briefs.
Which is cheaper, ChatGPT Deep Research, Kagi or Prompt Cowboy?
ChatGPT Deep Research: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $8/mo. Kagi: There's no free plan. Paid plans start at $5/mo. Prompt Cowboy: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $8/mo.
Which is easier to use, ChatGPT Deep Research, Kagi or Prompt Cowboy?
Prompt Cowboy rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Anyone who feels their AI results are mediocre and suspects the prompt is the reason.
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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