IonBin
Stack 07 / Research

Research & market intelligence

Competitor, market and search research with sources you can cite.

Independent reviews. IonBin has no partnerships with the tools on this page and was not paid for these listings. Our evaluations are our own, based on public documentation and our research. Product names are trademarks of their owners and are used for identification only. How disclosure works.

Short answer

Start with an answer engine that cites sources, add an SEO data tool for search demand and competitors, check your own search data for free, and have an assistant turn it into a brief saved where your team works.

The stack · editorial pick

5 tools, one job

Paid placement never changes a stack.

Research agent

Perplexity

Cited answers and deeper research runs.

MCPAPI/CLIBulk import
Analyst

Claude

Combines sources into a structured brief.

Agent platform API/CLIBulk import
Search & competitors

Semrush

Keyword and competitor data.

MCPAPI/CLIBulk import
Output

Notion

Research briefs the team can find later.

MCPAPI/CLIBulk import
Why these work together

Perplexity and Semrush both have official MCP servers, so one agent session can combine web research with search data. Search Console has an API but no official MCP server.

Connection methods are computed from each tool's recorded compatibility. "Manual" means no confirmed direct path yet.

How data flows
  1. Perplexity→Claude Cited findings
    MCP (Perplexity server)
  2. Semrush→Claude Keyword and competitor data
    MCP (Semrush server)
  3. Google Search Console→Claude Your site's queries
    API (via a hub or custom code)
  4. Claude→Notion Research brief
    MCP (Notion server)
IonBin’s Brightest

From IonBin

House ad · unsold slot

Put this stack to work this week

Step-by-step workflows with a starter prompt, a watch-out line and a human approval step. Browse workflows · New this week

This is IonBin’s own promotion. The IonBin’s Brightest slot is a paid, labeled placement; see options.

Workflows

Put this stack to work

Step-by-step drafts with confirmed and to-verify steps marked. No affiliate links.

Audit how AI answers mention your brandBuild a presentation from researchBuild a qualified prospect listPrepare a pre-call account briefGive your AI agent live web dataMonitor competitor and vendor pages for changesCheck who ranks for your key searchesAsk questions across your meeting historyCompare tax software tiers with cited sourcesResearch company formation options with citationsDecide between a PEO and payroll-onlyDouble-check key figures with WolframPull data lookups into research notesFind themes across customer interviewsRun a survey into Airtable or NotionWrite articles that cite real researchCross-check web answers against researchTurn your reading highlights into an outlineBuild an evidence table from a literature reviewCapture research into a knowledge base agents can readAsk several AI models and reconcile the answersVerify every claim before you publishGive agents read-only access to your notesFind weekly themes across customer callsWrite a policy brief grounded only in your documentsTurn long videos and papers into cited notesMonitor competitor pricing pages with Gumloop
Wiki

Learn the pieces

Needs, questions, models and concepts behind this stack.

Access many AI models from one platform · NeedAgent platforms · ServiceAI agent · ConceptAI assistants · ServiceAnalyze customer feedback at scale · NeedAnswer engines · ServiceClaude (Anthropic) · ModelCohere models (Command, Embed, Rerank) · ModelContext rot · ConceptContext window · ConceptDo I need a vector database for my AI project? · QuestionEmbeddings · ConceptEnrich prospect lists · NeedGemini models (Google) · ModelGPT models (OpenAI) · ModelGrok models (xAI) · ModelGround financial research in licensed data · NeedHallucination · ConceptHow do I judge AI tool recommendations from creators and review sites? · QuestionHow do I stop AI from making things up? · QuestionI need fast, cited research on competitors and my market · NeedKnowledge cutoff · ConceptMistral models (Mistral AI) · ModelMonitor what AI says about our brand · NeedMulti-model aggregator · ConceptPerplexity Sonar and Agent API · ModelProspect data and enrichment · ServiceRetrieval-augmented generation (RAG) · ConceptShould I use RAG or put everything in the context window? · QuestionWhat is Gab AI? · QuestionWhich AI model should I use for a business task? · QuestionWhich AI platform should I use for what? · Question
Swap-ins

Also works for this job

Alternatives for one role in the stack.

Gemini (Google)

AI assistant

Google's AI assistant, free with a Google Account, with Deep Research, Canvas, Gems and file analysis. Paid Google AI plans add higher limits and Gemini inside Gmail, Docs and Vids.

Agent platform API/CLIBulk import
Used by IonBin’s founder SOPs

Grok

AI assistant

xAI's assistant, with access to real-time conversation on X. Useful for trend and audience checks.

Agent platform API/CLI
Used by IonBin’s founder Content In review

ChatGPT

AI assistant

OpenAI's general-purpose AI assistant for drafting, analysis and research, with file uploads, deep research and image creation. Paid plans add Projects, scheduled tasks, custom GPTs and more Codex usage; MCP tools connect through plugins.

Agent platform API/CLIBulk import
Content

FactSet

Financial data

Institutional financial data (fundamentals, estimates, prices, ownership, M&A, transcripts) with an official MCP server for AI agents. Built for finance teams with a FactSet subscription.

MCPAPI/CLI
Research

Gab AI

Multi-model AI platform

One account for many AI models: flagship chat models from OpenAI, Anthropic and Google, open and niche models, plus image, video, music, 3D and speech models, with one credit balance and an OpenAI-compatible API.

Agent platform API/CLIBulk import
Research In review

Compare at a glance

RoleToolAgent compatibilityPricingUsed by IonBin’s founder
Research agentPerplexity MCPAPI/CLIBulk import freemium · $0; Pro $17/month billed annually; Max $167/month billed annually (checked Oct 17, 2026)—
AnalystClaude Agent platform API/CLIBulk import freemium · $0; Pro $20/month billed monthly ($17/month billed annually) (checked Oct 17, 2026)—
Search & competitorsSemrush MCPAPI/CLIBulk import freemium · $0 (free tools); SEO plan $139/month ($117.33/month billed annually) (checked Oct 17, 2026)—
Your search dataGoogle Search Console API/CLIBulk import free · $0 (checked Oct 17, 2026)Yes
OutputNotion MCPAPI/CLIBulk import freemium · $0; Plus $10, Business $20 per member/month (checked Oct 17, 2026)Yes