Perplexity
AI search engine that answers with clear source citations.
Description
Perplexity blends real-time web search with AI to answer questions in plain language, backing every claim with clickable, numbered source citations instead of a list of links.
Pros
- Clear source citations with every answer
- Continuously updated information
- Fast, focused search interface
Cons
- Answers can sometimes lack depth
- Free tier limited on Pro search count
What it does & solves
Perplexity solves the 'which sources do I trust' problem in AI search — every answer comes with numbered citations you can click through and verify, instead of taking a chatbot's word for it. It's built for research and fact-finding: current events, technical lookups, and comparisons where you'd otherwise open five browser tabs and cross-check them yourself. Because it re-indexes the live web on each query, it stays current in a way a static chatbot doesn't, though it works best on things you can search and cite rather than open-ended creative writing.
Use cases
- Fact-checking a claim or statistic with clickable sources
- Researching a topic before writing a report or article
- Comparing products, tools, or services with current pricing
- Following breaking news with cited, real-time summaries
- Using the Comet browser agent to research and act across tabs (Pro/Max)
- Running Academic focus mode for scholarly-source lookups
- Keeping a running research thread with Spaces instead of starting over each time
Who it's for
Aimed at students, researchers, journalists, and anyone who needs a defensible answer rather than just a plausible one — the citation-first format matters most when you'll be asked 'where did that come from.' No technical skill is needed for the free tier; power users get more from Pro by switching models and Focus modes to match the kind of source they actually want.
Getting started
- 1Go to perplexity.ai and start typing a question — no account needed for basic use.
- 2Pick a Focus mode (Web, Academic, etc.) if you want a specific type of source.
- 3Read the answer, then click the numbered citations to check the original source.
- 4Ask a follow-up in the same thread to refine or go deeper — it keeps context.
- 5Create a free account to save threads into Spaces and track your Pro search usage.
Tips for using it well
- Switch Focus mode (Web, Academic, etc.) to the source type you actually want before asking
- Pro searches (deeper, multi-step) draw from a separate, smaller daily quota than ordinary quick answers — save them for real research
- Click through citations rather than trusting the summary alone, especially for numbers
- Use Spaces to keep a running research thread with files/context instead of starting over each time
- On Pro/Max, try the Comet browser agent for tasks that need multiple site visits, not just an answer
Plans & pricing
Free plan: Unlimited standard search and chat with citations, plus a small daily allowance of deeper 'Pro' searches (around five a day) across a mix of models — no credit card required.
Pro
$20/month
Much higher Pro search limits, access to premium models like GPT-5 and Claude, image/video generation, and the Comet browser agent.
Max
$200/month
Highest usage ceilings, unlimited Labs projects, and a monthly credit pool for Perplexity Computer and other agentic tasks.