Free plans (7)
Their limits are stated in different terms, so they aren't ranked against each other. Ordered by first paid price.
| Tool | Stated limits | What makes you upgrade | First paid price | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Gemini Deep ResearchRead Oct 29, 2026 |
Free Gemini app with Flash-Lite model, image generation, Deep Research, Gemini Live, Canvas, Gems, Notebook and 15 GB storage; paid plans add higher usage limits"Get everyday help from Google AI to tackle tasks at work, school or home."Source | Paid plans add higher usage limits | $4.99/moGoogle AI Plus | Free plan |
 ResearchRabbitRead Oct 29, 2026 |
Free Forever tier: unlimited searches, unlimited library and collections, sharing collections, up to 50 seed articles, core search settings"ResearchRabbit has and will always have a free offering to help researchers do their best work."Source | Not found | $12.50/moResearchRabbit+ ( plan) | Free plan |
 Claude (Research)Read Oct 29, 2026 |
Free plan with chat, web search, file creation, memory, connectors, up to 5 projects; no Research. Usage limits apply."Free for everyone"Source | Not found | $20/moPro | Free plan |
 DustRead Oct 29, 2026 |
Free seat on the Business plan includes 500 credits, lifetime (not renewing). Free users are prompted to request an upgrade when out of credits."Free: 0€, 500 credits lifetime. Best for occasional users or people trying Dust."Source | Free users are prompted to request an upgrade when out of credits | $30/userBusiness Pro seat | Free plan |
 ElicitRead Oct 29, 2026 |
Basic is free with limited Research Agent and Research Reports usage, unlimited search across 138 million papers, unlimited summaries and chat with papers"Limited usage for Research Agent and Research Reports"Source | Not found | $75/userPro | Free plan |
 ChatGPT (Deep Research)Read Oct 29, 2026 |
Free plan with unlimited text chats, limited uploads, limited deep research, image creation and voice"Unlimited text chats with GPT-6"Source | Not found | No price found | Free plan |
 Parallel Web SystemsRead Oct 29, 2026 |
Up to 5,000 requests per month free, plus $5 in free credits per month"Run up to 5,000 requests per month for free"Source | Not found | $3/1K requests | Free plan |
Free trial only (3)
Questions
Which AI research assistants are free?
7 have a free plan you can keep, including ChatGPT (Deep Research), Claude (Research), Dust, Elicit, Gemini Deep Research, Parallel Web Systems.
What do you pay after a free plan?
The lowest first paid price among tools with a free plan is $4.99/mo (Gemini Deep Research). Read from each vendor's own page.
How this page is made
Every limit is the vendor's own, read from its pages and quoted. A tool counts as a free plan when the text describes something you can keep using; a fixed number of days or a single batch of credits is listed separately. We don't test the plans. How prices are read.