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Perplexity vs ChatGPT search
Perplexity scores higher overall (8.8 vs 8.4), but the right pick depends on what you need.
Choose Perplexity if…
Getting a quick, sourced answer you can check claim by claim
8.8/10★★★★★Full review →Side by side
| Perplexity | ChatGPT search | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 8.8/10 | 8.4/10 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 7 | #3 of 7 |
| Price | Freemium · from $20/month | Freemium · from $8/month |
| Free version | Unlimited basic searches and about 5 Pro searches a day | Web search included free; ads in some countries |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android, WhatsApp |
| Made by | Perplexity AI | OpenAI |
| Answer quality | 8.5 | 8 |
| Ease of use | 9.5 | 9 |
| Features | 8.5 | 8 |
| Value for money | 8.5 | 8 |
| Platforms | 9 | 9.5 |
Perplexity: what the AI does
- Cited answers from live web results
- Pro Search for harder questions
- Research mode for multi-step reports
- Choice of GPT, Claude and Gemini models on Pro
- Search with uploaded photos and files
- Numbered inline citations are the easiest to audit
- Basic search works without signing in
- One Pro plan covers several frontier models
- Highly rated iPhone and Android apps
- Free tier's Auto mode doesn't say which model answered
- Citations can sound confident without fully backing the claim
- Signed-out searches disappear after 14 days
ChatGPT search: what the AI does
- Cited answers with source highlighting
- Shopping search with product comparisons
- Search by texting ChatGPT on WhatsApp
- Search with uploaded photos
- Turns results into writing, code or analysis
- Search, writing and analysis in one conversation
- Shopping results that OpenAI says aren't paid ads
- Works for logged-out users
- Top-rated apps with huge user base
- Citations are clumsier than Perplexity's
- Sometimes answers from memory instead of searching
- Free tier now shows ads in some countries