Perplexity
Perplexity is the best AI tool for quick, sourced answers from the live web. You type a question and it searches, reads pages and writes a short answer with numbered links to each source. It is rated 4.8 out of 5 from about 508,000 reviews on the US App Store.
The free plan covers everyday searches. Pro ($20/month or $200/year) lets you choose frontier models from OpenAI, Anthropic and Google, and adds more Pro Search and Deep Research, Labs for building reports and apps, and the Personal Computer agent on Mac. Max ($200/month) adds the cloud agent Perplexity Computer and the highest limits. Perplexity dropped ads in February 2026, so answers are not sponsored.
Perplexity is our pick for research-style questions where you need to see the sources. It is faster than opening ten tabs, and every claim links to a page you can check. Pro at $20/month is good value because it bundles several frontier models; you can switch between them in one app.
Who should pick it:
- Students, journalists and analysts who need cited answers and fresh information.
- Anyone who wants to compare answers from different AI models without paying for each one.
- Mac users who want an agent that works with local files (Personal Computer).
Who should not:
- Writers and coders. ChatGPT and Claude are better for long drafts and code.
- People who treat answers as final. Perplexity sometimes misreads or misattributes its sources, which is at the centre of lawsuits from Dow Jones and others.
- Casual users tempted by Max. At $200/month it only makes sense if you use Perplexity Computer heavily.
Its main weaknesses are uneven source quality and the ongoing legal cloud over how it uses publishers' content.
Score breakdown
Best for
- Fact-finding and quick research with sources
- Current events, prices and product comparisons
- Comparing answers from different AI models
- Students checking where information comes from
What we like
- Every answer cites clickable sources
- Pro includes a choice of frontier models from several labs for $20/month
- No ads since February 2026
- Strong app ratings: 4.8 on the US App Store
- Deep Research, Labs and agent tools included on paid plans
Watch out for
- Answers can misread or misattribute sources; always check key facts
- Weaker than ChatGPT or Claude for long writing and coding
- Perplexity Computer requires the $200/month Max plan
- Publisher lawsuits and scraping complaints raise ethical questions
Specs at a glance
| Developer | Perplexity AI |
|---|---|
| Launch date | 7 December 2022 |
| Models | Perplexity's Sonar plus a choice of OpenAI, Anthropic and Google frontier models on paid plans |
| Search modes | Quick search, Pro Search, Deep Research, Labs |
| Agents | Perplexity Computer (cloud, Max); Personal Computer (Mac, Pro and Max); Comet browser assistant |
| Other features | Cited sources on every answer, file uploads, Spaces, finance and shopping pages, voice mode, assistant actions |
| Extra credits | 500 for $5 up to 5,000 for $50 (App Store) |
| Ads | None since February 2026 |
| API | Sonar from $1 per 1M tokens; Search API $5 per 1,000 requests |
Pricing
| Plan / tier | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Unlimited quick searches, a limited number of Pro searches and uploads |
| Pro | $20/month or $200/year | Choice of frontier models, more Pro Search and Deep Research, Labs, Personal Computer on Mac |
| Max | $200/month | Perplexity Computer cloud agent, highest limits, early access to new features |
| Credits | $5 per 500 credits | Top-ups for agent tasks; packs up to 5,000 credits for $50 |
| Enterprise | Per seat | Enterprise Pro and Enterprise Max with admin controls and internal file search |
Free vs Pro vs Max
| Free | Pro | Max | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $0 | $20/mo | $200/mo |
| Quick searches | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Model choice | Default only | OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Sonar | Same, plus newest first |
| Deep Research and Labs | Limited | More | Highest |
| Personal Computer (Mac) | No | Yes | Yes |
| Perplexity Computer (cloud) | No | No | Yes |
Prices are from the US App Store listing as of September 2026. Perplexity does not publish exact monthly caps for each tier.
What Perplexity is good at
- Fresh facts: news, prices, sports, product specs and anything that changed this week.
- Checking claims: numbered citations let you open the exact page behind each sentence.
- Deep Research: it runs dozens of searches and writes a longer cited report in a few minutes.
- Labs: turns a research question into a report, spreadsheet, chart or simple web app.
- Agents: Computer (Max) runs long tasks in the cloud using about 19 different models; Personal Computer works with your Mac's files and apps.
It ranks near the top of our best AI search engines and best AI for research lists.
Accuracy and trust
Citations make Perplexity easier to check, not always right. Dow Jones alleged in its 2024 lawsuit that Perplexity attributed invented quotes to its articles. Answers can also lean on weak pages, such as SEO blogs or forums. Treat the answer as a starting point and read the top sources for anything important. See our Perplexity vs ChatGPT comparison for how the two handle sourcing.
Privacy
You can use basic search without an account. Signed-in users can turn off AI data retention in settings, and Enterprise plans add stricter data controls. Agents such as Personal Computer can access local files and apps you connect, so grant only the access a task needs.
- Use the Focus or source filter (for example academic or social) to steer which sites Perplexity reads for a question.
- For anything you will publish or cite, open the top two sources; do not copy Perplexity's summary as fact.
- Save a recurring research topic as a Space with your own files and instructions, so every new question uses the same context.
- On Pro, re-run a tricky question with a different model from the picker; if answers disagree, dig into sources.
Jargon explained
- Citation
- A numbered link in the answer that points to the web page a sentence came from.
- Deep Research
- A slower mode that runs many searches and writes a longer, sourced report.
- Labs
- A Perplexity mode that builds reports, spreadsheets, charts or small web apps from a research question.
- Credits
- Units you buy to pay for extra agent work beyond your plan's allowance.
Alternatives to consider
ChatGPT
Broader assistant with search, deep research, writing and coding in one app.
Gemini
Google's assistant with strong search grounding and Workspace links.
Claude
Better for careful long-form writing and analysis of your own documents.
Microsoft Copilot
Free web answers with Bing sources, plus Office integration.
Frequently asked questions
Is Perplexity free?
Yes. The free plan gives unlimited quick searches and a limited number of Pro searches. Pro costs $20 a month and Max $200 a month.
Is Perplexity Pro worth it?
For people who research most days, yes. $20 a month buys a choice of frontier models, far more Pro Search and Deep Research, Labs and the Personal Computer agent on Mac.
What is Perplexity Max?
The $200-a-month plan with the highest limits and Perplexity Computer, a cloud agent that runs long multi-step tasks using many AI models.
Is Perplexity more accurate than ChatGPT?
Not necessarily. Perplexity makes it easier to check sources, but both can make mistakes. Perplexity is best for fresh facts; ChatGPT is broader. See our comparison.
Does Perplexity have ads?
No. It ended its advertising programme in February 2026.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from public information. Vendor figures are labelled as vendor claims.
- Perplexity on the App Store (Apple)
- Perplexity API pricing (Perplexity)
- Perplexity's new Computer is another bet that users need many AI models (TechCrunch)
- Perplexity's Personal Computer is now available to everyone on Mac (TechCrunch)
- Perplexity abandons AI advertising strategy over trust worries (MacRumors)
- Perplexity AI (Wikipedia)
- The New York Times is suing Perplexity for copyright infringement (TechCrunch)