Perplexity
AI search assistant that answers questions with cited sources
What is Perplexity?
Perplexity is an AI search assistant that answers questions with cited sources drawn from the web. Threads allow follow-up questions, Pro Search and Deep Research guide longer investigations, and Labs produces reports and projects. The app is free and syncs across devices, with paid Pro and Max plans above the free version.
Perplexity has a free plan. Paid plans start at $17 per month when billed annually ($20 a month on the US App Store). See every plan
Good for
- 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
Worth knowing
- 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.
Key features
- 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.
Perplexity pricing
- Starts at
- $17 per month when billed annually ($20 a month on the US App Store)
- Free plan
- Free to use, with cited answers, follow-up threads and sync across devices. Perplexity's plans page does not spell out the free plan's limits.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Cited answers, follow-up threads, a library of past searches and sync across devices. |
| Pro | $17per 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 | $167per 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. |
| Enterprise | Custom | Listed alongside Pro and Max on the plans page; pricing is not shown. |
Read from perplexity.ai on Oct 4, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Perplexity before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Annual discountLower 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.
Stated on perplexity.ai
What people say about Perplexity
4.8
out of 5 for the iPhone and iPad app
- 5 stars90%
- 4 stars6%
- 3 stars2%
- 2 stars<1%
- 1 star2%
512,507 ratings on the App Store in the United States, read Oct 7, 2026. It rates the app, not everything the product does. See the listing
Often praised
- Reviewers and commenters like getting a direct answer with its sources listed, in place of working through a page of search results themselves. App Store reviews · Hacker News 1, 2
- Asking follow-up questions to dig further into a subject, in some cases as a kind of tutor, is a use that reviewers and a commenter describe. App Store reviews · Hacker News
Often criticised
- A reviewer and two commenters report answers that were wrong, or that cited sources which did not say what the answer claimed. App Store reviews · Hacker News 1, 2
- Several commenters say they see little reason left to choose it over the large AI assistants or Google's own AI answers. Hacker News 1, 2, 3
Based on 10 App Store reviews, nine of them four or five stars, from September 2023 to August 2026, and about 15 Hacker News comments from August to October 2026, read Oct 7, 2026. These are themes summarised in our words, not our own verdict. Follow the links to read what was said.
Discussions worth reading
- Three sites made 215,128 “best software” pages for AI. Perplexity cites themHacker News · Sep 2, 2026
Perplexity alternatives
- Perplexity vs ChatGPT
Free plan · from $8/mo
- Perplexity vs Gemini
Free plan · from $4.99/mo
- Perplexity vs Claude
Free plan · from $17/mo
- Perplexity vs Gemini Notebook
Free plan · from $4.99/mo
Featured in
- The best ChatGPT alternatives in 2026Alternatives
- The best AI assistants in 2026Best of
Common questions
Is Perplexity free?
Perplexity has a free plan. Free to use, with cited answers, follow-up threads and sync across devices. Perplexity's plans page does not spell out the free plan's limits. Paid plans start at $17 per month when billed annually ($20 a month on the US App Store).
How much does Perplexity cost?
Perplexity lists 4 plans. Free: $0. Pro: $17 per month, or equivalent, when billed annually. Max: $167 per month, or equivalent, when billed annually. Enterprise: custom pricing. Prices were read from perplexity.ai on Oct 4, 2026.
What platforms does Perplexity work on?
Perplexity is available on Web, iOS and Android. It also has a browser extension.
Does Perplexity offer any discounts?
Perplexity publicly lists the following: Lower monthly cost with annual billing.
How is Perplexity rated?
Perplexity's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.8 out of 5 from 512,507 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 7, 2026. That is the store's rating of the app, not a score from us.
Is Perplexity any good?
We have not tested Perplexity, so this is what reviewers say. Often praised: Reviewers and commenters like getting a direct answer with its sources listed, in place of working through a page of search results themselves. Often criticised: A reviewer and two commenters report answers that were wrong, or that cited sources which did not say what the answer claimed. The reviews page has every theme with its sources.
Does Perplexity have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 4, 2026. Perplexity is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does Perplexity have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 4, 2026. Perplexity is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is Perplexity open source?
Perplexity is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 4, 2026.
Does Perplexity have an API?
Yes. Perplexity offers a public API, according to its own site.
Who makes Perplexity?
Perplexity is made by Perplexity AI, Inc. It dates from 2022.
What are the alternatives to Perplexity?
The closest alternatives to Perplexity in our directory are ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Gemini Notebook. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Perplexity.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 4, 2026. What people say is linked where it appears.