Perplexity
Less a chatbot, more a search engine that answers in full sentences and shows its sources.
What is Perplexity?
Perplexity started, back in 2022, from a fairly simple complaint about Google: search gives you ten blue links, not an answer. Its response was to build something that sits between a chatbot and a search engine — you ask a question in plain language, and it comes back with a written answer plus the actual sources it pulled from, footnoted inline so you can check the claim yourself. That citation-first habit is still the clearest reason people reach for it over ChatGPT or Gemini specifically for research and fact-checking.
What makes Perplexity harder to categorize than most rivals on this list is that it isn't really built on one model. The free tier runs on Perplexity's own Sonar model, but paid plans let you pick which underlying model actually answers — Claude, GPT, Gemini and others are all available inside the same interface — and the top Max tier can run a question across several of them at once and merge the results. It's less "here is Perplexity's AI" and more "here is a very well-organized front door to everyone else's."
Revenue figure is Perplexity's own self-reported number, cited via TechCrunch and AI Funding Tracker in early 2026. Other figures come from Perplexity's own product pages as of July 2026 and may change.
Key features
Cited answers
Every answer links back to the sources it drew from, so you can verify a claim instead of taking the model's word for it.
Deep Research
Runs a longer, multi-step investigation across many sources and returns a structured report.
Model Council
Runs a question across several flagship models at once and synthesizes their answers into one response.
Comet browser
Perplexity's own AI-native browser, free for everyone, with an assistant that can read and act across tabs.
Spaces
Organizes related searches, files and instructions together for an ongoing topic or project.
Labs
Turns a request into a finished deliverable — a spreadsheet, report or simple app — rather than just a chat reply.
Pricing
Free
- Unlimited basic cited search (Sonar)
- ~5 Pro Searches & 5 Deep Research/day
- Free Comet browser access
Pro
- Unlimited Pro Search, ~20 Deep Research/day
- Choose the underlying model (Claude, GPT & more)
- Priority access & higher limits
Max
- Model Council & Perplexity Computer
- Unlimited Labs & Research modes
- Highest-tier limits across the board
There's a big jump between Pro and Max, with Education Pro ($10/month, verified students) and Enterprise Pro ($40/seat/month) sitting in between for specific audiences. Prices reflect Perplexity's published pricing as of July 2026 and change often — cards link to Perplexity's official page.
Available models
Integrations & platforms
Pros, cons & best for
Pros
- Sourced, checkable answers by default
- Freedom to pick or combine the underlying model
- Comet gives away a genuinely useful AI browser for free
Cons
- Big price jump from Pro ($20) to Max ($200), with little between
- Less suited to open-ended creative writing than a general chatbot
- Comet's browsing model has drawn scrutiny over data collection practices
Best for
- Research, fact-checking and anything needing real sources
- People who want to compare answers across several AI models
- Replacing traditional search for everyday questions
Take a look inside
Alternatives
If you want a general-purpose assistant rather than a research-first search engine:
Our verdict
Perplexity does one thing better than any general-purpose chatbot: it gives you an answer you can actually check. For research, fact-checking, or just replacing a Google search with something faster, that citation-first habit is a genuine, daily-use advantage, and the free tier alone is strong enough to justify trying it. Where it gets less clear-cut is the price ladder — Pro at $20 is easy to justify, but the jump to Max at $200 is steep for anything short of heavy, multi-model workflows. As a research tool it's arguably the best in its class; as an all-purpose chatbot replacement it's good but not the most rounded option here.
FAQ
Is Perplexity free to use?
Yes, the Free plan is permanent and includes unlimited basic cited search plus a small daily allowance of Pro Search and Deep Research queries.
What model does Perplexity actually use?
The free tier defaults to Perplexity's own Sonar model. Pro subscribers can manually pick from several third-party models, and Max's Model Council can query multiple flagship models at once and merge the answers.
What is Comet?
Comet is Perplexity's own AI-native web browser, free for everyone on Mac, Windows, iOS and Android, with an assistant built into every page rather than added as an extension.
Is Perplexity Max worth the price?
Only if you specifically need Model Council or Perplexity Computer's agentic, multi-connector workflows. For most individual users, Pro covers the vast majority of what makes Perplexity useful.
Do students get a discount?
Yes, verified students and educators can get Education Pro at $10/month, roughly half the standard Pro price, through SheerID verification.
Can businesses use Perplexity with admin controls?
Yes, through Enterprise Pro ($40/seat/month) or Enterprise Max ($325/seat/month), which add SSO, audit logs and centralized billing on top of the consumer features.