ChatGPT vs Perplexity

ChatGPT

• General-purpose help with writing, questions and brainstorming
• People who want chat, voice, images and web search in one assistant
• Trying an AI assistant at no cost before paying

Perplexity

• Research questions where you want the sources behind each answer
• Follow-up questions that build on an earlier search
• Quick, current answers by voice or text on a phone

ChatGPT

• Pro is sold at three price points, $100, $200 or $500 per month, well above the $20 Plus plan.
• Business requires at least 2 users. SCIM, EKM and role-based access control are reserved for Enterprise and Edu.
• OpenAI began testing ads in the free version for logged-in adult US users in January 2026, according to Wikipedia.
• OpenAI's pricing page says the Go plan may include ads.

Perplexity

• The plans page quotes annual-billing prices only: Pro at $17 and Max at $167 a month. The US App Store lists monthly subscriptions at $20.00 for Pro and $200.00 for Max.
• Pro and Max are described as for personal use only.
• Credits are sold separately in packs from $5.00 for 500 to $50.00 for 5,000.

ChatGPT

Conversational help

Answers questions, drafts and reworks text, explains topics and reads uploaded photos in a chat, with history synced across your devices.

Image generation

Creates original images from a description, or transforms existing images from a short instruction.

Advanced Voice Mode

Hold a real-time spoken conversation in the mobile app by tapping the soundwave icon.

Search and Deep Research

ChatGPT Search draws on the web for more up-to-date answers, and Deep Research generates a report from extensive web searches.

Codex

A coding agent that runs on the web, in a CLI, in an IDE extension and on iOS from the Plus plan, with integrations such as automatic code review and Slack.

GPTs and agents

GPTs customize ChatGPT's behavior for a specific use case, and ChatGPT agent carries out multi-step tasks.

Perplexity

Cited answers

Responds to questions with answers drawn from current web content and lists the sources used for each one.

Pro Search and Deep Research

Guided AI search modes for exploring a question in more depth than a single answer.

Thread follow-ups

Ask follow-up questions in the same thread so later answers build on earlier ones. Past threads are kept in your Library.

Assistant

Handles tasks such as drafting emails, scheduling appointments and booking reservations.

Perplexity Labs

Turns a request into a finished report or project rather than a short answer.

Voice

Ask questions by speaking instead of typing and get up-to-date answers back.

ChatGPT

• Free$0

  Unlimited text chats, with limits on uploads, image creation, voice chats, deep research and memory.

• Go$8

  per month

  More messages with tools, more uploads, image creation and voice chats than Free, and longer memory. OpenAI notes this plan may include ads.

• Plus$20

  per month

  Advanced reasoning models, expanded deep research and memory, plus projects, scheduled tasks and custom GPTs.

• Business$20

  per user / month, billed annually

  For 2 or more users: a dedicated workspace with admin controls, SAML SSO and MFA. $25 per user / month when billed monthly.

• ProFrom $100

  per month

  A choice of three usage tiers at $100, $200 or $500 per month, with the highest limits, pro reasoning and an always-on agent.

• Enterprise & EduCustom

  Sold through sales, with priority request processing, SCIM, EKM, user analytics, domain verification and role-based access control.

Perplexity

• Free$0

  Cited answers, follow-up threads, a library of past searches and sync across devices.

• Pro$17

  per month, or equivalent, when billed annually

  Deep research, a choice of AI models, expanded Computer access, document and app creation, and higher usage limits and memory.

• Max$167

  per month, or equivalent, when billed annually

  Everything in Pro with the highest usage limits, 10,000 monthly credits, frontier models and priority access to new features.

• EnterpriseCustom

  Listed alongside Pro and Max on the plans page; pricing is not shown.

ChatGPT

• Annual discount

  Business is cheaper when billed annually

  OpenAI's pricing page lists Business at $20 per user / month when billed annually, against $25 per user / month when billed monthly.

Perplexity

• Annual discount

  Lower monthly cost with annual billing

  Perplexity's plans page prices Pro at the equivalent of $17 a month when billed annually; the US App Store lists the monthly subscription at $20.00.