Compare variants

Two design variants of Research & Intelligence Analyst, delivering the same unit event by different designs. The comparison states what differs; it does not rank the designs.

Common unit event

Research Request

RESEARCH_REQUEST

One research question taken through planning, external source discovery, supporting internal retrieval, evidence synthesis, optional verification, and production of a research output.

Left

Complete

Deep Research

Broader external search, larger internal evidence set, stronger model selection, larger synthesis context, explicit verification, longer output.

Direct cost per research request

Reference

0.297315 USD

Open scenariodv-research-deep

Right

Complete

Fast Research

Small external search set, compact internal retrieval, one synthesis pass, no separate verification, concise output.

Direct cost per research request

Reference

0.039578 USD

Open scenariodv-research-fast

No difference figure is shown

A difference between two prices is itself a price, and this surface derives none. The read model carries each variant’s own reference result and no comparison of them, so both figures are shown as they were produced and are read against each other by eye.

Shared assumptions

Inputs both variants carry with the same meaning. Everything compared below stands on these; where a shared input holds a different value in each variant, the row says so.

68 shared

Input	Deep Research	Fast Research
Assemble Grounded Context — mode`au-assemble-grounded-context.implementation_mode`	im-assemble-context-deterministic	im-assemble-context-deterministic
Assemble Grounded Context — occurrences`au-assemble-grounded-context.occurrence_count`	1UNIT	1UNIT
Retrieved Context TokensDiffers`au-assemble-grounded-context.retrieved_context_tokens`	6000TOKEN	2400TOKEN
Cached Tokens`au-discover-web-sources.cached_tokens`	0TOKEN	0TOKEN
Discover Web Sources — offeringDiffers`au-discover-web-sources.commercial_offering`	ctxdex:offering:agent-makers:ctxdex-intelligence-4-pro	ctxdex:offering:agent-makers:ctxdex-intelligence-4-fast
Discovery Instruction TokensDiffers`au-discover-web-sources.discovery_instruction_tokens`	500TOKEN	300TOKEN
Expected Source Context TokensDiffers`au-discover-web-sources.expected_source_context_tokens`	2500TOKEN	1000TOKEN
Discover Web Sources — mode`au-discover-web-sources.implementation_mode`	im-discover-web-sources-model	im-discover-web-sources-model
Discover Web Sources — occurrences`au-discover-web-sources.occurrence_count`	1UNIT	1UNIT
Research Plan TokensDiffers`au-discover-web-sources.research_plan_tokens`	600TOKEN	300TOKEN
Search Query TokensDiffers`au-discover-web-sources.search_query_tokens`	500TOKEN	200TOKEN
Search Result Context TokensDiffers`au-discover-web-sources.search_result_context_tokens`	8000TOKEN	2000TOKEN
Web Search QueriesDiffers`au-discover-web-sources.web_search_queries`	6QUERY	2QUERY
Cached Tokens`au-embed-query.cached_tokens`	0TOKEN	0TOKEN
Embed Query — offering`au-embed-query.commercial_offering`	ctxdex:offering:agent-makers:ctxdex-retrieval-3-embed	ctxdex:offering:agent-makers:ctxdex-retrieval-3-embed
Embed Query — mode`au-embed-query.implementation_mode`	im-embed-model	im-embed-model
Embed Query — occurrences`au-embed-query.occurrence_count`	1UNIT	1UNIT
Retrieval Query TokensDiffers`au-embed-query.retrieval_query_tokens`	250TOKEN	180TOKEN
Cached Tokens`au-generate-research-report.cached_tokens`	0TOKEN	0TOKEN
Generate Research Report — offeringDiffers`au-generate-research-report.commercial_offering`	ctxdex:offering:agent-makers:ctxdex-intelligence-4-pro	ctxdex:offering:agent-makers:ctxdex-intelligence-4-fast
Expected Report TokensDiffers`au-generate-research-report.expected_report_tokens`	3500TOKEN	1200TOKEN
External Source Context TokensDiffers`au-generate-research-report.external_source_context_tokens`	2500TOKEN	1000TOKEN
Generate Research Report — mode`au-generate-research-report.implementation_mode`	im-generate-research-report-model	im-generate-research-report-model
Generate Research Report — occurrences`au-generate-research-report.occurrence_count`	1UNIT	1UNIT
Report Instruction TokensDiffers`au-generate-research-report.report_instruction_tokens`	700TOKEN	500TOKEN
Research Findings TokensDiffers`au-generate-research-report.research_findings_tokens`	2500TOKEN	1000TOKEN
Retrieved Context TokensDiffers`au-generate-research-report.retrieved_context_tokens`	6000TOKEN	2400TOKEN
Verification Notes TokensDiffers`au-generate-research-report.verification_notes_tokens`	1200TOKEN	0TOKEN
Cached Tokens`au-interpret-research-request.cached_tokens`	0TOKEN	0TOKEN
Interpret Research Request — offeringDiffers`au-interpret-research-request.commercial_offering`	ctxdex:offering:agent-makers:ctxdex-intelligence-4-pro	ctxdex:offering:agent-makers:ctxdex-intelligence-4-fast
Expected Plan TokensDiffers`au-interpret-research-request.expected_plan_tokens`	600TOKEN	300TOKEN
Interpret Research Request — mode`au-interpret-research-request.implementation_mode`	im-interpret-research-model	im-interpret-research-model
Interpret Research Request — occurrences`au-interpret-research-request.occurrence_count`	1UNIT	1UNIT
Research Context TokensDiffers`au-interpret-research-request.research_context_tokens`	800TOKEN	500TOKEN
Research Request TokensDiffers`au-interpret-research-request.research_request_tokens`	400TOKEN	300TOKEN
System Instruction TokensDiffers`au-interpret-research-request.system_instruction_tokens`	700TOKEN	500TOKEN
Prepare Retrieval Query — mode`au-prepare-retrieval-query.implementation_mode`	im-prepare-query-deterministic	im-prepare-query-deterministic
Prepare Retrieval Query — occurrences`au-prepare-retrieval-query.occurrence_count`	1UNIT	1UNIT
Retrieval Query TokensDiffers`au-prepare-retrieval-query.retrieval_query_tokens`	250TOKEN	180TOKEN
Candidate Document CountDiffers`au-rerank-candidates.candidate_document_count`	30UNIT	10UNIT
Candidate Document TokensDiffers`au-rerank-candidates.candidate_document_tokens`	24000TOKEN	8000TOKEN
Rerank Candidates — offering`au-rerank-candidates.commercial_offering`	ctxdex:offering:agent-makers:ctxdex-retrieval-2-rerank	ctxdex:offering:agent-makers:ctxdex-retrieval-2-rerank
Rerank Candidates — mode`au-rerank-candidates.implementation_mode`	im-rerank-model	im-rerank-model
Rerank Candidates — occurrences`au-rerank-candidates.occurrence_count`	1UNIT	1UNIT
Query Count`au-rerank-candidates.query_count`	1UNIT	1UNIT
Request Output Tokens`au-rerank-candidates.request_output_tokens`	Not carried	Not carried
Retrieval Query TokensDiffers`au-rerank-candidates.retrieval_query_tokens`	250TOKEN	180TOKEN
Candidate Document CountDiffers`au-search-enterprise-knowledge.candidate_document_count`	30UNIT	10UNIT
Candidate Document TokensDiffers`au-search-enterprise-knowledge.candidate_document_tokens`	24000TOKEN	8000TOKEN
Search Enterprise Knowledge — mode`au-search-enterprise-knowledge.implementation_mode`	im-search-local-unpriced	im-search-local-unpriced
Search Enterprise Knowledge — occurrences`au-search-enterprise-knowledge.occurrence_count`	1UNIT	1UNIT
Cached Tokens`au-synthesize-research-findings.cached_tokens`	0TOKEN	0TOKEN
Synthesize Research Findings — offeringDiffers`au-synthesize-research-findings.commercial_offering`	ctxdex:offering:agent-makers:ctxdex-intelligence-4-pro	ctxdex:offering:agent-makers:ctxdex-intelligence-4-fast
Expected Findings TokensDiffers`au-synthesize-research-findings.expected_findings_tokens`	2500TOKEN	1000TOKEN
External Source Context TokensDiffers`au-synthesize-research-findings.external_source_context_tokens`	2500TOKEN	1000TOKEN
Synthesize Research Findings — mode`au-synthesize-research-findings.implementation_mode`	im-synthesize-research-model	im-synthesize-research-model
Synthesize Research Findings — occurrences`au-synthesize-research-findings.occurrence_count`	1UNIT	1UNIT
Research Plan TokensDiffers`au-synthesize-research-findings.research_plan_tokens`	600TOKEN	300TOKEN
Retrieved Context TokensDiffers`au-synthesize-research-findings.retrieved_context_tokens`	6000TOKEN	2400TOKEN
Synthesis Instruction TokensDiffers`au-synthesize-research-findings.synthesis_instruction_tokens`	700TOKEN	500TOKEN
Cached Tokens`au-verify-research-findings.cached_tokens`	0TOKEN	0TOKEN
Expected Verification Tokens`au-verify-research-findings.expected_verification_tokens`	1200TOKEN	1200TOKEN
External Source Context TokensDiffers`au-verify-research-findings.external_source_context_tokens`	2500TOKEN	1000TOKEN
Verify Research Findings — mode`au-verify-research-findings.implementation_mode`	im-verify-research-model	im-verify-research-model
Verify Research Findings — occurrences`au-verify-research-findings.occurrence_count`	1UNIT	1UNIT
Research Findings TokensDiffers`au-verify-research-findings.research_findings_tokens`	2500TOKEN	1000TOKEN
Retrieved Context TokensDiffers`au-verify-research-findings.retrieved_context_tokens`	6000TOKEN	2400TOKEN
Verification Instruction Tokens`au-verify-research-findings.verification_instruction_tokens`	700TOKEN	700TOKEN

Only in Deep Research

Verify Research Findings — offeringau-verify-research-findings.commercial_offeringctxdex:offering:agent-makers:ctxdex-intelligence-4-pro

Only in Fast Research

Verify Research Findings — enabledau-verify-research-findings.enabledDisabled

Design differences

What the two designs do differently, before any money is involved.

No structural difference recordedThe two variants differ in which activities they run rather than in how a shared activity is configured.

Operations

Aligned on canonical identity, never on a display name.

In both6

Discover External Sourcesop-discover-external-sources
Produce Research Outputop-produce-research-output
Retrieve Supporting Knowledgeop-retrieve-supporting-knowledge
Synthesize Findingsop-synthesize-research
Understand & Plan Researchop-understand-research
Verify Findingsop-verify-research

Only in Deep Research0

None

Only in Fast Research0

None

Activities

Aligned on canonical identity, never on a display name.

In both10

Assemble Grounded Contextau-assemble-grounded-context
Discover Web Sourcesau-discover-web-sources
Embed Queryau-embed-query
Generate Research Reportau-generate-research-report
Interpret Research Requestau-interpret-research-request
Prepare Retrieval Queryau-prepare-retrieval-query
Rerank Candidatesau-rerank-candidates
Search Enterprise Knowledgeau-search-enterprise-knowledge
Synthesize Research Findingsau-synthesize-research-findings
Verify Research Findingsau-verify-research-findings

Only in Deep Research0

None

Only in Fast Research0

None