Rahul Somvanshi
OpenAI has made its powerful Deep Research tool available to free ChatGPT users with a new "lightweight" version that promises shorter but equally insightful reports.
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Free users get 5 queries per month, while Plus and Team users receive 25, and Pro subscribers enjoy a hefty 250 monthly research sessions.
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The tool scours hundreds of web sources and compiles detailed reports with citations, taking between 5 to 30 minutes depending on query complexity.
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Running on the new o4-mini model, the lightweight version costs OpenAI significantly less to operate while maintaining comparable intelligence to the original.
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This move directly challenges competitor Perplexity, which offers free users five queries per day versus ChatGPT's five per month limit.
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Business leaders can leverage the tool by uploading public earnings transcripts or social media data to extract actionable insights for specific challenges.
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The rollout began in April 2025 with gradual implementation across user tiers, with Enterprise and Education users gaining access the following week.
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Deep Research particularly benefits knowledge workers in finance, science, and law who need comprehensive, reliable information with minimal manual effort.
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