AI agents
gpt-researcher
Hands back a cited research report from a single question
★ 29k
August 2026
Apache-2.0
AI agents
What we checked ourselves
Not copied from the project's own blurb. These are things we opened and verified, with the date.
- 7 Sept 2026We checked that the link to the project still resolves.
- 13 Sept 2026We read the licence text itself (LICENSE). No unusual restrictions were stated.
- 31 Aug 2026We read the project's own documentation and found no sign that development has stopped.
Where this sits among the 114 tools we list in AI agents
- Commercial use confirmed as allowed95 of 114
- Requires terminal commands21 that do not →
- Requires an API key29 that do not →
- Sends your input to the provider11 that do not →
Counted from our own checks: every tool we list is examined against the same criteria.
What it does
Give it a topic and it plans, searches, gathers from many sources and writes a detailed report with citations, over the web or over your local documents. Drawing on multiple sources before writing is the point — it reduces the single-result bias that plagues one-shot searching. Configurable depth, domain-specific agents, pip or Docker install, docs in several languages including Japanese. Citations do not guarantee the claim came from the cited page, so verify anything that matters, and note that deeper runs cost proportionally more. Apache-2.0.
Summary based on the project's own description. The Japanese page has a fuller beginner guide: setup difficulty, what to prepare, and a step-by-step start.
Screenshots & visuals
Before you start
- Setup difficultySome setup needed
- Command lineRequired
- API keyRequired
- Sends data onlineYes
Judged automatically from the project's own metadata. Always confirm on the official page.
gpt-researcher FAQ
- Is gpt-researcher free?
- gpt-researcher itself is free, but it needs an API key for an external AI service. That service charges separately, though some have a free tier.
- Do I need to install anything or write code to use gpt-researcher?
- It needs the command line. If you are not comfortable typing commands, expect to get stuck during setup.
- Does gpt-researcher work on a phone?
- No. It needs a computer.
- Can I use gpt-researcher commercially?
- The licence is Apache-2.0, which permits commercial use. Conditions such as keeping the copyright notice still apply, so read the licence text before shipping it inside something.
How it compares
The conditions that decide whether you can actually use it, side by side.
| Tool | Command line | API key | Sends data out | Phone | Commercial use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| gpt-researcher (this page) | Required | Required | Yes | No | Yes |
| deep-research | Required | Required | Yes | No | Yes |
| company-research-agent | Required | Required | Yes | No | Yes |
| LangAlpha | Required | Required | Yes | No | Yes |
"Sends data out" means your input is uploaded to someone's server. Pick "No" when the material cannot leave your organisation.