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Perplexity: plans, prices, strengths and limits
Perplexity is an AI search and research service that puts citations on every answer. It suits people who look things up often and want to check where each answer came from.
Prices for United States, before sales tax Data release 2026.10.16-3, Oct 16, 2026 Rules 2.1.0
- Made by
- Perplexity AI
- Individual plans
- 3, one free
- Paid plans
- $20 to $167 a month
- Facts checked
- Oct 16, 2026
Quick verdict
Perplexity is built for questions you want to check. It documents citations in every answer on every plan, including Free. Perplexity Pro adds a choice of models from several companies, a Research mode, uploads of PDFs, CSVs and media, image generation, more than 400 app connectors and two agents, Comet Assistant and Perplexity Computer. Pro is $20 a month, or $17 a month billed yearly, about $204 a year paid up front by our calculation. The principal limitation is how much Perplexity leaves undocumented: no context window, no spreadsheet computation, no self-service export and no voice mode by plan on the pages we checked. A citation is also not proof that it supports the claim next to it. This verdict rests on what Perplexity documents, not on our tests, which we have not run yet.
Strengths and limits
Strengths
- Citations on every planPerplexity documents citations in every answer on Free, Pro and Max. Free includes three Pro Searches a day and one Research query a month, so you can judge the citations before you pay.
- Models from several companiesPro lets you pick models from OpenAI, Google and Anthropic, among others, alongside Perplexity's own Sonar, according to a help page snapshot from September 4, 2026; limits apply and the list changes. ChatGPT and Claude list only their own company's models. Free cannot choose a model.
- Max adds a model panelMax lists models available only on Max, from OpenAI and Anthropic, plus Model Council, which runs several models at once. That suits checking one question against more than one model, at Max's price of $167 a month billed yearly.
- Agents and connectors on ProPro documents Comet Assistant with monthly limits, expanded access to Perplexity Computer, which runs tasks in a cloud sandbox, and more than 400 app connectors, though the pricing page does not name them. Max adds 10,000 Computer credits a month. Free has no app connectors.
- Files in and files outPro accepts PDFs, CSVs, audio, video and images, with weekly limits and up to 50 files per project. It also lists creating documents, spreadsheets, presentations and apps, plus image generation and limited video generation. Max lists 10x asset generation and 5x Pro's video.
Limits
- No context window statedNot verified: Perplexity does not state a context window on any plan on the pages we checked. If you work with long reports, test one of your own in our report summary kit before you rely on it.
- Spreadsheet math not documentedNot verified: Pro accepts CSV uploads and lists creating spreadsheets and dashboards, but no page we checked says it computes over your data. Our spreadsheet kit shows whether the numbers come out right.
- No export documentedNot verified: we found no self-service data export on the Perplexity pages we checked. If you build up projects and history, plan for the chance that moving later means starting fresh.
- Coding is delegated, not inlineWorkflow friction: the only plan-linked editor route is the Computer MCP server, which hands tasks from Cursor, VS Code and other tools to Computer, billed in credits. Pro gets no monthly credits, only a one-time bonus. Inline completion, opening pull requests and review are not documented.
- Pricing partly unconfirmedPlan limit and unverified point: Pro's $20 monthly price comes from a Perplexity announcement, while its pricing page shows only the yearly rate. Max is billed yearly on the web only, $2,004 by our calculation, and we could not confirm a monthly price.
Based on what Perplexity AI documents for each plan, not on our tests.
Who it suits
A good fit if you
- Looking things up with citations you can click and check
- Asking one question of models from several companies
- Research reports within Pro's monthly Research limits
- Handing multi-step tasks to Perplexity Computer on Pro or Max
Look elsewhere if you
- Images, video or app connectors on the free plan: not offered on Free
- Writing code in your editor: no inline assistant documented on any plan
- Working inside Gmail, Docs and Sheets: Perplexity scopes this out
- Long documents where context size matters: not stated on any plan
Plans and prices
| Plan | Monthly | Yearly | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perplexity Free | Free | Oct 12, 2026 | |
| Perplexity Pro$17 a month billed annually ($204 a year, derived from the pricing page's per-month figure). | $20 a month | $204 a year | Oct 12, 2026 Source |
| Perplexity Max$167 a month billed annually ($2,004 a year, derived); annual billing on the web only. Monthly price not confirmed. | Not listed | $2,004 a year | Oct 12, 2026 Source |
Prices for United States, before sales tax unless a plan says otherwise. A yearly plan is paid up front and is not cancel-any-time.
Features by plan
What Perplexity AI documents for each plan. A hatched mark means we could not verify it, which is not the same as "not offered".
| Feature | Perplexity Free | Perplexity Pro | Perplexity Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| Models and limits | |||
| Top models included | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Context window | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Models from several companies | No | Yes | Yes |
| General-purpose assistant | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Research and sources | |||
| Web search with sources | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Deep research reports | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Files and data | |||
| File and document uploads | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Spreadsheet and data analysis | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Coding | |||
| Coding agent | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Works in your code editor | No | Yes | Yes |
| Code completions as you type | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Background coding agent | No | Unclear | Unclear |
| Pull request review | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Images, video and voice | |||
| Image generation | No | Yes | Yes |
| Video generation | No | Yes | Yes |
| Real-time voice | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Image editing and design | |||
| Photo editing | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Background removal | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Text inside images | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Logo maker | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Vector (SVG) files | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Upscaling | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Video editing and presenters | |||
| Photo to video | No | Yes | Yes |
| Footage editing | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Avatar presenters | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Lip sync | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Automatic captions | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Clips from long videos | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Exports without a watermark | Not applicable | Unclear | Unclear |
| App building and hosting | |||
| Apps from a description | No | Yes | Yes |
| Hosting and publishing | No | Yes | Yes |
| Custom domain | No | Yes | Yes |
| Database and sign-in | No | Unclear | Unclear |
| Code export | No | Yes | Yes |
| Music, voice and transcription | |||
| Songs with vocals | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Instrumental music | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Separate stems | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Voiceover from text | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Voice cloning | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Dubbing into other languages | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Sound effects | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Transcription | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Meeting notes | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Dictation into any app | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Projects and memory | |||
| Projects | Unclear | Yes | Yes |
| Custom assistants | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Memory across chats | Unclear | Yes | Yes |
| Integrations and agents | |||
| Connectors to other apps | No | Yes | Yes |
| Inside Gmail | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Inside Google Docs | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Inside Google Sheets | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Inside Word | No | Yes | Yes |
| Inside Excel | No | Yes | Yes |
| Inside PowerPoint | No | Yes | Yes |
| Inside Outlook | No | Yes | Yes |
| Browser agent | Not verified | Yes | Yes |
| Privacy and control | |||
| Opt out of model training | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Export your data | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Shows ads | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Rights and licensing | |||
| Commercial use of outputs | No | No | No |
| Apps and extras | |||
| Cloud storage included | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Apps | Yes | Yes | Yes |
The details and sources of every row are in Compare two AIs and the data release.
Models on each plan
The models each plan's own pages name, on the terms they give. A model being offered says nothing about how well the plan does your work.
Perplexity Free
- Best (automatic model choice) Automatic choice only You cannot choose an advanced model manually. Source
Perplexity Pro
- Sonar 2 Included In Search, from the September 4, 2026 list; limits apply and the list changes. Source
- GPT-5.6 TerraOpenAI Included In Search, from the September 4, 2026 list; limits apply and the list changes. Source
- Gemini 3.7 FlashGoogle Included In Search, from the September 4, 2026 list; limits apply and the list changes. Source
- Claude Sonnet 5Anthropic Included In Search, from the September 4, 2026 list; limits apply and the list changes. Source
- Kimi K3Moonshot AI Included In Search, from the September 4, 2026 list; limits apply and the list changes. Source
- GLM 5.3Zhipu AI Included In Search, from the September 4, 2026 list; limits apply and the list changes. Source
- Grok 4.6xAI Included In Search, from the September 4, 2026 list; limits apply and the list changes. Source
- Nemotron 3 UltraNVIDIA Included In Search, from the September 4, 2026 list; limits apply and the list changes. Source
Perplexity Max
- Sonar 2 Included In Search, from the September 4, 2026 list; limits apply and the list changes. Source
- GPT-5.6 TerraOpenAI Included In Search, from the September 4, 2026 list; limits apply and the list changes. Source
- Gemini 3.7 FlashGoogle Included In Search, from the September 4, 2026 list; limits apply and the list changes. Source
- Claude Sonnet 5Anthropic Included In Search, from the September 4, 2026 list; limits apply and the list changes. Source
- Kimi K3Moonshot AI Included In Search, from the September 4, 2026 list; limits apply and the list changes. Source
- GLM 5.3Zhipu AI Included In Search, from the September 4, 2026 list; limits apply and the list changes. Source
- Grok 4.6xAI Included In Search, from the September 4, 2026 list; limits apply and the list changes. Source
- Nemotron 3 UltraNVIDIA Included In Search, from the September 4, 2026 list; limits apply and the list changes. Source
- GPT-5.6 SolOpenAI Included Max only, in Search. Source
- Claude Opus 5Anthropic Included Max only, in Search. Source
What it documents for each use
- Research & Search Research a question with sources that hold up · Check claims against reliable sources · Get a research report from many sources · Summarize a report with traceable facts
- Writing & Content Edit an email without losing a detail · Edit an article without changing its facts · Draft long pieces that stay consistent · Write ads, posts and short copy
- Images & Design Create images from a description · Make graphics for posts and slides
- Coding & Development Code inside my editor · Build an app without writing code · Put an app or site online
- Video & Animation Make short videos from a description · Turn a photo into a video
- Business & Productivity Connect AI to the apps I already use · Use AI inside Word · Use AI inside Excel · Use AI inside PowerPoint · Use AI inside Outlook
- Agents & Automation Let an agent do tasks in a browser
- Audio & Voice Transcribe recordings and files
A use is listed when at least one plan documents every feature a task needs. Answer quality is a separate question: see below.
Using it day to day
Perplexity runs on the web and in a desktop app for Windows 10 (version 1809 or later) and macOS 15 or later, and Perplexity also refers to subscriptions bought through its mobile apps. If you subscribe through an app store, you manage the plan in that store's settings; Perplexity does not say whether prices differ there. Max yearly billing is available only on perplexity.ai.
Free documents three Pro Searches a day, one Research query a month and limited basic uploads. Pro describes Research and uploads as having monthly and weekly limits. Max lists 10x Free's uploads. Computer runs on credits: Pro has no monthly allowance beyond a one-time bonus, and Max includes 10,000 a month. Whether Comet Assistant works on Free is not verified, because Perplexity's pricing page and help table disagree, and voice mode by plan is not confirmed on the pages we checked.
Privacy, data and ads
On every plan, Perplexity uses your data to improve its AI by default. To stop it, turn off "AI data retention" in Preferences. We found no self-service data export on the pages we checked. Perplexity announced an ad experiment in 2024, and we found no current official statement, so ads are not verified. Memory is documented on Pro and, at its highest level, on Max, which also lists Brain, a Computer memory feature in research preview. Read Perplexity's data collection page before you upload anything confidential.
Read the vendor's own page: Perplexity privacy and data controls. We make no legal or compliance claim.
Test results
We have not tested Perplexity yet, so this page makes no claim about answer quality, and we show no example outputs. Run the same kit in it and in the alternatives, in your own account:
- Summarize a report with traceable facts
- Analyze a spreadsheet and get the numbers right
- Edit an email without losing a detail
- Diagnose and repair a small program
- Research a question with sources that support the answer
- Make sense of documents that disagree
- Research a current question within a date window
- Edit an article without changing its facts
- Turn project notes into a report that agrees with itself
- Implement a small specification
- Refactor code without changing what it does
- Make a picture that follows a detailed brief
- Put exact text into a graphic
- Change one thing in a picture and nothing else
- Make a short clip that follows a brief
- Make a song that sings your lyrics exactly
- Read a script with names, numbers and abbreviations
- Design a logo with an exact name
Getting started
- Start on Perplexity Free on the web or the desktop app, and ask a few questions whose answers you already know.
- Run our source kit and open each citation to see whether it supports the sentence it sits next to.
- If you work with reports, try the report summary kit. Free uploads are limited, so a fair test may need Pro.
- Turn off "AI data retention" in Preferences before you upload anything confidential.
- Choose billing: $20 a month, or $17 a month billed yearly and paid up front. Treat bonus Computer credits as a limited-time offer, not part of the price.
Your fit
Tell Find my AI what you do and what matters; it checks every plan of Perplexity against your priorities, next to the alternatives.
Alternatives
- Gemini Google AI Pro, at $19.99 a month, puts Gemini inside Gmail, Docs and Sheets, documents a 1 million token context and 1,000 Flow credits a month for video, includes 5 TB of storage and offers export through Google Takeout. Read the comparison About Gemini
- Claude Claude documents what Perplexity leaves unstated: a context of up to 1 million tokens, file creation with code execution and data export from the web or desktop app. Anthropic says Claude is ad-free. Pro is $20 a month or $200 a year. Read the comparison About Claude
- ChatGPT ChatGPT Plus, at $20 a month, documents data analysis with interactive tables and charts, data export from settings, and no ads. It lists only OpenAI models, so you give up Perplexity's model choice. Read the comparison About ChatGPT
- GitHub Copilot For coding, Copilot Pro at $10 a month documents unlimited inline suggestions in editors such as VS Code and JetBrains, a cloud agent that opens pull requests, and pull request review, none of which Perplexity documents. About GitHub Copilot
Questions
How much does Perplexity Pro cost?
$20 a month, according to Perplexity's own announcement. Its pricing page shows $17 a month billed yearly, which we calculate as $204 a year, paid up front. Perplexity does not say whether US sales tax is included, so treat these as before tax.
How much is Perplexity Max?
Perplexity shows $167 a month billed yearly, which we calculate as $2,004 a year, paid up front and available only on perplexity.ai. We could not confirm a monthly price on an official page.
Are Perplexity's citations reliable?
Perplexity documents citations in every answer, but we have not tested whether they support the claims they sit next to. Our source kit gives you a fixed set of checks to run yourself.
Does Perplexity train on my data?
Yes, by default, on every plan. Turn off "AI data retention" in Preferences to stop it.
Can I export my Perplexity history?
We found no self-service export on the Perplexity pages we checked. That is not verified either way, so check your account settings before you build up a lot of history.
Sources
21 official pages, checked Oct 12, 2026 to Oct 16, 2026. This page was written by the What the tech desk with AI assistance from the facts in our data release; no company paid for or reviewed it.
- Perplexity Pricing: Plans for Individuals and EnterprisePerplexity
- What advanced AI models are included in my subscription?Perplexity Help Center
- What is Perplexity?Perplexity Help Center
- Which Perplexity Subscription Plan is right for you? | Perplexity Help Center (modified Oct 8, 2026)Perplexity
- What is Computer?Perplexity Help Center
- Generating Videos with PerplexityPerplexity
- File Uploads | Perplexity Help CenterPerplexity
- Terms of Service (last updated January 23, 2026) | PerplexityPerplexity
- Memory | Perplexity Help CenterPerplexity
- Connecting Perplexity with Gmail and Google CalendarPerplexity
- Connecting Perplexity with Google DrivePerplexity
- Computer comes to Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and OutlookPerplexity
- Data Collection at Perplexity | Perplexity Help Center (modified Sep 3, 2026)Perplexity
- Get started with the desktop apps | Perplexity Help CenterPerplexity
- What is Perplexity Pro? | Perplexity Help Center (modified Sep 3, 2026)Perplexity
- Creating assets with Perplexity: OverviewPerplexity Help Center
- Perplexity Computer MCP ServerPerplexity API Docs
- Publishing your website to the webPerplexity
- Perplexity Computer in Microsoft OfficePerplexity
- Introducing Perplexity Max (blog, 2025)Perplexity
- Perplexity MaxPerplexity Help Center
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