Perplexity AI vs. ChatGPT: AI Tool Comparison

Verdict: There’s no clear-cut winner across all use cases, but after using both of these apps in a head-to-head matchup, Perplexity AI comes out on top for me, thanks to its higher level of accuracy and depth in its answers to research questions.

I evaluated Perplexity AI and ChatGPT against key categories, including core features, accuracy, conversational capabilities, ease of use, and pricing, to help you decide which AI app better suits your needs. Here’s what you need to know.

Key takeaways

Perplexity AI excels in core features and accuracy, while ChatGPT stands out in pricing and conversational capabilities. Both platforms offer comparable ease of use, with each being ideal for different types of users based on their specific needs. (Jump to Section)

ChatGPT uses OpenAI’s own GPT models to offer a range of capabilities, including creating original text and code, analyzing data, summarizing long documents, and mimicking human-like conversations. (Jump to Section)

Perplexity AI is essentially an AI-powered search engine that draws from a database of sources to deliver source-backed, information-rich responses to your questions. (Jump to Section)



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Perplexity AI vs ChatGPT at a glance

Perplexity AI and ChatGPT are two of the most popular AI chatbots, both offering advanced capabilities in language understanding and content generation. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses that make it better suited to different use cases. Here’s how these AI tools compare. 

Perplexity AIChatGPTBest forResearch-oriented AI assistanceWide range of conversational AI usesStarting price (paid plans)$20 per month$20 per monthFree versionYesYesCore featuresReal-time web search, source citations, Copilot search, diverse content handlingMultimodal capabilities, custom GPTs, text summarization, code, and content creationEase of implementationEasyEasyUnique offeringsReal-time web search and diverse source integration for research and academic purposesStrong conversational abilities, original content, and customization for personalized outputs Visit Perplexity AIVisit ChatGPT

TABLE OF CONTENTS
ToggleWhat is Perplexity AI?What is ChatGPT?Best for pricing: ChatGPTBest for core features: Perplexity AIBest for ease of implementation: TieBest for accuracy: Perplexity AIBest for conversational capabilities: ChatGPTWho shouldn’t use Perplexity AI or ChatGPT?Best alternatives to Perplexity AI and ChatGPTReview methodology: How I evaluated Perplexity AI vs. ChatGPTFrequently asked questionsBottom line: Perplexity AI vs ChatGPT

What is Perplexity AI?

Perplexity AI is an artificial intelligence search engine and AI chatbot created to give accurate and comprehensive answers to user queries. Its roots in natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning enable it to deliver real-time, up-to-date information across a wide range of topics and provide sources for its answers. This makes it a good choice for students, researchers, and any user in need of reliable, in-depth information.

I often prefer Perplexity AI to ChatGPT when doing research for articles on topics for which new information is coming out quickly — for example, any article about AI. Its ability to synthesize what other writers have written recently on the topic and deliver nuanced answers while guiding me toward the online resources it used to create those answers is very helpful. This streamlines my research process without sacrificing accuracy and depth of understanding.

Visit Perplexity AI

Key features of Perplexity AI

The key features that distinguish Perplexity AI are fast web search, source citations, diverse content handling, and — at a higher price point — Perplexity’s Pro Search feature.

Real-time web search: Perplexity AI’s real-time search capability gives users the most current information available on the web — literally up to the minute. Professionals such as researchers who rely on the most current data available for their work will be impressed by this feature.

Source citations: Unlike many AI platforms, Perplexity AI offers citations for its responses, ensuring users can trace the origin of the information. This transparency is invaluable in academic and professional settings where the credibility of sources and reliable information is critical.

3D capture and texture: Perplexity can help you create code, write tables, research solutions to math problems, and summarize texts. It’s impressive in its ability to understand complex queries using cutting-edge NLP, setting it apart from simpler Q&A or chatbot services.

Pro search: By leveraging GPT-4 and Claude 3 large language models (LLMs), Perplexity’s Pro Search feature enhances the research experience by giving users longer, more comprehensive answers. Though it takes five to 10 seconds longer than Quick Search, its accuracy and transparency make the results worth the wait. Perplexity will even tell you, step-by-step, how it answered your question. 

Pros 

Accurate, nuanced answers with a focus on providing source citations for reliability.

Real-time search capability ensures information is current and relevant.

Handles a variety of content types, from text and code to tables and math problems.

Personalization features tailor responses based on user interests and search history.

Cons 

Academic focus means it may not be as effective for casual or conversational queries.

Depth and detail of information can be overwhelming for users seeking quick answers.

Requires constant internet connectivity for real-time searches, limiting offline use.

Despite its accuracy, it occasionally has hallucinations and gives wrong information.

What is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is OpenAI’s biggest and most popular product, and the AI application that revolutionized conversational AI with its ability to understand and generate human-like text. One of its greatest features is the way it offers coherent, contextually relevant dialogue to keep users engaged across diverse topics. Additionally, ChatGPT’s capabilities have expanded to process image and audio (spoken word) inputs, making it even more versatile and conversational. 

Whenever I need a large language model that will help me generate, remix, or refine written text, I turn to ChatGPT over Perplexity AI. With the right prompt and my ongoing feedback about the quality of its output, I can use it like an assistant to create all sorts of creative, nuanced outputs that are useful for copywriting projects.

Visit ChatGPT

Key features of ChatGPT

The distinguishing features of ChatGPT include its ability to handle multimodal input, DALL-E integration, custom and ready-made GPTs, and content creation.

Multimodal capabilities: ChatGPT’s ability to process and generate responses from text, image, and audio inputs offers users a more interactive and engaging experience. This ability enables ChatGPT to handle a wide array of professional situations as colleagues and customers submit data in different mediums; the app can output a richer, more context-aware conversation due to its strength in multimodal.

DALL-E integration: Incorporating DALL-E’s image generation capabilities, ChatGPT can create detailed visuals from textual descriptions, making it useful for tasks requiring a blend of text and imagery. This integration is highly beneficial for both creative professionals and marketers who need to generate fast visual content.

Custom and ready-made GPTs: Replacing ChatGPT’s plugin system, this custom GPT functionality enables users to find or create their own versions of ChatGPT for specialized purposes. If you decide to build a custom GPT, no coding skills are required.

Code and content creation: ChatGPT’s significant functionality in generating programming code and diverse content types, from marketing copy to creative writing, makes it invaluable across many industries, including tech, marketing, and education.

Pros 

Unmatched conversational abilities.

Multimodal interaction support enhances ChatGPT’s user experiences.

Regular updates and improvements ensure it remains innovative.

Ease of use with extensive documentation and community support.

Cons 

Broad focus may not fit users seeking in-depth, specialized information.

Multimodal features are still evolving, which may affect their reliability in certain applications.

User content is used in training by default for lower tier plans, with the ability to opt-out.

Will at times confidently give inaccurate responses; fact-checking is recommended.

Best for pricing: ChatGPT

ChatGPT and Perplexity AI are comparable in pricing at the entry level because both platforms offer free plans and paid subscriptions starting at $20 per user per month. However, ChatGPT has a slight advantage due to its more robust free plan, providing users with greater features and capabilities before upgrading to paid plans.

ChatGPT offers more pricing flexibility with added tiers and features for individuals, teams, and enterprises. The platform’s free plan provides basic access to the GPT-4o mini model, web-enabled responses, and limited file uploads, though with daily usage restrictions. The Plus plan, at $20 per month, offers higher limits, access to deep research and multiple reasoning models, and priority access to new features. 

For power users, the Pro plan, priced at $200 per month, includes unlimited access to advanced models, enhanced voice and video features, and more robust deep research capabilities. Teams can opt for a collaborative plan at $25–$30 per user per month, which adds admin controls and shared workspace, while enterprises can access custom-priced solutions with advanced security, compliance, and support.

Meanwhile, Perplexity AI offers a straightforward pricing structure with a free Standard plan and paid tiers designed for heavier usage. The free plan provides unlimited free searches, limited pro searches and file uploads, and access to a fast, free AI model. The professional plan at $20 offers unlimited free searches, more than 300 Pro searches per day, unlimited file uploads, and more. 

Perplexity AI’s upper-level pricing tier, Perplexity Enterprise Pro, has a self-serve option for $40 a month, or $400 per year, per seat.

Best for core features: Perplexity AI

Perplexity AI takes a slight advantage, excelling in real-time web search and source citations. ChatGPT has advanced multimodal capabilities and the powerful DALL-E integration, making it the better choice for users seeking a more versatile, multimedia-driven AI experience. 

Perplexity AI stands out with its real-time web search feature, which provides up-to-the-minute information. Users who require the most current data to support their work will find the platform a valuable research tool. It excels in offering source citations for its responses, allowing users to trace the origin of information easily. Perplexity AI is especially beneficial in academic and professional contexts where verifying the credibility of the information is essential.

I tested the Perplexity AI using several prompts to explore the capabilities of the platform to conduct real-time web searches and source citations. For instance, I tested Perplexity’s web-search capabilities with the prompt: “What is the current stock price of Tesla, and any recent news affecting it today? ”

Perplexity AI provided real-time data on Tesla’s stock prices, showing a detailed stock chart and key financial data.

To test the source citation tool, I entered the prompt: “Summarize the recent breakthroughs in AI technology from 2025 and cite the original articles or studies.”

Perplexity AI integrates citations by linking specific statements to their original sources, providing detailed and informative references that users can verify.

Meanwhile, ChatGPT takes the lead when it comes to multimodal capabilities, as it can process text, images, and audio inputs. The platform’s DALL-E integration enables you to create detailed visual outputs from textual descriptions. Creative professionals and marketers can use ChatGPT to generate fast visual content to combine it with text and other media for various purposes. 

To test ChatGPT 4o mini’s capability to process text and image input, I uploaded a reference image and used this prompt: “Can you describe the key differences between the two buildings in this image and explain their architectural styles?”

ChatGPT processed the uploaded image by identifying and comparing the architectural styles of the two buildings and then summarizing their key differences.

I also tested ChatGPT’s capability to generate high-quality images using the following prompt: “Create a highly detailed, photorealistic image of a serene mountain landscape during sunrise, with mist rolling through the valleys, a clear blue sky, and soft sunlight illuminating the snow-capped peaks, surrounded by lush green forests and a calm, reflective lake in the foreground.”

The image that ChatGPT generated is a highly vivid and realistic portrayal of a mountain landscape at sunrise, all depicted with stunning detail.

Best for ease of implementation: Tie

Both AI chatbots win in this category because ease of use depends on the user’s skill level, purpose, and preferences. For example, researchers and academic professionals may find Perplexity AI more user-friendly due to its intuitive citation buttons, tabs, and research-focused tools. On the other hand, ChatGPT’s ease of integration and user-friendly API make it a better choice for developers and businesses looking to quickly implement AI conversational features.

Best for accuracy: Perplexity AI

Accurate information is a big deal, and it’s still a pain point for ChatGPT, which can sound coherent even while producing highly believable yet completely false or made-up information. Perplexity AI is committed to providing up-to-date, citation-backed information, and it easily tops ChatGPT for accuracy. In addition, its real-time search features are also ahead of ChatGPT, which still sometimes offers inaccurate and inconsistent answers. 

For instance, I tested both platforms using this prompt: “What are the latest advancements in CRISPR gene editing? Please provide detailed, sourced information.” At the free tier, Perplexity AI returned more current and comprehensive information than ChatGPT-4o mini. Here’s a comparison of each tool’s response.

Perplexity AI excels in generating accurate responses by displaying multiple and recent cited sources, presenting quantifiable results, and structuring information in a well-organized format.

While ChatGPT presents structured information like Perplexity AI, some of its resources are less recent, which might have been due to the platform’s knowledge cutoff.

Best for conversational capabilities: ChatGPT

ChatGPT easily wins this category, as its advanced NLP makes it hard to compare with anything else when it comes to creating engaging, human-like conversations across a wide range of topics. It surpasses Perplexity AI in general conversational applications, as its NLP model is trained on a diverse set of conversational patterns, enabling it to understand context, nuance, and the flow of dialogues more effectively compared with other AI models. 

In comparison to ChatGPT, Perplexity AI focuses more on retrieving factual and citation-backed information, making it a better option for research. While it is highly reliable in delivering accurate data, it lacks ChatGPT’s conversational depth and context retention. ChatGPT’s interfa mimics messaging apps, which encourages back-and-forth dialogue with users, unlike Perplexity AI’s structured, summarized answers that might limit fluid conversations.

Who shouldn’t use Perplexity AI or ChatGPT?

Perplexity AI and ChatGPT are both top-tier AI tools, but it’s unlikely that either app will be a perfect fit for every user or scenario. Here’s what you need to know.

Who shouldn’t use Perplexity AI: With its focus on delivering detailed, citation-supported answers, Perplexity AI might be a hard sell for users looking for quick, casual interactions or those who need AI assistance in creative content generation. Its emphasis on research and data accuracy makes it less suited for applications requiring broad, conversational AI capabilities.

Who shouldn’t use ChatGPT: This AI tool may not meet the needs of users who require highly specialized, data-driven responses, particularly in academic or professional research contexts. Businesses or individuals needing generative AI tools with a strong emphasis on providing up-to-date, citation-backed information might find its generalist approach less effective.

Best alternatives to Perplexity AI and ChatGPT

While Perplexity AI and ChatGPT are both powerful generative AI apps in their own right, there are other alternatives in the market that might better suit your needs.

ClickUp AI

ClickUp AI, part of the broader ClickUp productivity platform, offers an AI assistant tailored to enhance task management and productivity. Unlike Perplexity AI and ChatGPT, which focus on search and conversational capabilities, ClickUp AI integrates AI directly into workflow management, making it ideal for teams looking to streamline project tasks with AI assistance.

ClickUp has a free forever plan, a plan geared for small teams at $7 a month, a business plan for $12 a month, and a custom enterprise plan.

Visit ClickUp AI

Jasper AI

Jasper goes beyond traditional AI chat interfaces to offer a platform aimed at content creation. It leverages AI to help users generate a wide range of content, from marketing copy to blog posts. This makes Jasper a strong choice for users whose primary interest is in leveraging AI for creative and content generation tasks, differing from Perplexity AI’s research-focused tool as well as ChatGPT’s conversational breadth.

Jasper offers a free seven-day trial of its Creator plan, which costs $39 per seat monthly, and its Pro plan, which goes for $59 a seat monthly. Jasper also offers a custom Business plan.

Visit Jasper AI

Komo

Komo offers a minimalist and sleek approach to AI-driven interactions, focusing on simplicity, speed, and ease of use. It provides a contrast to Perplexity AI’s depth of information and ChatGPT’s extensive AI conversational capabilities, catering to users who prefer a straightforward, no-frills generative AI tool for quick inquiries and interactions.

Komo’s Basic plan is $15 per month; Premium is $30 a month; Business is $200 a month; and the company offers a custom Enterprise plan.

Visit KOMO

Review methodology: How I evaluated Perplexity AI vs. ChatGPT

I based my review of Perplexity AI vs. ChatGPT on a handful of factors that helped differentiate each platform: pricing, features, user experience, accuracy, and conversational capabilities. 

Pricing (10%): I looked at how each tool approached pricing and examined how flexible their pricing options are. I evaluated each platform’s free plan capabilities, generation limits, and starting price.

Winner: ChatGPT

Core features (30%): I examined Perplexity AI and ChatGPT based on key features, including real-time web access, source citation, multimodal input, and search customization. I also considered each AI tool in terms of exporting or sharing and platform accessibility.

Winner: Perplexity AI

Accuracy (25%): I scrutinized the accuracy of information provided by each tool, considering factual correctness using the free plan, answering context and relevance, and the depth of reasoning. I also assessed how each tool uses citations and evidence to supplement their responses. 

Winner: Perplexity AI

Conversational capabilities (20%): I tested Perplexity AI and ChatGPT’s conversational capabilities using different prompts and evaluating key aspects such as response coherence and flow, ability to recall context within a session, and creativity. I also evaluated how each tool handled follow-up questions and saw if the AI platform could maintain relevant and coherent dialogue after several iterations.

Winner: ChatGPT

Ease of use (15%): I took a hands-on approach to learn how easy each platform was to use confidently, and to understand how intuitive each was to pick up and start using. I considered the design of the platforms, the learning curve for new users, and the accessibility of key features.

Winner: Tie

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Perplexity AI and ChatGPT? Perplexity AI is primarily an AI-powered search assistant designed to provide accurate, citation-backed answers from the web; it’s great for research and academic inquiries. On the other hand, ChatGPT is a conversational AI model capable of generating human-like text responses, making it versatile for a wide range of applications from casual conversations to content creation. How accurate are both AI apps? Perplexity AI’s accuracy is highlighted by its ability to cite sources for the information it provides, cementing its use case in research and academia. ChatGPT falls short in comparison, as its accuracy varies based on the input and the context of the conversation. It’s also designed to provide plausible responses based on patterns in its training data, which often yields inaccurate responses. Which is better, Perplexity or ChatGPT? The choice between Perplexity AI and ChatGPT depends on the user’s needs. For users who need detailed, sourced information for research or academic purposes, Perplexity AI is the better choice. And for those who want a more versatile tool with a broader range of applications and content creation capabilities, ChatGPT is a better option. What is unique about Perplexity AI? Compared to other AI tools, Perplexity AI offers uniquely comprehensive, up-to-date, and accurate answers to complex questions across a variety of subjects. It also tells you the sources it used to create these answers, making it a valuable tool for journalists, researchers, and analysts. Is Perplexity AI free? Perplexity AI offers a free plan that allows you to do Quick Searches for free and without creating an account. On the free plan, you’re limited to three Pro Searches per day. You’ll need to upgrade to the $20 per month plan to unlock hundreds of Pro Searches per day as well as other advanced features.

Bottom line: Perplexity AI vs ChatGPT

Perplexity AI excels in delivering accurate, citation-backed information, while ChatGPT’s dynamic AI conversational capabilities shine. Your choice depends on whether you prefer fluid conversational applications of AI (ChatGPT) or whether you prefer to use AI for a more structured approach to sourcing correct information, (Perplexity AI). These two platforms serve distinct purposes, making your decision easier. If you’re unsure, both offer free versions for testing before committing, allowing you to try out each AI tool and see which best suits your needs.

See eWeek’s rankings of the top AI companies for a detailed portrait of the businesses moving this dynamic technology forward.
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