Perplexity has introduced Deep Research, a new AI-powered research tool that performs comprehensive analysis at a fraction of the cost of existing enterprise solutions. The system conducts multiple searches across numerous sources to generate detailed reports in approximately 2-4 minutes, a task that would typically take human experts several hours.
According to Perplexity, the tool achieves a 93.9% accuracy score on the SimpleQA benchmark and 21.1% on Humanity’s Last Exam, outperforming several competing models including Google’s Gemini Thinking. While OpenAI’s similar service scores slightly higher at 26.6%, it comes at a significantly higher price point of $200 per month.
Accessibility and Pricing
The company is offering the service with a distinctive pricing model: all users receive free access with a limited number of daily queries, while Pro subscribers can access unlimited queries for $20 per month. This stands in stark contrast to enterprise AI services from companies like Anthropic and OpenAI, which can cost thousands of dollars monthly.
The tool’s capabilities include:
- Conducting multiple searches and analyzing hundreds of sources
- Generating comprehensive reports averaging 1,300 words
- Exporting findings as PDFs or shareable documents
- Performing research across various fields including finance, marketing, and technology
CEO Aravind Srinivas emphasizes the company’s commitment to making knowledge universally accessible, stating that information shouldn’t be restricted by expensive subscription plans. The service is currently available on web platforms, with planned expansions to iOS, Android, and Mac.
This development raises questions about the justification for high-cost enterprise AI services, particularly as organizations are increasing their AI spending despite limited overall IT budget growth. Industry observers note that this could force larger AI companies to reevaluate their pricing strategies.
Sources: VentureBeat, Perplexity