# Research the web with citations

> What's the best AI agent for web research with citations?

Research agents browse, read, and synthesize with sources attached. The split: managed products that answer instantly, versus open-source researchers you run with your own API keys — cheaper at volume and fully under your control.

A hand-picked shortlist from the Agent Search Engine index. Every pick is a real listing; the adoption, pricing, and activity figures are the index's live numbers. Browse on the web: https://agentsearchengine.app/use/research-web-with-citations

## Recommended picks

### Easiest start: Perplexity
- Freemium · Agent
- **Setup:** Managed — sign up
- **Why:** Fast cited answers with agentic deep-research mode, zero setup, free tier. The default choice when you want answers now rather than infrastructure.
- [listing](https://agentsearchengine.app/agents/perplexity) · [official](https://perplexity.ai)

### Best self-hosted: gpt-researcher
- Open source · Agent · 29k★ · Python · Apache-2.0 · active 1 month ago
- **Setup:** Self-host — pip / Docker
- **Why:** The most adopted open-source autonomous researcher in the index — produces full cited reports using your own API keys, so per-report cost stays yours to control.
- [listing](https://agentsearchengine.app/agents/gpt-researcher) · [official](https://gptr.dev)

### Long-form reports: storm
- Open source · Agent · 31k★ · Python · MIT · active 10 months ago
- **Setup:** Self-host — Python
- **Why:** Stanford's research system that writes Wikipedia-style articles with citations from scratch — the strongest open option when the output should read like a structured report, not a chat answer.
- [listing](https://agentsearchengine.app/agents/storm) · [official](http://storm.genie.stanford.edu)

## What to watch for
Citations tell you where a claim came from, not that it's true — every research agent can still mis-read a source. For anything decision-grade, spot-check the two or three citations that carry the conclusion.

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Source: [Agent Search Engine](https://agentsearchengine.app) — more task-first guides: https://agentsearchengine.app/use