Perplexity review

Perplexity is the assistant to pick when the job is finding and checking facts. Every answer carries inline citations, so you can open the source rather than trust the model. Pro costs $17 per month on annual billing and adds expanded access to Perplexity Computer, 4,000 bonus credits, Deep Research and a model selector that includes recent models from OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, xAI, Moonshot AI and Z.ai. That mix lets one subscription stand in for several. Max, at $167 per month on annual billing, adds Model Council, which asks several models at once and is aimed at decisions that need cross-checking. The trade-off is depth in other jobs. Perplexity can create documents and apps through Computer, but its core is search, and for long drafts or detailed file analysis ChatGPT and Claude do more. It is also the only top pick here that does not show a monthly price on its plan page.

Who it is for

Researchers, students and analysts who want cited answers and a choice of models from different labs.

Price

Free plan; Pro $17 per month billed annually; Max $167 per month billed annually.

$17 /month or equivalent, when billed annually
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 9, 2026.

Key features

• Inline citations on every answer
• Choice of models from OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, xAI and others on Pro
• Deep Research and Learn Mode
• Perplexity Computer for building documents and apps
• Model Council on the Max plan for consulting several models at once

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Citations make answers easy to check
• Strength: One subscription covers models from several labs
• Strength: Pro includes 4,000 bonus credits for Computer
• Weakness: Pro is priced on annual billing; the page does not list a monthly price
• Weakness: Less suited to long-form writing than ChatGPT or Claude
• Weakness: The Max plan costs $167 per month on annual billing

Key facts

• Free plan: Yes
• Paid tiers: Pro, Max, plus Enterprise
• Model choice: Models from several labs on Pro

Where it ranks

Perplexity is No. 4 in our Best AI Chatbots verdict.