Perplexity
An answer engine that shows its sources — AI search, deep research, and the Comet browser.
Perplexity built its identity on a simple contract: every answer carries citations you can check. The product now spans quick search, Deep Research reports, file analysis, and Comet — an agentic browser, free on desktop and mobile, that acts on pages rather than merely summarizing them. Pro subscribers choose among frontier models from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google plus Perplexity's own Sonar; Max adds heavier agent limits and Model Council, which runs one query through several frontier models and synthesizes the results.
Best for
Analysts, journalists, students, and anyone whose work starts with "find me sources on X" — the citation trail turns answers into starting points for verification. It is a research front-end, not a writing or coding workhorse.
Google gives you links to read; ChatGPT gives you an answer to trust; Perplexity splits the difference with answers built for checking. Its multi-model stance is a genuine hedge — the same question can route through OpenAI, Anthropic, or Google models — where ChatGPT locks you to OpenAI. Comet is the sharper bet: shipping a full agentic browser for free attacks Chrome's position rather than only Google's results page.
Core features
Cited answers
Numbered, linked citations on every response, with the full source list exposed for auditing rather than buried.
Research modes
Deep Research runs multi-step investigations into structured, cited reports; focus modes scope answers to academic, web, or social sources.
Fast discovery
Instant follow-ups and related questions make it a rapid first pass before committing time to primary-source reading.
Pros
- + Purpose-built research flow — focus modes, follow-ups, and threads beat retrofitting a general chatbot for source-finding
- + Inline numbered citations on every answer make verification a click, not an act of faith
- + Fast enough to replace a first Google pass, with Deep Research handling the slower structured reports
Watchouts
- - Leans on whatever ranks — SEO spam and thin aggregators surface in citations more often than the polished UX implies
- - Summaries can subtly misrepresent the sources they cite, so anything high-stakes still requires opening the links
Power List links
People behind Perplexity
Alternatives
Frequently asked
What is Perplexity?
An answer engine that shows its sources — AI search, deep research, and the Comet browser.
Who builds Perplexity?
Perplexity is built by Perplexity.
How much does Perplexity cost?
Perplexity uses freemium. Current tiers: Free · $20/mo Pro · $200/mo Max. Check the official site before buying — AI pricing changes often.