GPT Researcher
An autonomous research agent that plans questions, searches the web or your documents in parallel, and writes detailed reports with citations.
What is GPT Researcher?
GPT Researcher breaks a task into research questions, sends execution agents to gather sources in parallel, keeps only the context that helps, and writes a cited report. Recursive deep research explores a topic in breadth and depth, and multi-agent workflows carry a report from planning to publication. It can research the web, local files such as PDFs, spreadsheets and slides, or both, and it works with many model and search providers, including MCP servers.
Good fit if
- You need long research reports with sources rather than short chat answers.
- You want to build your own research agent on a tested open framework.
Look elsewhere if
- You want quick answers with sources inside a chat interface: Open WebUI can search the web as you chat.
- You want a fully local research tool with a ready interface: Local Deep Research.
Before you adopt it
GPT Researcher moved from MIT to Apache-2.0 in August 2024. Both are permissive, and there are no paid parts. Its creator, Assaf Elovic, still writes most of the commits.
Drafted with AI from the project's README and repository data, then checked against that data on 30 October 2026. Report a correction
GPT Researcher health: is it still maintained?
74 of 100, actively developed
Read from GitHub on 1 November 2026. How the score works
GPT Researcher license: is it open source?
GPT Researcher uses Apache-2.0, an open-source license approved by the OSI.
- May 2023First published on GitHub under MIT.
- 18 August 2024Changed to Apache-2.0. Commit: Update LICENSE
- TodayApache-2.0.
How to run GPT Researcher yourself
- Docker
- Dockerfile or compose file in the repository
- Compose file
- docker-compose.yml: 4 services
- Setup effort
- 3 of 5, judged from the compose file
- Kubernetes
- No Helm chart in the repository
- Desktop and mobile
- No app builds in GitHub releases
- Interface languages
- English only
Install instructions: gptr.dev or the README on GitHub.
Alternatives to GPT Researcher
- DocsGPTPrivate AI platform for agents, assistants and enterprise search. Built-in Agent Builder, Deep research,… 84 health · MIT · 18.4k stars
- LobeHubLobeHub is your Chief Agent Operator, organizing your agents into 7×24 operations by hiring, scheduling, and… 73 health · LobeHub Community License · 83.7k stars
- HarborStop configuring your AI stack. Start using it. One command brings a complete pre-wired LLM stack with… 80 health · Apache-2.0 · 3.3k stars
- Open WebUIUser-friendly AI Interface (Supports Ollama, OpenAI API, ...) 76 health · Open WebUI License · 157k stars
- LeonLeon is your open-source personal assistant. 57 health · MIT · 17.6k stars
Questions about GPT Researcher
Is GPT Researcher open source?
Yes. GPT Researcher is published under Apache-2.0, an OSI-approved open-source license.
Is GPT Researcher still maintained?
Its health score is 74 of 100 (actively developed). It had 138 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 10 October 2026, and its latest release came out on 26 September 2026.
Did GPT Researcher change its license?
Yes. It moved from MIT to Apache-2.0 on 18 August 2024.
How do I run GPT Researcher?
You can run it with Docker. The README on GitHub has the exact steps.
What are the alternatives to GPT Researcher?
Close alternatives in the AI chat & local LLMs category include DocsGPT, LobeHub, Harbor.