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OpenAI’s Deep Research tool is now accessible to all ChatGPT users, including those on the free tier.
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A lightweight version powered by the o4-mini model offers cost-effective, concise, yet in-depth research capabilities.
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Usage limits vary: Free users get 5 tasks/month; Plus & Team users receive 10 full + 15 lightweight tasks/month; Pro users have 125 full + 125 lightweight tasks/month.
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The tool autonomously generates comprehensive reports by analyzing vast online sources, completing tasks in 5–30 minutes.
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Enterprise and EDU users will gain access to the lightweight version starting next week.
🧠 OpenAI Broadens Access to ChatGPT’s Deep Research Tool
OpenAI has expanded the availability of its advanced research feature, Deep Research, to all ChatGPT users, including those on the free tier.
This move aims to democratize access to sophisticated AI-driven research capabilities, previously exclusive to higher-tier subscribers.
We’ve noticed many of you love using deep research, so we’re expanding usage for Plus, Team, and Pro users by introducing a lightweight version of deep research in order to increase current rate limits.
We’re also rolling out the lightweight version to Free users.
— OpenAI (@OpenAI) April 24, 2025
🔍 What is Deep Research?
Deep Research is an AI-powered tool within ChatGPT that autonomously conducts extensive research on user-provided prompts. It sifts through vast amounts of text, images, and PDFs from the internet to generate comprehensive reports, emulating the work of a human research analyst.
The tool operates independently, adjusting its approach in real-time as it gathers information, and typically completes tasks within 5 to 30 minutes.
“Deep research is OpenAI’s next agent that can do work for you independently, you give it a prompt, and ChatGPT will find, analyze, and synthesize hundreds of online sources to create a comprehensive report at the level of a research analyst.” — OpenAI
🪶 Introduction of the Lightweight Version
To make Deep Research more accessible, OpenAI has introduced a lightweight version powered by the o4-mini model. This version delivers responses that are nearly as intelligent as the full version but is more cost-effective to operate.
While the responses are shorter, they maintain the depth and quality expected from the full version.
“The lightweight version of deep research is powered by a version of OpenAI o4-mini and is nearly as intelligent as the deep research people already know and love, while being significantly cheaper to serve.” — OpenAI
📊 Usage Limits by Subscription Tier
Access to Deep Research varies based on the user’s ChatGPT subscription plan:
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Free Users: 5 tasks/month (lightweight version only)
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Plus & Team Users: 10 tasks/month (full version) + 15 tasks/month (lightweight version)
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Pro Users: 125 tasks/month (full version) + 125 tasks/month (lightweight version)
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Enterprise Users: 10 tasks/month (full version)
Once users reach the limit for the full version, ChatGPT automatically defaults to the lightweight version to ensure uninterrupted service.
🌍 Real-World Applications and User Feedback
Since its initial launch, Deep Research has been utilized for various purposes, including literature reviews, market analyses, and personal decision-making processes like choosing a college or planning a skincare routine.
Users have praised its ability to generate detailed and comprehensive reports, noting its usefulness in exploring complex topics that require extensive information synthesis.
🔮 Looking Ahead
The expansion of Deep Research to a broader user base aligns with OpenAI’s mission to make advanced AI tools more accessible.
By providing a lightweight version that maintains high-quality output, OpenAI enables users across different subscription tiers to leverage AI for in-depth research tasks.
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