Perplexity AI

What it is

Perplexity is an AI-powered answer engine. Instead of returning a list of links like a traditional search engine, it writes an answer and shows the sources it used, so you can check where information came from. It is available on the web and in mobile and desktop apps, with a free tier and paid subscriptions for individuals and organisations.

Key features

Based on Perplexity's help centre and official announcements (October 2026):

• Cited answers: responses include links to sources, making verification faster.
• Pro Search: more thorough, multi-step searches on paid plans.
• Choice of AI models: paid subscribers can choose among advanced models from several AI companies, as well as Perplexity's own.
• Research (Deep Research): longer investigations that produce structured, shareable reports and can analyse uploaded documents.
• Create files and apps (formerly Labs): generate reports, spreadsheets, dashboards and simple web apps from a prompt.
• File uploads: text, PDFs, images, audio and video files up to 40 MB, with a rolling weekly allowance on paid plans.
• Image and video generation on paid plans.
• Max-tier extras: Perplexity's Max page lists the highest usage limits, priority access to new features and expanded use of its "Computer" agent.

Pricing (verified October 2026)

• Free: basic answer-engine use with lower limits.
• Pro: $20/month or $200/year, according to Perplexity.
• Max: $200/month or $2,000/year. Perplexity's help centre notes annual billing for Max is only available through the web app.
• Enterprise Pro: $40 per seat per month or $400 per seat per year.
• Enterprise Max: $325 per seat per month or $3,250 per seat per year.

Perplexity's Max page also advertises time-limited promotional credits; promotions change, so check the official site for current offers and local pricing.

Using citations well

Cited answers only help if you open the sources. Before relying on an answer, click through to check that the source actually says what the summary claims, that it is current, and that it is authoritative (an official site or a primary document rather than a content farm). For prices, laws and medical information, go to the original publisher before acting.

Who it's for

• Researchers, analysts and journalists who need to trace claims to sources.
• Students starting a literature search (as a lead generator, not a replacement for academic databases).
• Professionals who want to compare answers across different AI models in one subscription.
• Teams that want shared research tools with enterprise controls.

To get reliable results, phrase questions precisely, include a time frame where it matters ("as of 2026"), and ask follow-up questions that narrow the scope. For important decisions, open at least two of the cited sources, check their dates and authors, and prefer primary sources such as official documentation, research papers and government sites over secondary summaries.

Pros

• Sources are shown by default, encouraging verification.
• Access to multiple leading models under one Pro subscription.
• Useful free tier for quick questions.
• Annual billing option saves the equivalent of two months on Pro.
• Research and file-creation features turn searches into usable documents.

Cons

• Citations do not guarantee accuracy; summaries can misstate what a source says, so you still need to open the links.
• Source quality varies with the web; it may cite weak or outdated pages.
• Plan features, model line-ups and promotions change often.
• Max is expensive and only makes sense for very heavy users.
• Less suited than general assistants to long-form creative writing.

Alternatives on AIMAPER

• ChatGPT and Google Gemini: both offer web search and deep research inside broader assistants.
• Claude: web search and Research on paid plans, strong for analysing long documents.
• Microsoft Copilot: web-grounded answers plus Microsoft 365 integration.

See more in our AI chatbots category and the full AI tools directory.

Bottom line

Perplexity is a strong choice when you need answers you can trace to sources. The free tier covers casual research; Pro at $20/month adds deeper searches, model choice and file analysis that suit professional research. Use it as a fast starting point, and keep the habit of opening and reading the sources it cites.