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Google AI Mode shopping vs Perplexity shopping
Google AI Mode shopping scores higher overall (8.8 vs 8.1), but the right pick depends on what you need.
Choose Google AI Mode shopping if…
Comparing products across thousands of stores and buying when the price is right
8.8/10★★★★★Full review →Choose Perplexity shopping if…
Buying from a clear, ad-free answer without opening a dozen tabs
8.1/10★★★★★Full review →Side by side
| Google AI Mode shopping | Perplexity shopping | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 8.8/10 | 8.1/10 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 8 | #4 of 8 |
| Price | Free | Freemium · from $20/month |
| Free version | AI Mode shopping, try-on, price tracking and Universal Cart are free | Shopping and Instant Buy are free for US users |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android |
| Made by | Perplexity AI | |
| Recommendation quality | 8.5 | 7.5 |
| Ease of use | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| Features | 9 | 7 |
| Value for money | 9 | 9 |
| Platforms | 9 | 9 |
Google AI Mode shopping: what the AI does
- Conversational product search in AI Mode and the Gemini app
- Virtual try-on for clothes and shoes from your own photo
- Price tracking with a target budget, then buy-for-me checkout
- Universal Cart across retailers with price-drop alerts and promo codes
- Comparison tables and shoppable listings in Gemini
- Searches the widest product catalogue of any assistant here
- Virtual try-on works with your own full-length photo
- Price alerts can trigger checkout, but only after you confirm
- Universal Cart gathers items from many stores and flags promo codes
- Google sells Sponsored shopping placements in AI Mode, marked with a small tag
- Checkout, try-on and Universal Cart are US-only for now
- Agentic checkout only works with participating merchants
Perplexity shopping: what the AI does
- Conversational product search that keeps context across follow-ups
- Product cards with pros, cons and review-based insights
- Memory of your past searches and preferences
- Instant Buy checkout with PayPal inside the chat
- Virtual try-on avatar (Pro and Max)
- Buy inside the chat with PayPal purchase protection
- Perplexity says it has dropped ads, so picks aren't paid placements
- Shopping is free; only try-on needs a paid plan
- Retailers still handle shipping and returns
- Shopping and Instant Buy are US-only
- No price tracking or price history
- Instant Buy only works with merchants that accept PayPal