The Landscape in 2026
The AI research tool space has exploded. Here's how the major players stack up:
Pricing Comparison
Feature Comparison
Search Sources
- PennyResearch: 20+ sources (Google, Bing, Brave, Reddit, arXiv, HN, GitHub, LinkedIn, etc.)
- Perplexity: Real-time web + academic
- Elicit: Academic papers (focused)
- Consensus: Peer-reviewed studies only
- AnswerThis: 4 academic databases
Deep Research
- PennyResearch: Full deep research mode with multi-model synthesis
- Perplexity: Deep Research mode (20+ queries)
- ChatGPT: Deep Research (o3 model, limited)
- Elicit: Systematic review extraction
- Consensus: Evidence synthesis
- AnswerThis: Multi-source PDF analysis
Artifacts & Outputs
- PennyResearch: Code, text, sheets, HTML, images — all in one workspace
- Others: Text-only or limited export options
The Verdict
There's no single "best" tool — it depends on your use case:
- Best for general research: PennyResearch (broadest source coverage + artifacts)
- Best for academic research: Elicit (structured extraction + systematic review)
- Best for quick answers: Perplexity (fast + polished UX)
- Best on a budget: Consensus ($8.99/mo)
- Best for deep dives: ChatGPT Deep Research (powerful reasoning)
Why Price-to-Value Matters
PennyResearch's Pro plan at $29/month sits in a sweet spot — cheaper than Perplexity Max ($200) and AnswerThis ($75), while offering more credits and broader source coverage than budget options. For a power researcher doing 5-10 deep research sessions daily, it's the best value proposition on the market.
