Update: The Deep Analysis feature has been removed. EssayHero now uses Google Gemini for all analyses, providing consistently high-quality feedback without the need to choose a model.

Two Modes, One Tool

You might have noticed the brain icon toggle on the essay form. It switches between standard mode and Deep Analysis mode.

Both analyse your essay against the same marking criteria and give you the same type of feedback: scores, paragraph-by-paragraph comments, suggestions, corrections. The difference is in how the AI reasons through your essay.

Standard Mode: Fast and Capable

Standard mode is fast. You'll typically get your results within a minute, sometimes less.

It reads your essay, evaluates it against the criteria, and gives you structured feedback. For most practice sessions, this is all you need.

Deep Analysis: Thorough and Deliberate

Deep Analysis mode is slower — usually three to five minutes. It uses a different reasoning engine that thinks through your essay more carefully before responding.

It considers more possibilities, weighs criteria more deliberately, and tends to catch subtleties that standard mode might miss.

What the Difference Looks Like

Score Differences

The scores between the two modes are usually close, but not identical. Deep Analysis tends to be slightly more critical.

Where standard mode might round up on a borderline criterion, Deep Analysis is more likely to round down. This isn't a bug — it's a reflection of more careful reasoning.

Feedback Quality

The feedback quality is where you'll notice the real difference. Deep Analysis often provides more specific observations.

Instead of "your vocabulary could be more varied", it might point out exactly which words are overused and suggest specific alternatives. Instead of "the argument is underdeveloped", it might explain what evidence is missing and how it weakens your position.

When Deep Analysis is Worth the Wait

Use Deep Analysis in these situations:

• Final drafts — If you've already revised an essay once or twice and want to polish it before submission, Deep Analysis gives you the most thorough feedback available. It's worth the extra minutes when you're working on something that counts.

• When you disagree with your score — If standard mode gives you a score that doesn't feel right (too high or too low), try running the same essay through Deep Analysis. The more careful reasoning might catch something standard mode overlooked, or it might confirm the original assessment. Either way, you get a second opinion.

• When feedback feels vague — If standard mode gives you a comment like "improve coherence" but you're not sure what that means in practice, Deep Analysis is more likely to give you a specific explanation of where your coherence breaks down and what to do about it.

• When you're preparing for the real exam — In the weeks before your HKDSE or IELTS exam, when you're doing final practice essays, the extra depth is worth the wait. You're no longer iterating rapidly — you're fine-tuning.

When Standard Mode is the Better Choice

Standard mode is faster and often more practical:

• Early drafts — If you're still working out your argument and structure, you don't need the most thorough analysis possible. You need quick directional feedback. Standard mode gives you that in a minute.

• Rapid iteration — The real power of AI feedback is the ability to submit, read feedback, revise, and submit again. If each cycle takes five minutes instead of one, you'll do fewer cycles in the same study session. Speed matters when you're building the revision habit.

• Quick grammar checks — If you mainly want to catch errors before handing in homework, standard mode is more than sufficient. Both modes use the same underlying language understanding for spotting grammatical mistakes.

• When you're short on time — Five minutes doesn't sound like much, but if you're squeezing in practice between classes or before bed, the faster mode lets you actually complete the feedback loop.

The Honest Version

Most Students Need Standard Mode

Standard mode handles the large majority of what students need. It catches errors, identifies weaknesses, and gives you something concrete to work on.

If you never touched the brain toggle, you'd still get real value from the tool.

Deep Analysis is Optional

Deep Analysis is there for when you want more. It's not a premium feature behind a paywall — it's a different approach to reasoning that trades speed for depth.

Some students will use it for every essay. Others won't use it at all. Both are fine.

Try Both and Compare

Try both on the same essay sometime. Compare the feedback. That's the fastest way to decide which mode suits your workflow.

Questions about Deep Analysis or anything else? Email hello@essayhero.app.