In short
How they differ.
Worked out from the makers' own pages, read Oct 20, 2026. Prices change; check before you pay.
- Both have a free plan.
- ChatGPT deep research's cheapest paid plan is cheaper: $8 a month against $11.
- ChatGPT deep research also has a phone app and computer app.
Side by side
The details.
| ChatGPT deep research | Elicit | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | OpenAI · United States | Elicit · United States |
| What it says it is | “Deep research helps you accomplish complex online tasks by reasoning, researching, and synthesizing information” | “The AI Research Assistant” |
| Free plan | YesPricing page lists "Limited deep research" on Free and Go; Plus "Expanded deep research"; Pro "Maximum deep research". Help center: "Deep research usage varies by plan." Exact task counts not published on the pages read. | YesBasic (free): limited Research Agent and Research Reports; unlimited search across more than 138 million papers. |
| Plans | Free: freeGo: $8 a monthPlus: $20 a monthPro: $100 a monthBusiness: $25 a month | Basic: freePlus: $11 a monthPro: $49 a monthScale: $169 a monthEnterprise: not in US$ |
| Runs on | web, desktop, mobile | web |
| Latest update | — | Routines and more flexible research with the Agent, Sep 30, 2026 |
| Its terms | “When you use our services for individuals (Free, Plus, Pro), we may use your content to train our models.”What it does with your data · OpenAI Help Center: How your data is used to improve model performance | “PDFs you upload are encrypted and remain private to your account only, until you choose to delete them.”What it does with your data · Elicit Help: Privacy for uploaded papers |
| Disputes | None on file | None on file |
| Sources | Prices, Oct 20, 2026 · Description · company-reported | Prices, Oct 20, 2026 · Description · company-reported |
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