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How to Choose a Provider

This guide helps you select the right provider for your research needs.

Quick Decision Guide

Need Best Provider Command
Quick summary Perplexity (sonar) --provider perplexity --model sonar
General research Perplexity (sonar-pro) --provider perplexity --model pro
Comprehensive report OpenAI (o3) --provider openai
Scientific literature Edison --provider edison
Academic papers only Consensus --provider consensus

Provider Comparison

Perplexity AI

Best for: General web research with real-time data

# Lighter research task
deep-research-client research "Summarize recent developments in room-temperature superconductor claims" \
  --provider perplexity --model sonar

# Comprehensive web research
deep-research-client research "Analyze the current landscape of AI chip startups and their differentiation strategies" \
  --provider perplexity --model sonar-deep-research

Strengths:

  • Real-time web search
  • Multiple speed/quality options
  • Good citation quality
  • Reasonable pricing

OpenAI Deep Research

Best for: Comprehensive, in-depth research reports

deep-research-client research "Comprehensive analysis of CRISPR base editing versus prime editing: mechanisms, applications, limitations, and recent clinical developments" \
  --provider openai

Strengths:

  • Most thorough analysis
  • Excellent synthesis
  • Code interpretation capability

Trade-offs:

  • Slowest (can take several minutes)
  • Most expensive

Edison Scientific (Formerly Falcon)

Best for: Scientific literature review

deep-research-client research "Review molecular mechanisms of autophagy regulation and its role in cancer progression" \
  --provider edison

Strengths:

  • Powered by PaperQA3
  • Focus on peer-reviewed papers
  • Good for biomedical research

Consensus

Best for: Academic paper search

deep-research-client research "Synthesize clinical evidence on intermittent fasting effects on metabolic health markers" \
  --provider consensus

Strengths:

  • Only peer-reviewed sources
  • Evidence-based summaries
  • Good for scientific claims

Budget Considerations

From cheapest to most expensive:

  1. Perplexity sonar - Best value for quick queries
  2. Consensus - Good value for academic research
  3. Perplexity sonar-pro - Mid-range, good quality
  4. Edison - Mid-range, scientific focus
  5. Perplexity sonar-deep-research - Higher cost, comprehensive
  6. OpenAI o4-mini - Higher cost, good quality
  7. OpenAI o3 - Highest cost, most comprehensive

Example for budget-conscious usage:

# Use cheapest for initial exploration
deep-research-client research "Overview of CAR-T cell therapy landscape" \
  --provider perplexity --model sonar

# Then use comprehensive for final deep dive
deep-research-client research "Detailed analysis of CAR-T manufacturing challenges and novel approaches to reduce vein-to-vein time" \
  --provider openai

Speed Considerations

From fastest to slowest:

  1. Perplexity sonar - Seconds
  2. Consensus - Seconds
  3. Perplexity sonar-pro - ~30 seconds
  4. Perplexity sonar-deep-research - 1-3 minutes
  5. Edison - 2-5 minutes
  6. OpenAI o4-mini - 2-5 minutes
  7. OpenAI o3 - 5-15 minutes

Use Multiple Providers

For thorough research, combine providers:

# Quick landscape overview
deep-research-client research "Overview of alpha-synuclein aggregation in Parkinson's disease" \
  --provider perplexity --model sonar \
  --output synuclein-overview.md

# Scientific literature deep-dive
deep-research-client research "Molecular mechanisms of alpha-synuclein fibril formation and propagation" \
  --provider edison \
  --output synuclein-mechanisms.md

# Clinical evidence synthesis
deep-research-client research "Clinical trial evidence for alpha-synuclein targeting therapies" \
  --provider consensus \
  --output synuclein-trials.md

Check Available Models

List all available models and their characteristics:

# All models
deep-research-client models

# Filter by provider
deep-research-client models --provider perplexity

# Show detailed info
deep-research-client models --detailed

# Filter by cost
deep-research-client models --cost low

See Also