What Perplexity AI does
Perplexity is an AI-powered answer engine that provides cited, real-time answers from the web. Writers use it to research topics, verify facts, and discover angles — with sources linked for every claim.
How Perplexity AI compares with its closest alternatives
3 of the 5 closest alternatives have a free plan, as Perplexity AI does. Among the 4 that list a starting price, the cheapest is SciSpace at $12 a month and the median is $19.50. Perplexity AI starts at $20 a month, above that median. None of the 5 offers an API, which Perplexity AI does. Perplexity AI offers a web app and a mobile app. Of the alternatives, all 5 offer a web app and none offers a mobile app. Perplexity AI was founded in 2022; the alternatives were founded between 2017 and 2022, 4 of them earlier. Perplexity AI is based in San Francisco, United States; 2 of its 5 alternatives are in the United States too, and the others in Canada and India.