OpenAI has introduced a new “lightweight” version of its ChatGPT deep research tool, designed to be more cost-effective while still delivering high-quality insights.
The new version is powered by a variant of the o4-mini model, offering nearly the same intelligence as the original but with shorter, concise responses that maintain depth and accuracy.
This streamlined tool is now available to free users, who can access up to five deep research tasks per month. Paid users on the ChatGPT Plus and Team plans get up to 25 tasks, while Pro users can use it for up to 250 tasks monthly. It also serves as a fallback when users exceed the limit of the full deep research mode. Enterprise and Education users will receive access next week with the same limits as Team and tiers.
OpenAI emphasizes that the lightweight model is significantly cheaper to run, an important move as the company reportedly spends tens of millions of dollars processing basic user interactions. Despite the cost savings, the tool continues to offer citations, summaries, and reliable research—just in a more compact format.
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