## TL;DR

- Choose **DeepTutor** when you need answers grounded in specific papers with citations.
- Choose **ChatGPT** for broad brainstorming, drafting, or general-purpose Q&A.
- Use them together: brainstorm with ChatGPT, then verify claims in DeepTutor using your sources.

## What is DeepTutor?

DeepTutor is an AI research assistant built on Zotero. It reads your PDFs to provide cited answers, evidence extraction, and cross-paper comparisons inside a dedicated research workspace.

## What is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is a general AI assistant that can help with brainstorming, drafting, and broad questions across many topics.

## Side-by-side comparison

| Dimension | DeepTutor | ChatGPT |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Primary purpose | Source-grounded academic research assistant. | General AI assistant and writing helper. |
| Citations | Provides citations from your papers and library. | May cite sources if provided, but not tied to your library by default. |
| PDF understanding | Extracts evidence, summaries, figures, and formulas. | Depends on the files you provide in each session. |
| Research workflow | Built for literature review and paper comparison. | Useful for drafting and brainstorming across topics. |
| Best for | Researchers who need source-grounded answers. | General users who need quick ideas or drafts. |

## When to choose DeepTutor

If your work depends on specific papers, and you need verifiable citations with evidence extraction, DeepTutor is designed for that workflow.