Search engines hand you ten blue links and let you sort it out. Perplexity hands you the answer, with the sources stapled to the back.
Perplexity AI is an answer engine. You ask in natural language, it reads the live web on your behalf, and it returns a synthesized response with numbered citations on every claim. Click a citation, see the source, decide for yourself.
Under the hood, Perplexity routes your question through a frontier large-language model - Sonar, GPT-5, Claude Opus, Gemini, or Grok - and combines it with real-time retrieval. The output reads like a research brief, not a chatbot transcript.
It works on the web, on macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android. There's a WhatsApp bot for one-line questions, a developer API for builders, and Comet - a full AI-native browser - for people who want their tabs to do work for them.
Free to start. $20/month for Pro, with access to every frontier model. $200/month for Max, with unlimited Labs and the agentic Computer feature.
Founded
2022
Active users
30M+
Models
15+ frontier
§ 07 — What's new
What's new at Perplexity?
Three years in, shipping faster than ever. The biggest launches of the past few quarters - what landed, when, and why it matters.
Major launchFeb 25, 2026
Introducing Perplexity Computer.
A general-purpose digital co-worker that orchestrates 19 frontier models and 400+ app integrations into a single agent. Plans, executes, and manages workflows that run for hours — or months — without you babysitting them.
Anything that starts with "find," "explain," or "compare." A few of the most common patterns:
Real-time research
Pull current data on companies, markets, public figures, news, and policy changes - with sources to verify before you cite.
Coding help
Debug a stack trace, generate boilerplate, explain a library API, or get an opinionated take on architecture trade-offs.
Comparison shopping
Compare products, services, or destinations side by side on price, specs, reviews, and availability.
Document analysis
Upload a PDF, DOCX, or CSV and ask focused questions. Surface key clauses in contracts, anomalies in data, or themes in long reports.
Deep Research
Hand off a topic and Perplexity reads dozens of sources autonomously, then writes a structured report — citations, gaps, and all.
Labs & artifacts
Generate dashboards, spreadsheets, presentations, and small web apps from a single prompt. Export, share, iterate.
§ 03 — Models
Models & latest releases.
Perplexity routes your question to the model best suited to answer it. You can also pick one explicitly.
House
Sonar
Perplexity
Perplexity's in-house model, tuned specifically for grounded web answers with citations. The default for free users.
Latest
GPT-5.2
OpenAI
OpenAI's latest reasoning flagship. Strongest at multi-step logic, math, and structured code generation.
Latest
Claude Opus 4.6
Anthropic
Anthropic's flagship. Excels at long-context reading, careful reasoning, and nuanced writing.
Gemini 3 Pro
Google
Multimodal — strong on image understanding, table reasoning, and live web tasks. A solid all-rounder.
Grok 4
xAI
Real-time, irreverent, plugged into the social pulse. Useful for trends, discourse, and current sentiment.
Max-only
Sora 2 Pro
OpenAI
Video generation orchestrated through Perplexity Labs. Available exclusively on the Max plan.
§ 04 — All models
Perplexity AI all models.
Every engine Perplexity orchestrates, organized by what it does. House-built and partner alike — pick one explicitly, or let Perplexity route for you.
Search & answer
07 models
Sonar
Perplexity
Free
Default fast answer engine — grounded web search with inline citations on every claim.
128k ctxHouse model
Sonar Pro
Perplexity
Pro
Deeper search with more sources per query and richer synthesis. Tuned for substantive research.
200k ctxHouse model
GPT-5.2
OpenAI
Pro
OpenAI's frontier general model. Strong at code, structured outputs, and step-by-step explanations.
256k ctxMultimodal
Claude Opus 4.6
Anthropic
Pro
Anthropic's flagship — best in class for long documents, careful reasoning, and nuanced writing.
500k ctxMultimodal
Claude Sonnet 4.5
Anthropic
Pro
Balanced workhorse — fast and capable. Good default when you don't need Opus's depth.
200k ctxMultimodal
Gemini 3 Pro
Google
Pro
Multimodal all-rounder. Strong on images, charts, tables, and live web understanding.
1M ctxMultimodal
Grok 4
xAI
Pro
Real-time, social-aware, irreverent. Plugged into current discourse and trending topics.
128k ctxLive X feed
Reasoning & research
04 models
Sonar Reasoning
Perplexity
Pro
Chain-of-thought variant of Sonar. Slows down for multi-step questions and shows its working.
128k ctxStep-by-step
Sonar Deep Research
Perplexity
Pro
Agentic mode — reads dozens of sources autonomously, then writes a structured report with gaps flagged.
30+ sourcesLong-form
o3-pro
OpenAI
Max
OpenAI's high-effort reasoning engine. Built for problems where careful thought beats fast tokens.
200k ctxMath & science
GPT-5 Thinking
OpenAI
Pro
Reasoning variant of GPT-5. More deliberate output, better at code, math, and adversarial logic.
256k ctxReasoning
Image generation
04 models
Flux 2.0
Black Forest Labs
Pro
Default image model on Pro. Excellent at photorealistic output and accurate text rendering.
2048×2048Photoreal
DALL·E 3
OpenAI
Pro
OpenAI's image model. Strong on composition, scene logic, and following complex instructions.
1792×1024Stylistic
Stable Diffusion XL
Stability AI
Pro
Open-weights image model. Fast, flexible, with broad style coverage from photoreal to illustrative.
1024×1024Open-source
Playground v3
Playground
Pro
Designer-friendly image model with strong layout and graphic-design instincts.
1024×1024Design
Video generation
02 models
Sora 2 Pro
OpenAI
Max
Cinematic short-form video. Best for product visualization, social-ready clips, and storyboards.
1080pUp to 20s
Veo 3.1
Google
Max
Google's video model — strong on physical realism, camera motion, and natural lighting.
4KUp to 60s
§ 05 — Compare
Compare each model.
Strengths, ideal use cases, and which Perplexity tier each model is available on.
Model
Strength
Best for
Available on
Sonar
Grounded web answers with citations baked in.
Default search, fact-finding, daily research.
FreeProMax
GPT-5.2
Frontier reasoning & structured output.
Complex coding, analytical write-ups, math.
ProMax
Claude Opus 4.6
Long-context reading & careful writing.
Legal & policy work, drafting, research synthesis.
ProMax
Gemini 3 Pro
Multimodal — images, tables, live web.
Visual research, data interpretation.
ProMax
Grok 4
Real-time, conversational, social-aware.
Trends, discourse, current sentiment.
ProMax
Deep Research
Agentic — reads dozens of sources autonomously.
Market scans, competitive briefs, dossiers.
ProMax
Sora 2 Pro
Cinematic short-form video generation.
Marketing visuals, product demos.
Max
§ 06 — Versions
Perplexity AI versions.
Three years, nine major releases. From a humble web answer engine in 2022 to a full agentic platform in 2026 — here's how Perplexity got here.
Dec 2022Launch
v0.1 · Initial release
Perplexity goes live.
A web-only answer engine debuts at perplexity.ai — built on GPT-3.5 with live web retrieval and numbered citations on every claim. Free for everyone, no signup required.
WebCitationsFirst release
Mar 2023Pro tier
v0.5 · Pro & Copilot
A paid tier with frontier models.
Perplexity Pro launches at $20/month — initially called "Copilot" — bringing GPT-4 access, follow-up suggestions, file uploads, and Pro Searches that read more sources per query.
Pro tierGPT-4Files
Apr 2024Pages
v1.0 · Pages
From thread to article, in one click.
Pages turns any research thread into a shareable, formatted article with sections, embeds, and persistent URLs. Spaces (formerly Collections) gain templated workflows.
PagesSpacesSharing
Aug 2024Sonar
v1.5 · Sonar models
Perplexity ships its own model.
The Sonar family launches — house-built models specifically tuned for grounded web answers with citations. Sonar Small and Sonar Large open the door to the API and replace third-party models for default search.
House modelAPIMajor
Jan 2025Deep Research
v2.0 · Deep Research
An agent that does the reading for you.
Deep Research mode goes live: hand off a topic and Perplexity reads dozens of sources autonomously, then writes a structured report with citations, gaps, and a methodology section.
AgenticReportsPro feature
Mar 2025Native apps
v2.2 · Mobile & Voice
A real app, on every screen.
Native iOS, iPadOS, and Android apps ship with full voice mode, background listening, and Library sync. macOS and Windows desktop apps follow the same month with global hotkeys.
iOSAndroidDesktopVoice
Jul 2025Max + Comet
v2.5 · Max tier & Comet
A $200 tier — and a browser.
Perplexity Max launches at $200/month with unlimited Labs, priority access to frontier models, and Sora 2 Pro video generation. Comet — Perplexity's AI-native browser — opens to Max users first, with Pro and Free following.
MaxCometLabsMajor
Oct 2025WhatsApp
v2.7 · WhatsApp & Spaces collab
Ask anywhere — even WhatsApp.
The official Perplexity WhatsApp bot launches at +1 (833) 436-3285 — text, voice notes, and image generation, no signup needed. Spaces gain real-time collaboration with shareable workspaces.
WhatsAppSpacesCollab
Feb 2026Computer
v3.0 · Perplexity Computer
A cloud agent that does the work.
Perplexity Computer launches as a Max-only feature — a cloud-based agent orchestrating 19 different models to handle multi-step workflows autonomously. 10,000 credits per month included; auto-refill optional.
ComputerAgenticMajor
Apr 2026Frontier rotation
v3.2 · Latest frontier models
GPT-5.2, Opus 4.6, Gemini 3 — all day-one.
Perplexity adds the latest frontier releases to the Pro and Max model picker the day they ship. Sonar Pro upgraded to a 200k context window. Veo 3.1 joins Sora 2 Pro for video on Max.
GPT-5.2Opus 4.6Veo 3.1Current
§ 07 — Positioning
Why pick Perplexity over ChatGPT?
They look similar. They are not. ChatGPT is a general-purpose conversational model; Perplexity is an answer engine over the live web. Most heavy users keep both open.
Perplexity
IdentityAn answer engine. Default behavior is "search the web, synthesize, cite."
SourcesEvery claim is footnoted with a clickable citation. Verifiable by default.
ModelsRoutes between Sonar, GPT-5, Claude Opus, Gemini, Grok. You pick.
FreshnessReal-time web access on every plan, including free.
Configurable memory permissions for admins and users
Configurable memory permissions for admins and users
Model council
—
—
Compare your answers with all the top models in one answer
Comet
Comet Assistant
Included
Assistant in Comet
Assistant in Comet, with advanced models powering it
Comet Agent
40 queries per month
2× Pro queries
20× Pro queries
Computer
Computer credits†
500 credits per month
—
15,000 credits per month
Admin Controls + Security
Single sign on + SCIM*
—
Integrate with your identity provider for SSO + SCIM
Integrate with your identity provider for SSO + SCIM
User management
—
Admins can add, remove, and set permissions across team members
Admins can add, remove, and set permissions across team members
Insights dashboard*
—
Analyze your usage trends and track adoption
Analyze your usage trends and track adoption
Data retention options*
—
Ability to auto-delete files within 1 day
Ability to auto-delete files within 1 day
Audit logs*
—
Login attempts, data modifications, configuration changes
Login attempts, data modifications, configuration changes
Support
Support
Direct support on Discord
Dedicated enterprise support
Dedicated enterprise support
Data privacy
Data privacy
Limited data training with the option to opt out
Perplexity and third party LLM partners do not train on your data
Perplexity and third party LLM partners do not train on your data
Certified security
Certified security
SOC 2 Type II
SOC 2 Type II
SOC 2 Type II
Cost per month
$20 / monthor $200 / year — save 16%
$40 / month per seator $400 / year — save 16%
$325 / month per seator $3,250 / year — save 16%
* Insights dashboard, audit logs, data retention configurability, and SCIM security features are only accessible with 50+ members or 1 Enterprise Max user in your organization.
† Computer credits are available for paying subscribers.
§ 09 — How to use
How to use Perplexity AI.
Two flavors. Read the steps if you're in a hurry; watch the videos if you'd rather follow along. Either way, you'll be productive in under ten minutes.
Install or open the app
Grab Perplexity for Windows, macOS, iOS, or Android, or just open perplexity.ai in any browser. The Pro features are identical across surfaces.
Sign in
Use Google, Apple, or any email address. The same account follows you across web, mobile, and desktop, and synchronizes Library and Spaces.
Pick a focus
Below the input you can choose a focus: Web, Academic, Reddit/Social, Math, or Writing. Each one filters which index Perplexity reads from.
Write a sharp prompt
Tell it the role, the task, the format, and the constraints. Then ask follow-ups in the same thread — Perplexity keeps the context.
Verify with citations
Every claim links back to a numbered source. Click through before you cite it elsewhere — the engine is excellent but not infallible.
Or watch & learn
Video tutorials.
Hand-picked walkthroughs from the community — pick a topic, follow along, build the muscle memory.
Here's what a typical Perplexity exchange looks like. Notice the citation footnotes — they're the reason serious researchers prefer it.
You asked
Compare Perplexity Pro and ChatGPT Plus on price, models, and live web access. Be concise, use bullet points, and cite sources.
Answer · Sonar mode
Both are $20 per month, but they emphasize different things1,2:
Models. Perplexity Pro lets you pick between GPT-5, Claude Opus, Gemini, Grok, and Sonar; ChatGPT Plus is OpenAI-only.1
Live web. Perplexity browses by default with citations on every claim; ChatGPT browses only when explicitly invoked.3
File analysis. Both support PDF, DOCX, CSV. ChatGPT extends further with code interpreter; Perplexity counters with Labs and Deep Research.2,3
Free tier. Perplexity's free tier preserves citations and live web; ChatGPT's free tier no longer caps GPT-5 access.2
If your work is mostly research and verification, Pro tends to win on time-saved-per-query. If it's mostly drafting and ideation, ChatGPT's persona memory and writing tools have an edge.
1perplexity.ai/pricing2openai.com/chatgpt/pricing3The Verge · Aug 2025
§ 11 — API
A live web, in one request.
The Sonar API exposes Perplexity's grounded answer engine to your application. Send a question, get back a cited, web-aware response.
The endpoint is OpenAI-compatible — same chat/completions shape with messages, system prompts, and streaming. The differentiator is the citations array Perplexity returns alongside the answer.
API usage is metered separately from your consumer plan. A Pro subscription does not include API credits, and API calls are unaffected by Max's "unlimited" web access.
OpenAI-compatible request shape
Citations on every response
Optional search_domain_filter
Streaming via SSE
Multiple Sonar tiers per query complexity
# curl example — Sonar with citationscurl https://api.perplexity.ai/chat/completions \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $PPLX_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"model": "sonar-pro",
"messages": [
{
"role": "user",
"content": "What changed in
EU AI Act this quarter?"
}
],
"return_citations": true,
"stream": false
}'
§ 12 — App
Perplexity everywhere you work.
Download the native app on every major platform — or try Comet, the AI browser that works for you.
Where Knowledge Begins
Ask anything…Pro
9:41●●●
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Ask anything
Perplexity
Ask questions, get instant answers with sources. The AI search engine that understands what you're actually looking for.