An AI answer engine that shows its sources, built for research.
- Company
- Perplexity AI
- Best for
- Research questions where you want answers with links to sources
- Free plan
- Yes. You can sign up for free (Perplexity’s Pro page does not list the free limits)
- Starting price
- Free. Pro $17/month and Max $167/month, both billed annually (US prices)
- Details checked
- 28 October 2026
Perplexity is an AI answer engine. You ask a question and it replies with an answer and numbered sources, so you can see where each claim came from. Paid plans add deep research and a choice of AI models.
This page summarises what Perplexity says on its official plans page, plus our own tips for getting better answers. Plans and limits change often, so confirm details on the official site before you buy.
Live numbers
- Referral share
- 5.8% ▼ Declining
- Public interest (28 days)
- 62,035 views Steady
Updated 28 October 2026, 15:38. See the full dashboard.
Standout features
- Every answer includes inline citations, so you can check the sources
- Deep research for bigger questions (Pro and above)
- Choose between several AI models on Pro, from different companies
- Perplexity Computer, which builds documents, apps and tools from a prompt
- Premium data sources for some topics
- Memory and higher usage limits as you move up the plans
Best uses
- Researching a market, a competitor or a rule with sources
- Comparing products or suppliers
- Getting a quick, cited summary of a news topic
- Building a first-draft report with deep research
- Checking a claim by following its links
Pros
- Shows sources for its answers, which makes checking easier
- Lets you pick between models from several AI companies on Pro
- You can start free
- Good fit for competitor, market and rules research
- Pro is $17 a month when billed annually
Cons
- Paid prices are shown for annual billing, and the monthly price is not on this page
- The free plan’s limits are not listed on the Pro page
- Max is $167 a month, billed annually
- The Pro page says plans are for personal use only
- Prices are US dollars. UK prices and VAT may differ, so check at checkout
How to use Perplexity
- Go to perplexity.ai and sign up for free.
- Ask your question in plain English, with the time frame and country if it matters.
- Read the answer, then open the numbered sources to check the claims.
- Ask follow-up questions to narrow down or compare options.
- On Pro, use deep research for bigger projects, and choose the AI model you prefer.
- Use Computer if you want it to build a document, app or tool for you.
- Treat the answer as a starting point: confirm prices, dates and rules on the original page.
Prompts that work well
What are the current UK rules on [topic]? Give a short answer with links to official gov.uk or industry sources.
Compare [product A] and [product B] for a small business. Use a table, cite each claim and mark anything you could not verify.
What changed in the last 30 days for [topic]? List the three biggest changes with dates and sources.
Summarise what [competitor] says on its pricing and about pages. Quote the prices exactly and give the page links.
Which of those sources is the most reliable and why? Show me the original document for the main claim.
Run a deep research report on [topic] for a UK small-business owner: key findings, risks, next steps and sources.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Sign up for free. Perplexity’s Pro page does not list what the free plan includes or its limits. |
| Pro | $17 / month or equivalent, when billed annually | Everything in Free plus deep research, access to top AI models and a choice between them, expanded Computer access, 4,000 bonus credits, polished documents and apps, and more usage limits and memory. |
| Max | $167 / month or equivalent, when billed annually | Everything in Pro plus maximum Computer usage, 35,000 bonus credits and 10,000 monthly credits, expert-level research, frontier AI models, the highest usage limits and priority access to new features. |
| Enterprise | Contact Perplexity | A separate plan for organisations. Pricing is not shown on the Pro page. |
Prices change often. Always confirm on the official site. We last checked on 28 October 2026.