Capability · 8 solutions compared
Research a topic on the web with citations
Search the web, read sources and produce a cited summary or report.
People ask: “research my competitors”
Buy nothing: Perplexity, ChatGPT, Claude, Google Gemini, Grok do this well on a free plan.
Every way to do it
Scored on what matters most for this job: quality, reliability.
| Tool | Fit | Quality | Reliability | Skill | Cheapest plan with it | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perplexity | Core feature | none | Free$0/mo | Free has limited weekly usage · Citations can still be misread; check key claims at the source | ||
| ChatGPT | Strong | none | Free$0/mo | Citations still need spot-checking · Deep research runs are capped per plan | ||
| Claude | Strong | none | Free$0/mo | Research is not on Free · Citations need checking | ||
| Google Gemini | Strong | none | Free$0/mo | Citations need spot-checking · Usage caps on Free | ||
| Grok | Strong | none | Free$0/mo | Social posts are noisy sources; verify claims · Fewer research report controls than Perplexity | ||
| Microsoft 365 Copilot | Strong | none | Microsoft 365 Premium (consumer)$19.99/mo | Citation checking still needed | ||
| Jasper | Partial | none | Not listed | Business plan only · Marketing-oriented rather than general research | ||
| Grammarly | Workaround | none | Free$0/seat/mo | Not a full research tool · Plan availability unconfirmed |
Fit and scores are editorial judgements; prices show their verification status. Methodology
Workflows for this
- Consolidate overlapping AI assistant subscriptions (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, Grok, Copilot)If you pay for two to four AI assistants, run a one-week, side-by-side test on your real tasks with a provided prompt set and scoring sheet, check which assistant your Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 plan already includes, and cancel the rest at their renewal dates. Some heavy users will rightly keep two; the test tells you which.easy1 hour to set up$0 extrauses
- Research ~500 target accounts a month with an AI assistant and Google SheetsReplace the account-research columns you'd build in Clay with batched, cited web research in Claude or ChatGPT, a strict JSON output schema, a scoring rubric and a 10% hallucination spot-check. It does not replace verified contact data — you still need Apollo, ZoomInfo or similar for emails and phones.moderate2–3 hours$0 extrauses Google Workspace