Perplexity is an AI search engine that can scour the web to deliver direct answers to any queries you throw at it.Rather than present a list of links, it’ll generate a concise response complete with citations, allowing you to verify the information and dive deeper.
Thanks to the introduction of Deep Research, you can also go to the next level and get Perplexity to spend several minutes working on expert-level analysis across complex subject matters that would normally take hours to complete.
In all cases, Perplexity will be calling upon some of the finest large language models around while seeking the best quality sources. So, read on to discover what else Perplexity is capable of doing and find out why you should consider using it.
This article was correct as of February 2025. AI tools are updated regularly and it is possible that some features have changed since this article was written. Some features may also only be available in certain countries.
What is Perplexity?
Perplexity was founded in 2022 and it was one of the first to blend traditional search engines such as Google with the conversational ability of AI. The idea was that you’d use natural language to conduct your research and get full written answers in return. With an ability to remember context, users could ask follow-up questions and know Perplexity would figure what you’re referring to.
We’re used to such AI systems now, thanks to ChatGPT, but Perplexity still has a few tricks up its sleeve. One of its best features is its use of third-party services. For while Perplexity works on its own online large language models, it gives users access to the likes of OpenAI’s Chat-GPT and o3-mini, along with Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Sonar and even the open source DeepSeek R1 model.
The models that are open to you depends on whether you’re happy to pay to use Perplexity but even if you’re just opting for the free service, you’re going to get so much out of this one.
What can you use Perplexity for?
Perplexity can easily be used as an alternative to Google. Ask a question and, rather than having to constantly scroll and click links to find answers (hoping they’re pointing to something satisfactory), you can simply read a single, comprehensive answer and view the sources of that information.
With the feature, Internal Knowledge, available for subscribers, you can also get Perplexity to consider your own documents and gain answers that also take into account a search of web sources. Throw Deep Research into the mix and Perplexity can search, read documents and employ reasoning skills to write professional reports on complex topics.
Indeed, if reasoning is important to you, Perplexity will let you access DeepSeek R1 within its search engine without the privacy worries since it uses the open source AI model on US servers. What’s more, Perplexity won’t censor the results from DeepSeek R1. Ask it about Tiananmen Square and it’ll give you an honest answer.
What can’t you use Perplexity for?
Perplexity isn’t designed to deliver a conversational experience – if you want something like that, then you’re better using the likes of Grok and ChatGPT. Perplexity is not designed to generate images by entering a prompt either. Instead, you can only generate an image based on your search thread by selecting Generate Image because they’re designed to complement your responses. If you want straightforward AI image generation, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
How much does Perplexity cost?
Perplexity can be used for free and that allows you unlimited quick searches and access to OpenAI’s ChatGPT. You will also get three Pro searches – these go beyond quick searches by using advanced AI models such as GPT-4 Omni and Claude 3 to ask clarifying questions. You’ll get links to every referenced source and you’ll get deeper research – scouring academic papers and the like. The free tier also allows three files to be uploaded per day and you will be allowed a small number of Deep Research queries each day.
Purchase the Professional subscription at $20 / £16 /AU$31 per month and you get more than 300 Pro searches daily as well as unlimited file uploads and access to collaborative spaces. You’ll be able to access Spaces, too – an area where Threads and files can be organised by topic or project. Crucially, you’ll have an unlimited pick of AI including OpenAI o3-mini, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Sonar and DeepSeek R1 rather than be limited to five enhanced queries.
Where can you use Perplexity?
Perplexity is available via a browser as well as an app for Mac. There are also apps for iOS and Android offering voice, text and camera-based interactions. A Perplexity Assistant can help with dinner plans, booking rides and identifying objects.
Is Perplexity any good?
Perplexity is among the best AI Q&A tools. Although it was beaten in a head-to-head with ChatGPT, it was a close call but much of that was because the free version of Perplexity uses OpenAI’s models. Take into account the flexibility of the paid-for tier and the fact that Perplexity has added features such as Deep Research in the weeks since that comparison was made and the situation begins to feel different. The fact that you can use the DeepSeek R1 model without censorship and on US servers is a huge bonus too since it strips away a good chunk of the concerns surrounding that particular model.
Use Perplexity if…
You want an AI search engine that doesn’t stick to one AI model – and if you’d like to use DeepSeek R1 but were otherwise put off. You should also use Perplexity if you feel the Deep Research feature would be beneficial – the company says it’s particularly useful for better understanding topics related to finance, marketing, technology, current affairs and health. It can also be used to generate in-depth biographies and travel itineraries.
Don’t use Perplexity if…
You want to generate images by entering a prompt because it won’t play ball. You should also avoid Perplexity if you want to engage in a chat – it’s not really up to that task but it will do fun stuff like tell you a joke.
Also consider
The best alternative to Perplexity is ChatGPT since it has a search feature – given that Perplexity uses the GPT model means it can be hard to differentiate the two as chabots, but on a web search level it was close, but we thought Perplexity had the edge. You should also think about using Claude if you want an AI for problem solving and content creation.
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