Perplexity AI is an AI-powered search engine that combines large language model reasoning with real-time web retrieval, always citing its sources.
**Search Quality**
Perplexity consistently delivers accurate, up-to-date answers for factual queries. Unlike ChatGPT, it retrieves current information rather than relying on a training cutoff.
**Citations**
Every claim is linked to a source. This makes it far more trustworthy for research than uncited LLM responses and allows easy verification.
**Modes**
Perplexity offers multiple search modes: Quick (fast, concise), Detail (thorough), and Deep Research (multi-step research producing long-form reports). The Pro Search mode uses GPT-4o or Claude for complex reasoning.
**Spaces**
The Spaces feature allows creating shared research environments where teams can query a specific set of documents or websites.
**Follow-up Questions**
The conversational interface allows natural follow-up questions, and Perplexity maintains context to narrow down research progressively.
**Pricing**
Free tier with 5 Pro searches/day. Perplexity Pro at $20/month for unlimited Pro searches.
**Verdict**
Perplexity has replaced Google for research-oriented queries for many users. The citation system alone makes it more trustworthy than standard ChatGPT.