ChatGPT
Freemium
Chat & Assistants
OpenAI's general-purpose assistant for writing, research, images, voice and code.
Perplexity
AI answer engine that searches the web and cites its sources.
Freemium
Chat & Assistants
Overview
Perplexity answers questions by searching the web and summarizing what it finds, with links to the sources it used. That citation habit makes it handy for quick research, comparing options and checking where a claim came from. Follow-up questions keep context within a thread, and collections help group related searches. It suits students, researchers and anyone who wants a fast, sourced overview rather than a list of blue links. The summaries are only as good as the pages behind them, so open the citations for anything important. Advanced models and deeper search modes sit behind paid plans.
Key features
- Web search with inline source links
- Follow-up questions in threads
- Collections for organizing research
- File upload for analysis
- Deeper search modes on paid plans
Pros
- Sources are visible for quick checking
- Fast overviews of current topics
- Free tier for everyday searches
Cons
- Summaries can misread or oversimplify sources
- Some advanced features need a paid plan
Use cases
- Quick background research on a topic
- Comparing products or options with sources
- Finding primary references for an article
Pricing
Free tier available; paid plans add deeper search and higher limits. Check the pricing page for current prices.