Perplexity
Cappy’s Quick Take
| At a glance | Details |
|---|---|
| What it is | An AI answer engine that searches the web and shows its sources |
| Pricing | Freemium · Pro $20/month or $200/year · Max $200/month |
| Free plan | Yes, with a small daily allowance of Pro searches |
| Works with | Web, mobile apps and a Chrome extension |
| Best for | Research and fact-finding where you want to see where an answer came from |
| Cappy Score | 4.5/5 |
What is Perplexity?
Perplexity is an AI answer engine. You ask a question, it searches the web, and it replies with a written answer plus numbered source links so you can check each claim.
That makes it feel closer to a search engine than a chat assistant. Pro adds unlimited Pro Search, a daily allowance of Deep Research reports and the option to pick which AI model answers.
It’s popular with students, analysts and anyone who needs sourced answers rather than a confident reply with no citations.
Key features
- Cited answers: every reply links to the sources it used.
- Pro Search: multi-step searches for harder questions (unlimited on Pro).
- Deep Research: longer reports built from many sources, with a daily allowance on Pro.
- Model choice: pick between several AI models on paid plans.
- File uploads and images: ask about your own files and generate images on Pro.
- API credit: Pro includes a small monthly credit for Perplexity’s Sonar API.
Pricing plans
| Plan | Price | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Quick sourced answers, with about five Pro searches a day |
| Pro | $20/month, or $200/year (about $16.67 a month) | Regular researchers who want unlimited Pro Search and Deep Research |
| Max | $200/month | Power users who need the highest limits and earliest access to new features |
Which plan should you pick? Start on Free, which already shows cited answers. Choose Pro, ideally on annual billing, if you research daily. Max is only for very heavy professional use.
Perplexity free plan: what you get
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Standard searches | Included |
| Pro searches | About 5 a day |
| Model choice | Paid plans |
| Deep Research | Paid plans |
The catch: The free plan limits Pro searches to about five a day, and you can’t switch models or run Deep Research without paying.
Who is Perplexity for?
- Students and researchers: find sourced answers and check claims.
- Analysts and journalists: scan a topic quickly with links to follow up.
- Professionals: look up facts without reading ten tabs.
- Curious readers: get a quick, cited summary of any topic.
Consider something else if you mainly want creative writing, long-form drafting or an assistant that works across your own files and apps.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Answers come with source links
- Useful free plan
- Pro includes unlimited Pro Search and Deep Research
- Annual Pro works out to about $16.67 a month
Cons
- Less suited to creative writing and long drafts
- Free Pro searches are capped at about five a day
- Max costs $200 a month
- Sources still need checking, since links don’t guarantee accuracy
Perplexity alternatives
| Tool | Why consider it |
|---|---|
| ChatGPT | A broader chatbot for writing, files, images and voice |
| Google Gemini | A strong free plan with Google app integration |
| Microsoft Copilot | Free chat with web answers and Microsoft 365 integration |
| Poe | Try many different AI models under one subscription |
How to get started with Perplexity
- Open Perplexity on the web or in the app, no account needed for basic searches.
- Ask a question and read the answer along with its sources.
- Open the source links to confirm anything important.
- Upgrade to Pro if you hit the daily Pro Search limit.
Tip: Treat the source links as the real answer. Open the two or three most relevant ones before relying on a summary for anything important.
Frequently asked questions
Is Perplexity free?
Yes. Perplexity has a free plan with cited answers and a small daily allowance of Pro searches.
How much does Perplexity Pro cost?
Pro costs $20 a month, or $200 a year when billed annually, which is about $16.67 a month.
What does Perplexity Max include?
Max costs $200 a month and gives the highest limits, extra tools and earliest access to new features.
Does Perplexity show its sources?
Yes. Every answer includes numbered links to the pages it used, so you can check each claim.