Perplexity is an AI answer engine that searches the web in real time and replies with a written answer backed by numbered citations. As of September 2026 it has grown into a wider platform: a choice of frontier models, Deep Research, the free Comet browser and the credit-based Computer agent. It is one of the best tools for cited research, but its answers still need checking.
Last updated: September 2026
What is Perplexity?
Perplexity is built by Perplexity AI, a San Francisco company founded in August 2022 by Aravind Srinivas, Denis Yarats, Johnny Ho and Andy Konwinski. Its core product works differently from a chatbot that answers from memory: according to Perplexity’s help center, it interprets your question, searches the web, synthesizes what it finds, and attaches numbered citations that link to the original sources.
Perplexity does not rely on a single AI model. Its help center (updated 4 September 2026) lists the models Pro subscribers can pick in Search: Perplexity’s own Sonar 2, OpenAI’s GPT-5.6 Terra, Google’s Gemini 3.7 Flash, Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet 5, Moonshot AI’s Kimi K3, Z.ai’s GLM 5.3, xAI’s Grok 4.6 and NVIDIA’s Nemotron 3 Ultra. Max subscribers also get GPT-5.6 Sol and Claude Opus 5. Perplexity notes that models are subject to change.
In February 2026 Perplexity told the Financial Times (as reported by MacRumors) that it was dropping advertising to protect trust in its answers. Its paid products are now subscriptions, enterprise seats, credits and the developer API.
Key features of Perplexity
Search and Pro Search
The search box returns a sourced answer instead of a list of links. “Best” picks a model automatically. Pro Search runs multi-step searches for harder questions and, on paid plans, lets you choose the model. Free users get a small daily allowance.
- Clickable numbered citations for each claim
- Follow-up questions that keep the thread’s context
- Reasoning and speed options when you pick a specific model
- Uploads of PDFs, text and code files, images, audio and video (up to 40 MB per file)
Research mode (Deep Research)
Research mode runs dozens of searches, reads hundreds of sources and writes a structured report within a few minutes, exportable as a PDF, document or shareable Perplexity Page. In February 2026 Deep Research moved to Claude Opus 4.5 for Pro and Max. In June 2026 it was merged into Computer, adding a “Search as Code” approach that runs retrieval steps in parallel and uses premium sources such as Statista and PitchBook.
Create files and apps (the Labs workflow)
Perplexity launched Labs in May 2025 to build reports, spreadsheets, dashboards and simple web apps over 10 minutes or more. The help center now calls this capability “Create files and apps.” It produces DOCX, PDF, XLSX, PPTX and HTML apps, which you preview in a side panel, refine with follow-ups and export. All paid plans include it, with limits that vary by plan.
Perplexity Computer
Computer, announced on 25 February 2026, is Perplexity’s agent for long, multi-step work. It splits a goal into subtasks, hands them to sub-agents and routes each step to the most suitable model, working in isolated environments with a file system, browser and connected tools. It runs on credits (100 credits = $1): according to Perplexity’s credits guide, light tasks typically cost 100–350 credits, complex ones 350–950, heavy ones 875–2,275 and the largest 2,400–9,800.
Computer for Enterprise (March 2026) adds connectors for Snowflake, Salesforce, SharePoint, HubSpot and Datadog, plus custom connectors via the Model Context Protocol. In August 2026 Perplexity added Portable Computer, an on-device version that launched on Nvidia’s DGX Spark desktop, with support for Windows PCs with Nvidia RTX graphics cards planned.
Comet browser
Comet is Perplexity’s Chromium-based AI browser. It has been free for everyone since 2 October 2025 and is now available on Mac, Windows, iOS and Android. Comet Assistant can compare news coverage, draft email replies, build study guides and research purchases. Comet Assistant in Work mode consumes credits, and Max subscribers get Max Assistant with the highest weekly limit on browser agent queries.
Projects (formerly Spaces)
Spaces are now called Projects: persistent, shareable workspaces that keep searches, Computer tasks, files, custom instructions and connected tools together. Each Project holds up to 5,000 files (2.5 GB, 100 MB per file). Pro and Max users can share with up to 5 people, enterprise organizations with up to 9,999.
Model Council and Brain (Max only)
Model Council (February 2026) runs one question on several frontier models, by default from Anthropic, OpenAI and Google, then synthesizes a single answer showing agreements and disagreements. It is Max and Enterprise Max only on web and iOS, though any paid plan can run it in Computer with credits. Brain (June 2026, research preview) is a memory system that learns from your Computer work to handle similar tasks better.
Benefits of using Perplexity
- Verifiable, current answers: live web search with a source link for each claim.
- Many models, one bill: Pro covers models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, xAI and others.
- From question to file: Research, file creation and Computer turn a question into a report, spreadsheet or deck.
- Usable free tier: near-unlimited basic search, and Comet costs nothing.
- Enterprise controls: no training on business data, SSO, SCIM, audit logs and optional zero data retention.
Perplexity use cases by role
- Marketers and SEO teams: competitor research and cited statistics for content briefs.
- Founders and investors: Deep Research on markets using PitchBook and Statista data, with Model Council as a second opinion.
- Students and educators: step-by-step learning mode, Comet study guides and shared course Projects at the lower Education Pro price.
- Analysts and consultants: research turned into XLSX models and PPTX decks.
- Journalists and researchers: fast source discovery, with citations as leads to verify.
- Enterprise teams: internal file search plus Computer connected to Salesforce, SharePoint or Snowflake.
How much does Perplexity cost?
The table below shows Perplexity’s plans and prices as of September 2026, taken from its pricing page and help center. Prices are in USD. Standard searches never use credits. Credits are only for Computer tasks and Comet Assistant in Work mode.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Near-unlimited basic searches with citations, 3 Pro Searches per day, 1 Research query per month, automatic model selection, free Comet browser |
| Education Pro | $10/month | Pro features for verified students and educators, plus Learn Mode and education-specific tools |
| Pro | $20/month | Model choice (GPT-5.6 Terra, Claude Sonnet 5, Gemini 3.7 Flash and more), Deep Research, Create files and apps, 4,000 one-time bonus credits (expire after 30 days), Comet Plus included |
| Max | $200/month or $2,000/year (annual on web only) | Everything in Pro, plus GPT-5.6 Sol and Claude Opus 5, 10,000 credits per month plus a 35,000-credit sign-up bonus, Model Council, Brain (preview), Max Assistant in Comet, priority support |
| Enterprise Pro | $40/seat/month or $400/seat/year | Pro features, data never used for training, internal knowledge search, seat management, 500 monthly credits plus an 8,000-credit bonus |
| Enterprise Max | $325/seat/month or $3,250/seat/year | Enterprise Pro features plus the highest limits, 15,000 monthly credits plus a 40,000-credit bonus, 15 videos per month, 10,000 personal files, SCIM and audit logs |
Max has a default $200 monthly credit spending cap, adjustable up to $5,000. Monthly credits don’t roll over. Discounts may apply for teams of 250 or more, schools, nonprofits and government agencies. The developer API is billed separately.
Comet Plus and the Perplexity publisher program
Comet Plus, announced in August 2025, is a $5-per-month subscription that gives access to content from partner publishers. It is included in Pro and Max. Perplexity pays publishers for three kinds of activity: human visits, citations in search answers, and actions taken by AI agents. Digiday reported that 80% of Comet Plus revenue goes to participating publishers, starting from a $42.5 million pool.
Perplexity pros and cons
Pros
- Every answer comes with citations you can check
- One subscription gives access to many frontier models from several providers
- Strong Deep Research that exports to PDF, documents or Pages
- Generous free tier, and the Comet browser is free on four platforms
- Clear enterprise pricing and security features (SOC 2 Type II, SSO, SCIM, zero data retention option)
- No ads, according to the company’s February 2026 decision
Cons
- Citations do not guarantee accuracy. Answers can misread or misattribute sources
- Credit pricing for Computer makes costs harder to predict than a flat fee
- The best features (Model Council, Brain, top models) sit behind the $200 Max plan
- Frequent renames (Labs, Spaces) date older guides quickly
- Ongoing copyright lawsuits from major publishers
Accuracy and legal caveats
Citations make answers easier to check, not automatically right. In a March 2025 Tow Center study of eight AI search tools, free Perplexity answered 37% of test queries incorrectly, and the paid version tended to give confident wrong answers rather than admit uncertainty. The study also suggested Perplexity had ignored some publishers’ robots.txt blocks.
Perplexity also faces copyright suits from The New York Times (December 2025, which also alleges hallucinated content was attributed to the paper), the Chicago Tribune, Dow Jones and the New York Post, Britannica, Nikkei, Asahi Shimbun and Reddit. Amazon sued over Comet’s shopping agent; on 4 August 2026 the Ninth Circuit overturned a March injunction against it, though the main case continues.
How to use Perplexity
- Open perplexity.ai, the mobile or Mac app, or the Comet browser, and sign in so your threads are saved.
- Ask a full question with context such as region, timeframe or audience.
- Read the answer, then open two or three of the numbered citations to confirm the key facts.
- For harder questions, turn on Pro Search, choose a model, or switch on Thinking. For a full report, pick Research from the mode menu.
- To get a file, ask for it directly (“build an XLSX comparing…”) using Create files and apps, or give a multi-step job to Computer and watch your credit balance.
- Create a Project for ongoing work. Upload reference files, set custom instructions and invite collaborators.
- Export the result as a PDF, document or Page, or share the thread link with your team.
Perplexity alternatives
- ChatGPT: pick it if you want one general assistant for writing, images, voice and web search, and citations matter less.
- Google Gemini: pick it if you work in Gmail, Docs and Drive and want research inside Google’s ecosystem.
- Claude: pick it for long-document analysis, careful writing and coding, with web search as a supporting feature.
- Microsoft Copilot: pick it if your company runs on Microsoft 365 and needs AI inside Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams.
- Grok: pick it if real-time posts and discussion on X are your main research source.
Frequently asked questions
Is Perplexity free?
Yes. The Free plan gives near-unlimited basic searches with citations, 3 Pro Searches per day and 1 Research query per month, with automatic model selection. The Comet browser is also free. Choosing your own model, getting higher Research limits, creating files and using Computer credits all require a paid plan, which starts at $20 per month for Pro.
Is Perplexity Pro worth $20 a month?
For people who research often, usually yes. Pro adds model choice across OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and others, much higher Pro Search and Research limits, file creation (documents, spreadsheets, decks, apps), a 4,000-credit Computer trial and Comet Plus. If you only ask a few quick questions a day, the Free plan is enough.
What is the difference between Perplexity Pro and Max?
Max costs $200 per month and adds the top models (GPT-5.6 Sol and Claude Opus 5), 10,000 monthly Computer credits plus a 35,000-credit bonus, Model Council, the Brain memory preview, Max Assistant in Comet (the highest browser-agent limits) and priority support. Pro has no monthly credit allowance, only a one-time bonus.
Is Perplexity accurate?
It is more transparent than chatbots that don’t cite sources, but it is not always accurate. A 2025 Tow Center study found free Perplexity answered 37% of its test queries incorrectly, and publishers have accused it of misattributing content. Treat answers as a starting point and confirm important facts in the cited sources.
Is the Comet browser free?
Yes. Comet has been free to download since October 2025 on Mac, Windows, iOS and Android. Basic assistant features are included. Heavier agent work in Work mode uses Perplexity credits, and Max subscribers get the highest browser-agent limits. Comet Plus, the publisher content tier, costs $5 per month or comes included with Pro and Max.
Does Perplexity use my data to train AI models?
For business customers, Perplexity states that Enterprise Pro and Enterprise Max data is never used for training, and enterprise customers can turn on zero data retention. Consumer users should review the privacy settings in their account and Perplexity’s privacy policy, because the terms that apply depend on the account type.
Verdict
Perplexity is the strongest pick in September 2026 when you need current, cited answers fast. Free covers everyday lookups; Pro at $20 per month is good value for regular researchers thanks to model choice, Deep Research and file creation. Max at $200 only pays off with heavy Computer, Model Council and Brain use. On any plan, open the citations before relying on an answer.
Sources
- Perplexity pricing: plans for individuals and enterprise
- Which Perplexity subscription plan is right for you? (Help Center)
- What advanced AI models are included in my subscription? (Help Center)
- Perplexity Max (Help Center)
- What is Perplexity Pro? (Help Center)
- Enterprise pricing and billing FAQ (Help Center)
- How credits work on Perplexity (Help Center)
- How does Perplexity work? (Help Center)
- What is Research mode? (Help Center)
- Creating assets with Perplexity: overview (Help Center)
- What are Projects? (Help Center)
- What is Model Council? (Help Center)
- Introducing Perplexity Computer (Perplexity blog)
- Deep Research, now in Computer (Perplexity blog)
- Upgraded Deep Research, Model Council (Perplexity changelog, Feb 2026)
- Introducing Model Council (Perplexity blog)
- Self-improving memory for agents: Brain (Perplexity blog)
- Comet browser (Perplexity)
- The Internet is better on Comet: now available to everyone (Perplexity blog)
- Introducing Comet Plus (Perplexity blog)
- How Perplexity's new revenue model works (Digiday)
- Perplexity's new tool can generate spreadsheets, dashboards and more (TechCrunch)
- Perplexity takes its Computer AI agent into the enterprise (VentureBeat)
- Perplexity AI launches Portable Computer on-device AI agent (SiliconANGLE)
- Perplexity abandons AI advertising strategy over trust worries (MacRumors)
- AI search has a citation problem (Columbia Journalism Review, Tow Center)
- The New York Times is suing Perplexity for copyright infringement (TechCrunch)
- Perplexity has successfully overturned Amazon's injunction on its AI shopping bot (Engadget)
- Perplexity AI (Wikipedia)
- File uploads (Help Center)
- How do I change to my preferred AI model? (Help Center)
- What is Enterprise Max? (Help Center)
- Ninth Circuit rules on AI agent access under the CFAA (Cooley)
