ChatGPT Plus just got a huge deep research upgrade — here's how to try it now (2025)

ChatGPT Plus just got a huge deep research upgrade — here's how to try it now (1)

OpenAI announced today (February 25) that the deep research feature will now be accessible to all ChatGPT Plus users. This advanced tool, previously exclusive to Pro subscribers for $200 per month, enables users to conduct comprehensive, multi-step research tasks directly through ChatGPT Plus, which costs just $20 per month.

Expanded access and usage limits

Starting this month, Plus, Team, Edu, and Enterprise users will have access to deep research with a limit of 10 queries per month. Pro users, who were initially allotted 100 queries monthly, will see their limits increase to 120 queries. This expansion aims to provide a broader user base with the ability to perform in-depth analyses and generate detailed reports while staying within the price range of other chatbots with deep research features such as Grok-3, Gemini Advanced and DeepSeek.

Enhanced functionality

Deep research is designed to autonomously search the internet, analyze information from diverse sources, and synthesize comprehensive reports on complex topics. It leverages OpenAI's o3 reasoning model, optimized for web browsing and data analysis, to interpret and analyze text, images, and PDFs.

Users can input prompts and attach relevant files, enabling the AI to produce thorough, documented, and clearly cited reports. This feature is particularly beneficial for users in finance, science, policy, and engineering, as well as researchers and discerning consumers seeking precise and reliable information.

Improved handling of uploaded files

As a response to user feedback, OpenAI has enhanced deep research's ability to understand and reference uploaded files. The system now more effectively incorporates data from user-provided documents, ensuring that the generated reports are contextually accurate and tailored to specific informational needs.

This improvement streamlines the research process, allowing for seamless integration of user documents and data with real-time web information.

Future developments

While deep research currently provides text-based reports, OpenAI plans to introduce features such as embedded images, data visualizations, and other analytic outputs to enrich the user experience.

These enhancements aim to offer additional clarity and context, making the reports more comprehensive and user-friendly. OpenAI is also exploring options to further increase query limits and expand access to accommodate the growing demand for advanced research capabilities.

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Availability

The deep research feature is now available on all ChatGPT platforms, including web, iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows. Users can access it by selecting the "deep research" model option within the ChatGPT interface. The AI will then independently conduct the research and provide a detailed report within the chat, typically within 5 to 30 minutes, depending on the complexity of the request.

Because deep research takes longer than most queries, users should wait for the chatbot to respond rather than restarting or entering their query again. There is a limited number of queries within the lower price tiers and even a repeated query counts as a new query.

This expansion reflects OpenAI's commitment to democratizing access to advanced AI tools, enabling a wider audience to benefit from sophisticated research capabilities.