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Perplexity Review

AIHQ SCORE

8.9/ 10

Perplexity is an AI-powered research assistant that combines conversational AI with real-time web search, providing cited, accurate answers with sources for research, fact-checking, and information discovery.

9.1

AIQ SCORE™

Ease of Use

9.2 / 10

Features and Capabilities

8.8 / 10

Accuracy & Reliability

9.0 / 10

Value for Money

8.7 / 10

Support & Updates

8.5 / 10

Quick Summary

Perplexity is purpose-built for research and information discovery, combining AI chat with web search to provide cited, accurate answers with sources. It’s ideal for users who need verifiable information with proper attribution.

✓ Pros

Real-time web search built-in
Clear source citations
Excellent for research tasks
Clean, focused interface
Free tier available
Fast response times
Multiple AI models available (Pro)

✗ Cons

Limited daily searches (free tier)
Not ideal for creative writing
Less conversational depth
Weaker at coding tasks
Dependent on web source quality
Fewer features than ChatGPT

What is Perplexity?

Perplexity is an AI research assistant that reimagines how we search for and discover information. Unlike traditional search engines that provide a list of links, Perplexity synthesizes information from multiple sources to provide direct, conversational answers with citations.

Launched in 2022, Perplexity combines the conversational interface of ChatGPT with the real-time information access of a search engine, making it particularly valuable for research, fact-checking, and exploring topics that require current, verifiable information.

Best Use Cases for Perplexity

What sets Perplexity apart is its focus on research and fact-finding, with every response including source citations and links to verify information. Unlike general chatbots, Perplexity is purpose-built for discovering and synthesizing information from across the web with transparent sourcing.

1. Research and Academic Work

Perplexity excels at research tasks by providing comprehensive answers with clear source citations. It automatically searches multiple sources, synthesizes information, and presents findings with proper attribution, making it invaluable for academic research, market analysis, and professional investigation.

2. Fact-Checking and Verification

When you need to verify claims or check facts, Perplexity provides answers with direct links to sources. This transparency makes it easy to evaluate the credibility of information and trace claims back to their origins, essential for journalism and professional research.

3. Current Events and News

Unlike AI assistants limited by training cutoffs, Perplexity searches the web in real-time to provide up-to-date information on current events, breaking news, and rapidly evolving topics. It aggregates perspectives from multiple news sources for balanced understanding.

4. Comparative Analysis

Use Perplexity to compare products, services, approaches, or viewpoints by synthesizing information from multiple sources. Its ability to gather and organize diverse perspectives makes it valuable for decision-making and understanding complex topics from multiple angles.

Limitations

While Perplexity excels at research and factual queries, it has limitations for other use cases. It’s not designed for creative writing, coding, or tasks that don’t benefit from web search. The conversational depth is shallower than ChatGPT or Claude for tasks requiring extended reasoning.

The free tier has limited searches per day, which can be restrictive for heavy research users. Additionally, because it relies on web search, the quality of answers depends on the quality of available online sources.

Perplexity Pricing & Plans

$ 0 Monthly

Standard Perplexity access
Web search included
Source citations
Limited searches per day
Standard AI model

$ 20 Monthly

Unlimited searches
GPT-4 and Claude access
File upload capability
Image generation
Priority support
API access

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Perplexity better than Google?

Perplexity and Google serve different purposes. Perplexity provides direct, conversational answers with citations, while Google provides links for you to explore. Perplexity is better for quick research and synthesized answers; Google is better for comprehensive exploration and finding specific websites.

Is Perplexity free?

Yes, Perplexity offers a free tier with web search and citations. However, the free version limits the number of searches per day. Pro ($20/month) provides unlimited searches, access to GPT-4 and Claude models, and additional features like file upload.

How accurate is Perplexity?

Perplexity is generally accurate because it provides source citations you can verify. However, like any AI, it can make mistakes in synthesis or interpretation. Always check the provided sources for important information and verify claims from the original sources when accuracy is critical.

Can Perplexity replace ChatGPT?

Perplexity excels at research and factual queries but isn’t designed to replace ChatGPT for creative writing, coding, brainstorming, or extended conversations. Most users benefit from using both: Perplexity for research, ChatGPT or Claude for other tasks.

Does Perplexity use GPT-4?

Perplexity Pro subscribers have access to GPT-4, Claude, and other advanced AI models. Free tier users access Perplexity’s standard model. The Pro tier allows you to choose which model to use for each query based on your needs.

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