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Perplexity

Perplexity is an AI answer engine from Perplexity AI that searches the web and shows inline citations for its claims. Paid plans add Perplexity Computer, an agent that turns requests into finished documents and apps, plus a choice of models from OpenAI, Anthropic and Google. Researchers, analysts and students use it for sourced answers.

Quick facts

VendorPerplexity AI
CategoryChat & search
PlatformsWebiOSAndroidmacOSWindowsAPI
Free planYes
Pricing from$20/month
Last reviewed

Best for

  • Researchers who need citations
  • Finance and market analysts
  • Verified students and educators
  • Heavy users of AI agents

Key features

Cited answers

Every answer carries inline citations showing where each claim comes from, and Pro returns 10x as many citations per answer.

Perplexity Computer

An agent that coordinates teams of models to deliver finished work; Pro includes 4,000 bonus credits and Max adds 10,000 credits a month.

Choice of models

Pro and Max can pick a preferred model per query, such as GPT-5.2, Claude Sonnet 4.6, Gemini 3.1 Pro or in-house Sonar.

Premium data sources

Pro and Max answers can draw on PitchBook, Statista and S&P Capital IQ for finance and market research.

400+ app connectors

Paid plans connect Perplexity to more than 400 apps, so one search can cover the web, your files and your tools.

Comet browser

Perplexity's AI browser for Mac, Windows, iOS and Android builds the Comet Assistant into everyday browsing.

Use cases

  • Check a statistic for a report and open each inline citation to confirm the original source.
  • Build a market-sizing brief that pulls figures from Statista and PitchBook inside a Pro search.
  • Hand a competitor analysis to Perplexity Computer and come back to a finished report and spreadsheet.
  • Ask Comet on your phone to summarize and compare several product pages while you browse.

Pricing

Pricing from
$20/month

Free costs $0 for limited daily use. Pro is $20/month, or $17/month billed annually, and Max $200/month, or $167/month billed annually. Verified students and educators can get Education Pro for $10/month.

Ways to save

  • Students and educators verified through SheerID pay $10/month for Education Pro, half the Pro price, with everything in Pro included.
  • Annual billing brings Pro down to $17/month and Max to $167/month.
  • The Free plan still puts citations in every answer, so occasional fact-checking needs no subscription.
  • Enterprise Pro seats cost $400 a year per seat, compared with $40 a month when billed monthly.
Prices checked on Oct 12, 2026

Current deals

What is Perplexity?

Perplexity is a search-first assistant: you ask a question, it reads the web and answers with numbered sources. It runs on the web, in iOS and Android apps, in a Mac app and inside Comet, the company’s own browser. Developers buy API access separately on a pay-as-you-go basis.

What stands out

  • Not tied to one AI lab. A single subscription covers models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and others.
  • From answers to deliverables. Computer can produce reports, spreadsheets, dashboards and simple web apps from one request.
  • A desktop agent on Mac. Personal Computer, built into Perplexity for Mac (macOS 15 or later), can work with local folders and native apps.

Limitations

Access to advanced models may be limited during weeks of especially heavy usage, even on Pro. Free has no advanced models or image generation. Computer runs on credits, so big agent jobs can use up Pro’s bonus allowance, and API usage is billed separately from any subscription.

Perplexity FAQ

Yes. The Free plan includes search with citations and basic AI models for limited daily use. Perplexity's help center lists 3 Pro Searches a day and one Research query a month on Free, with no image generation.

Pro ($20/month) adds model selection, deep research, premium data sources and 4,000 bonus Computer credits. Max ($200/month) adds 10,000 Computer credits a month, the highest usage limits, the Brain memory preview and priority support.

Yes. Education Pro costs $10/month for students and educators who verify with SheerID. It includes everything in Pro, including Perplexity Computer, plus Learn Mode and study-focused tips.

Several. Perplexity picks a model per query from providers including OpenAI, Google, Anthropic and NVIDIA, alongside its own Sonar model. Pro and Max subscribers can choose a preferred model instead.

It depends on the plan. Pro, Max and Education Pro users can opt out of AI training, while Enterprise Pro and Enterprise Max data is never used for model training, according to Perplexity's plan comparison.

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Sources

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