Cheapest · Research agents · Prices checked October 21, 2026 to October 22, 2026
Cheapest AI research tools (2026): 9 sorted by real price
9 AI research tools sorted by price, cheapest first, using only the prices each vendor publishes, with the plan name, the source and the date we checked it. 7 have a free plan. Sorted by price only, never by payment.
Quick answer
- Cheapest: Gemini Deep Research, whose lowest listed monthly plan is Google AI Plus: $4.99/mo.
- Next cheapest: ChatGPT (Go: $8/mo (may include ads)), Elicit (Plus: $11/user/mo (billed annually ($132/yr))).
- Free plan: Gemini Deep Research, ChatGPT, Elicit, Consensus, Powerdrill, Perplexity, Gemini Notebook.
- Per user: ChatGPT, Gemini Deep Research, Elicit and Paxton price per user or seat on at least one plan.
- Prices checked: October 21, 2026 to October 22, 2026, on each vendor's own pricing page.
AI research tools by price
| # | Product | Lowest listed monthly plan | Free plan | All plans | Checked | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Gemini Deep Research | Google AI Plus: $4.99/mo | Free: $0 |
| October 21, 2026 | Source |
| 2 |  ChatGPT | Go: $8/mo (may include ads) | Free: $0 |
| October 21, 2026 | Source |
| 3 |  Elicit | Plus: $11/user/mo (billed annually ($132/yr)) | Basic: Free |
| October 21, 2026 | Source |
| 4 |  Consensus | Pro: $12/mo ($144/yr) | Free: $0 |
| October 21, 2026 | Source |
| 5 |  Powerdrill | Pro: $16.58/mo (yearly; first-year discount shown) | Free: $0/month |
| October 21, 2026 | Source |
| 6 |  Perplexity | Pro: $17/mo (billed annually) | Free: $0 |
| October 21, 2026 | Source |
| 7 | Paxton | Individual (monthly): $499/user/mo (7-day free trial) | No |
| October 22, 2026 | Source |
| 8 |  Gemini Notebook | no monthly price listed | Gemini Notebook: Free |
| October 21, 2026 | Source |
| 9 |  Manus | no monthly price listed | No | not published | October 21, 2026 | Source |
How we sorted: the lowest monthly price printed on each vendor's pricing page, cheapest first; products that only publish usage, yearly or quote pricing come last. Prices are copied from each vendor's public pricing page on the date shown; plan names and billing notes (per seat, billed yearly) are kept as the vendor writes them. "not published" or "Contact sales" means the vendor doesn't publish a price; we don't guess. Prices change; confirm with the vendor.
All 9, cheapest first
Research agents →-
ResearchFree tier
Gemini Deep Research
Google's Gemini assistant; Deep Research browses many sources and writes a report.
SubscriptionFree; AI Pro $19.99/mo
-
Browser agentsFree tier
ChatGPT (agent & deep research)
OpenAI's assistant. Paid plans add agent features (ChatGPT Work, a built-in browser, scheduled tasks) and deeper research reports.
Subscription · 2 use casesFree; Plus $20/mo
-
ResearchFree tier
Elicit
A research assistant for academic papers: search, screening and data extraction for literature and systematic reviews.
Subscription · 3 use casesFree; Plus $11/mo
-
ResearchFree tier
Consensus
An AI search engine over peer-reviewed research that summarizes what studies found, with citations.
SubscriptionFree; Pro $12/mo
-
DataFree tier
Powerdrill
An AI agent workspace for data analysis and research that turns files and data into reports, slides and charts.
SubscriptionFree; Pro from $16.58/mo
-
ResearchFree tier
Perplexity
An AI answer engine with cited sources, deep research reports and 'Computer' tasks that build documents and apps.
SubscriptionFree; Pro $17/mo
-
Legal
Paxton
AI legal research and drafting workspace for litigation teams, built around case files.
Per seat$499/user/mo
-
ResearchFree tier
Gemini Notebook (NotebookLM)
Google's research notebook (formerly NotebookLM) that answers questions from your sources and makes audio overviews and slides.
SubscriptionFree; more with Google AI plans
-
Browser agents
Manus
A general-purpose agent that works on its own in a cloud computer: browsing, researching, and producing reports, slides and simple sites.
Quote only · 1 use caseSee vendor
FAQ
What is the cheapest AI research tool in 2026?
Of the 9 AI research tools we list with verified pricing, the cheapest by listed monthly price is Gemini Deep Research, whose lowest listed monthly plan is Google AI Plus: $4.99/mo, checked October 21, 2026. With a free plan: Gemini Deep Research, ChatGPT, Elicit, Consensus, Powerdrill, Perplexity and Gemini Notebook. Cheapest isn't always best value: compare what each plan includes.
Is there a free AI research tool?
Yes. Gemini Deep Research: yes. Its Free plan is $0 (with a Google Account), checked October 21, 2026. ChatGPT: yes. Its Free plan is $0 (limited deep research and ChatGPT Work), checked October 21, 2026. Elicit: yes. Its Basic plan is Free, checked October 21, 2026. Consensus: yes. Its Free plan is $0 (basic paper search), checked October 21, 2026. Powerdrill: yes. Its Free plan is $0/month, checked October 21, 2026. Perplexity: yes. Its Free plan is $0, checked October 21, 2026. Gemini Notebook: yes. Its Gemini Notebook plan is Free (standard limits), checked October 21, 2026.
How much does an AI research tool cost per month?
The lowest listed monthly plans run from $4.99/mo (Gemini Deep Research) to $499/mo (Paxton) across the 7 that print a monthly price. Gemini Notebook and Manus don't print a comparable monthly price. Prices checked October 21, 2026 to October 22, 2026.
Are these prices per user?
Some are. ChatGPT, Gemini Deep Research, Elicit and Paxton price at least one plan per user or seat, so multiply by your team size. The others print a flat monthly price. Several also print a lower price for yearly billing; the table keeps the vendor's wording.
Can a vendor pay to be listed as cheaper?
No. The order is by price only, from each vendor's public pricing page on the date shown. Paid placements on AITeamGuide are always labelled "Sponsored" or "Featured" and never change this order.
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Every AI agent with a free plan · All AI agent prices in one table · AI agent pricing statistics
Work at a company on this page? Vendors can claim their listing for free or feature it with a label that says "Sponsored"; paid status never changes the order on this page. Building a different agent? List it here.
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