Perplexity

Perplexity is an AI answer engine rather than a plain chatbot. You ask a question, and it searches the open web in real time, then returns a concise answer with inline citations so you can check where each claim came from. The same account also covers a browser, a research workspace, and an API for developers. A free tier handles everyday questions, and paid plans raise limits and add file uploads, image generation, and project tools.

Key Features

• Cited answers grounded in live web sources, with inline citations you can open and compare.
• Multi-model routing that sends each query to a model suited to the task, drawing on models from OpenAI, Gemini, Nvidia, and Claude.
• Agentic, web-first behavior that can browse, navigate, and act on sites while you work.
• Search as the core product, plus Computer for research, analysis, coding, and multi-step workflows.
• Comet, an AI browser for working with the assistant while you browse.
• Spaces for saving threads and keeping related research together.
• An API platform with search, agent, and embedding endpoints for developers.

Who is it for

• Individuals who research topics and want to see the sources behind an answer.
• Analysts and knowledge workers who need current information rather than a static model reply.
• Teams that require security and compliance features such as single sign-on and provisioning.
• Developers who want to add cited web search to their own applications.
• Professionals in fields such as finance, legal, and healthcare who need traceable answers.

What can you do with Perplexity

• Ask a question and get a short answer with inline citations to the pages used.
• Follow up on an answer to narrow the topic or compare conflicting sources.
• Upload a file on a paid plan and ask questions about its contents.
• Generate an image from a prompt on a paid plan.
• Run a longer research task in Computer and work through the findings.
• Save a thread to a Space so you can return to it later.

How does Perplexity work

• Open the web app, the iOS or Android app, or the Comet browser.
• Ask a question in natural language, or upload a file when the plan allows it.
• Perplexity routes the request to a suitable model and runs a live web search.
• The answer arrives with citations, and you can open each source to verify the claim.
• Keep useful threads in a Space, or send the same kind of query through the API from your own code.

Pricing

• Free: the core search and chat experience at no cost.
• Pro: $20 a month, or $200 a year, with Pro Search, Projects, file uploads, image generation, and higher limits.
• Max: a tier for heavy users; the price is not listed on the page.
• Enterprise: pricing is available on request, with SOC 2 Type II, SAML single sign-on, SCIM provisioning, and retention controls.
• API usage is billed separately from the consumer plans.

FAQ

What makes Perplexity different from a chatbot?

Every answer is built from a live web search and comes with citations, so you can check the sources instead of trusting an unsourced reply.

Is there a free plan?

Yes. The free plan covers the core search and chat experience. Pro and Max add higher limits and extra features.

How much does Perplexity Pro cost?

Pro is $20 a month or $200 a year, and it includes Pro Search, Projects, file uploads, image generation, and higher usage limits.

Does Perplexity use my queries for training?

Perplexity states that Pro and Enterprise queries are not used to train third-party models. Enterprise adds retention controls.

Can developers use Perplexity in their own apps?

Yes. The API platform provides search, agent, and embedding endpoints, with separate usage-based pricing.

Is there a browser version?

Yes. Comet is Perplexity's AI browser, and the assistant also runs in the web app and on iOS and Android.