# Perplexity

> AI answer engine that searches the live web and cites its sources

- Category: [AI Assistants](https://finderatlas.com/categories/ai-assistants)
- Pricing: Freemium
- Website: https://www.perplexity.ai
- Platforms: Web, iOS, Android, API
- API: available
- Mobile app: available
- Made by: Perplexity AI, Inc., founded 2022, San Francisco, CA
- Last updated: 2026-10-20
- FinderAtlas page: https://finderatlas.com/tools/perplexity

## Overview

Perplexity is an AI answer engine from Perplexity AI, Inc. You ask a question in plain language and it searches the web, then writes a short answer with numbered citations that link to the sources it used. This replaces the usual process of opening several search results and reading them one by one. It is available on the web and as iOS and Android apps, and the company also offers a separate AI browser called Comet and a developer API.

## Key features

- Cited answers
- Pro Search
- Research
- Model selection
- File uploads
- Perplexity Computer
- Comet browser
- Perplexity API

## Pricing

- **Free** ($0): Basic search with citations and limited daily usage.
- **Pro** ($20/month): Higher limits, advanced models and Perplexity Computer for individuals.
- **Max** ($200/month): Highest consumer limits, with monthly credits and priority support.
- **Enterprise Pro** ($40/user/mo): Team plan with admin controls and organizational features.
- **Enterprise Max** ($325/user/mo): Highest enterprise limits with SCIM, audit logs and priority support.

## Best for

- Answering factual and current-events questions with checkable sources, and running multi-step web research

## Who uses it

- Researchers
- Students
- Analysts
- Journalists
- Developers
- Knowledge workers
- Enterprise teams

## Strengths

- Every answer links to numbered sources, so claims are easy to check
- Free plan includes search with citations
- Paid plans offer a choice of advanced models from several providers
- Available on web, iOS, Android and through a developer API
- Separate Comet browser integrates the assistant into browsing

## Limitations

- Free plan is limited to 3 Pro Searches per day and 1 Research query per month
- Pro and Max limits are described as weekly or monthly allowances rather than fixed numbers
- Max costs $200 per month, and Enterprise Max costs $325
- Answers can still contain errors, so the cited sources need checking

## Not recommended for

- Offline use
- Users who need a general creative writing or image-first assistant

## FinderAtlas editorial scores (out of 10)

- Live Web Search & Citations: 9.2/10
- Real-time Factuality & News: 8.6/10
- Source Transparency: 9/10
- Document & Research Analysis: 8.3/10
- Search Speed & Responsiveness: 8.5/10

## Alternatives

- [Z.ai Chat](https://finderatlas.com/tools/z-ai): Free GLM-powered AI chatbot and agent from Zhipu AI for writing, coding and research ([compare](https://finderatlas.com/compare/perplexity-vs-z-ai))
- [Mistral Vibe (formerly Le Chat)](https://finderatlas.com/tools/mistral-le-chat): Mistral AI's chat assistant and coding agent for everyday work and software tasks ([compare](https://finderatlas.com/compare/mistral-le-chat-vs-perplexity))
- [ChatGPT](https://finderatlas.com/tools/chatgpt): OpenAI's AI assistant for writing, research, coding, image generation and voice chat ([compare](https://finderatlas.com/compare/chatgpt-vs-perplexity))
- [Poe](https://finderatlas.com/tools/poe): Chat with many AI models, image tools and custom bots through one account ([compare](https://finderatlas.com/compare/perplexity-vs-poe))
- [Grok](https://finderatlas.com/tools/grok): xAI's AI assistant with live X and web search, image and voice tools ([compare](https://finderatlas.com/compare/grok-vs-perplexity))
- [Google Gemini](https://finderatlas.com/tools/gemini): Google's AI assistant for chat, research, image and video creation, and Workspace apps ([compare](https://finderatlas.com/compare/gemini-vs-perplexity))
- [Claude](https://finderatlas.com/tools/claude): Anthropic's AI assistant for writing, analysis, coding and working with files ([compare](https://finderatlas.com/compare/claude-vs-perplexity))
- [Kimi](https://finderatlas.com/tools/kimi): Chat, research and agent assistant from Moonshot AI, built on its Kimi K3 model ([compare](https://finderatlas.com/compare/kimi-vs-perplexity))

## Recent updates

- 2026-08-08 (Sonar Update): Perplexity Sonar & Reasoning Upgrade

## FAQ

**How does Perplexity differ from Google Search?**

Perplexity writes a direct answer from several retrieved web pages and lists numbered citations, while Google Search mainly returns a list of links. Users can still open the cited pages to verify the answer.

**Is Perplexity free?**

Yes. The free plan includes search with citations, 3 Pro Searches per day and 1 Research query per month, according to Perplexity's help center. Paid plans raise these limits.

**How much does Perplexity Pro cost?**

Perplexity Pro is $20 per month, or $200 per year, according to Perplexity's help center. The pricing page currently shows the annual rate as about $17 per month.

**What is the difference between Pro and Max?**

Max costs $200 per month and adds higher limits, 10,000 monthly credits, the highest Comet Assistant limits, access to Brain in research preview, and priority support.

**Is Perplexity available for teams?**

Yes. Enterprise Pro starts at $40 per seat per month and Enterprise Max is $325 per month, per the help center. Enterprise Max adds SCIM, audit logs and higher limits.

**Does Perplexity have an API?**

Yes. Perplexity's developer docs describe an Agent API, Search API, Embeddings API, Decisions API and an Orchestrator API. API usage is billed separately from consumer subscriptions.