Perplexity is an AI answer engine. You ask a question, and it replies with a written answer that carries citations to web sources, rather than a list of links. Over time it has grown into a paid product with several tiers, a research mode, a browser, an API and an agent-style feature called Computer. This review sets out what the vendor says the product does, how the plans are structured, what the data settings are, and where the limits sit.
We wrote it for people deciding whether Perplexity deserves a place in their toolkit, or whether a free chatbot already covers their needs. It is a documentation-based review, so we frame our views as “best for X if Y” rather than as scores or rankings.
How we researched this: we did not run hands-on tests for this article. It is based on the vendor’s own documentation and public sources, checked on 11 November 2026. Features and prices change, so confirm details on the vendor’s site before you buy.
Key takeaways
- Perplexity’s pricing page lists Free, Pro and Max for individuals, plus an Enterprise tab. We read Pro at $17 per month billed annually and Max at $167 per month billed annually.
- Computer, the multi-step assistant, runs on credits. The help centre says Consumer Pro has no monthly credits, only a one-time bonus, while Max includes 10,000 monthly credits.
- The “AI data retention” setting is on by default for Free, Pro and Max accounts. You can turn it off, but only data collected after that point is covered.
- Help pages we read disagreed with each other on some details, such as which models each plan includes. Treat the in-app model selector as the source of truth.
- A court granted Amazon an injunction against Perplexity’s Comet browser in March 2026, which matters if you plan to use agent features on third-party sites.
What it is
Perplexity describes its free tier as “search only with accurate answers and citations”, and that phrase captures the core idea. You type a question, the service searches the web, and a language model writes an answer that points back to the sources it used. The aim is to save the step where you open ten tabs and read them yourself.
From answer engine to assistant
The paid tiers add more than search. The pricing page lists Deep research, the ability to choose between AI models, the creation of documents and apps, and expanded access to Computer. The help centre describes Computer as an assistant for multi-step tasks, and it is the part of the product that consumes credits. Plain “Ask” searches do not use credits, according to the credits article.
Where the models come from
Perplexity does not rely on a single model. The help centre’s model article lists models from several providers and says Pro and Max users can select among them, subject to usage limits. It also says the model selector inside Perplexity is the source of truth for your account, because models are added and retired over time. When we read the Pro plan article and the model-by-plan article, they named different model versions, which is a good illustration of why you should check the app rather than any written list, including ours.
Who it is for
Based on the documented features, Perplexity fits people whose work starts with questions that need sourced, current answers. That includes researchers, analysts, journalists, students doing background reading, and anyone preparing a briefing. Its citation-first design suits readers who want to check where a claim came from. If you mostly want a general-purpose writing partner or a coding assistant, a general chatbot may fit better, and we cover that trade-off in the alternatives section.
Perplexity also publishes a discounted plan for verified students and educators, and Enterprise tiers for organisations, so there is an option at several levels. We describe those in the pricing section.
Key features (documented)
Cited answers and search modes
The Pro help article says Pro includes “10x as many citations per answer” compared with the free tier, along with extended Pro Search that applies automatically when you use Search. The free tier, according to a separate help article, includes search history, basic searches described as “practically unlimited”, and very limited Pro Searches.
Research and file work
Pro is documented as including extended access to Perplexity Research, increased file and photo uploads (PDFs, CSVs, audio, video and images), enhanced image generation and limited video generation. The Pro article also mentions the “Create files and apps” feature, and the plan guide says Pro has a limited number of those queries every 30 days.
Memory
Perplexity can use two sources to personalise answers: saved memories and your search history. The help centre says it uses them only when they would lead to a better response and cites any source that shapes an answer. You can switch off “Use search history” and “Notes” separately under Settings, then Memory. Turning memory off does not delete what is already stored; you delete memories through “Manage memories”.
Computer and credits
Computer handles multi-step tasks and runs on credits. The credits article gives rough costs per task, which we summarise in the table below.
| Task type (per credits article) | Approximate credits |
|---|---|
| Quick fact or definition | About 15 to 70 |
| Multi-step research report | About 350 to 950 |
| Data dashboard | About 2,400 to 9,800 |
| Full app or multi-day build | 15,000 or more |
The same article says 100 credits equals $1 “at the time of the page”. These are the vendor’s own estimates, not measurements we made.
Pricing model
Checked on 11 November 2026. Perplexity’s pricing page lists the following. Prices change often, so confirm on the vendor page before you buy.
| Plan | Price as listed | Documented highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 per month | Cited answers, basic models, limited usage |
| Pro | $17 per month, billed annually | Computer access, 4,000 bonus credits, Deep research, model selection, higher limits |
| Max | $167 per month, billed annually | 10,000 monthly credits, 35,000 bonus credits, highest limits, priority access to new features |
| Education Pro | $10 per month with SheerID verification (help centre) | For verified students and educators; includes Computer and Learn Mode per the help page |
| Enterprise Pro | From $40 per month or $400 per year per seat (help centre) | Data never used for training, seat management, shared knowledge search |
Two cautions apply. First, the pricing page text we read does not show monthly prices for Pro and Max, only the annual-billing figures, and the plan guide in the help centre did not state a Pro or Max price at all. Second, the Enterprise Max price was not stated on the pages we read, so we leave it out. If you want to understand how to compare these numbers properly, see our guide on how to read an AI tool’s pricing page.
How credits work in practice
| Plan | Monthly credits | One-time new-subscriber bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Consumer Pro | None | 4,000 (expires in about 30 days) |
| Consumer Max | 10,000 | 35,000 (expires in about 30 days) |
| Enterprise Pro | 500 | 8,000 (expires in about 30 days) |
| Enterprise Max | 15,000 | 40,000 (expires in about 30 days) |
The credits article adds several rules worth knowing. Paid Consumer Pro plans also get weekly Computer usage separate from credits, which resets weekly and does not roll over; the page says this is rolling out gradually. Credits are spent in a set order: weekly included usage, then bonus credits, then monthly credits, then purchased credits. Monthly credits do not roll over. When credits run out, active tasks pause. Auto-refill is off by default. Max accounts have a monthly spending cap that defaults to $200 and can be raised up to $5,000. Refunds are limited to specific cases.
Strengths
- Source-first answers. Citations are built into the product from the free tier upward, which makes it easier to check a claim than with a chatbot that gives no sources.
- Several models in one place. Paid users can choose between models from different providers rather than being tied to one vendor’s model.
- A usable free tier. The free plan includes cited answers, so you can judge the core experience before paying.
- Clear off switches for memory and incognito. The help centre says memory and search history are always off in incognito mode, and that incognito questions are not retained.
- Published credit costs. The vendor gives typical credit costs per task, which helps you estimate spend for Computer.
Limits and cautions
Usage limits are vague
The Pro article says Pro Search is capped at “your plan’s limit” but gives no number. It also says access to advanced models “may be limited during weeks of especially heavy usage”. The free-tier description even varies between pages: the pricing card says “limited daily usage” while the FAQ text we read says “limited weekly usage”. If your work depends on a predictable volume, ask the vendor for specifics.
Cited does not mean correct
A citation shows where a model found something, not that the model read it correctly. Answers can still contain mistakes, so keep checking. Our guides on how to fact-check AI research answers and AI hallucinations explain a practical routine.
Agent features and third-party sites
On 10 March 2026, eWeek reported that a federal judge granted Amazon an injunction against Perplexity’s Comet browser. According to that report, the judge found Amazon had shown strong evidence that Comet accessed users’ password-protected Amazon accounts without Amazon’s authorisation, and the order bars Perplexity from using AI agents to access Amazon’s protected systems. Perplexity called the lawsuit a “bully tactic”. We cannot assess the legal merits, and the case may have moved on since, but the episode shows that agent features that act on other companies’ sites can run into the site owner’s rules. This is general information, not legal advice.
Documentation moves
We found inconsistencies between help pages, for example in the model names listed and in whether Pro and Max prices appear. That is common for fast-moving products, but it means you should verify details inside your own account.
Privacy and data
| Topic | What the help centre says |
|---|---|
| AI data retention toggle | On by default for Free, Pro and Max. If on, data may be used for AI training. Turn it off under Account settings, then Preferences. |
| Scope of opt-out | Applies only to data collected after you opt out; training data already collected cannot be deleted. Applies to your individual account. |
| Enterprise | Enterprise data is never used for training. |
| Third-party model providers | Agreements with providers such as OpenAI and Anthropic prohibit using Perplexity data for training their models. |
| Selling data | Perplexity says it does not sell your data. |
| Incognito | Memory and search history are always off, and incognito questions are not retained. |
The third-party provider article only covers what outside model providers may do. It does not say whether Perplexity itself trains on user data, but the data collection article does, which is why the toggle matters. If you use Perplexity for client or company material, read our guide on protecting company data when using AI tools first, and consider whether an Enterprise plan is the right route.
Alternatives
Perplexity competes with general chatbots that now include web search. From official pages we read: ChatGPT’s free tier lists web search and image and file uploads, with usage limits on some tools; Claude’s pricing page lists web search on its Free plan with limited usage; and Gemini and Microsoft Copilot offer free access too. We have not compared answer quality, so we make no claim about which gives better results. A fair method for comparing them is in our guide on comparing AI tools side by side.
| Option | Documented angle | Consider if |
|---|---|---|
| Perplexity | Cited answers, multi-model choice, credit-based Computer | Your work is research-led |
| ChatGPT Free | Web search, uploads, image creation, with separate limits | You want a general assistant at no cost |
| Claude Free | Web search, file creation, code execution, limited usage windows | You write or analyse long documents |
Who should and should not use it
Best for these people
- Researchers and analysts who want sourced answers fast and will still verify them.
- Students and educators who qualify for the discounted plan and mainly need background research.
- Teams that want a managed Enterprise plan with a stated no-training position.
Look elsewhere if
- You need guaranteed, published usage numbers for a heavy daily workload.
- You plan to rely on Computer for large builds, where the credit costs in the table could add up.
- You are unwilling to manage privacy settings, because the training toggle starts switched on for individual plans.
Questions to ask before buying
- Is the price I see monthly or annual, and what do I pay if I cancel early?
- How many Pro Searches and advanced model queries do I actually get per day or week?
- Will I use Computer, and have I estimated my credit spend against the table above?
- Have I turned off AI data retention if I do not want my queries used for training?
- Does my employer or school allow this tool for the work I plan to do?
- Can a free chatbot already answer my questions well enough? See how to test an AI tool before you pay.
Frequently asked questions
Is Perplexity free?
The pricing page lists a Free plan at $0 per month with cited answers and limited usage. Paid plans add higher limits and extra features.
How much is Perplexity Pro?
On 11 November 2026 the pricing page listed Pro at $17 per month billed annually. Confirm the current monthly and annual prices on the vendor page.
Does Perplexity use my questions to train its models?
The help centre says an AI data retention toggle is on by default for Free, Pro and Max, and that data may be used for AI training unless you opt out. Enterprise data is never used for training.
What are credits for?
Credits power Computer, the multi-step assistant. Ordinary Ask searches do not use them, according to the help centre.
Is there a student discount?
The help centre lists Education Pro at $10 per month with SheerID verification for verified students and educators. Check eligibility on the vendor page.
Can I trust the citations?
Citations help you check sources, but they do not guarantee the answer is right. Open the sources for anything important.
Conclusion
On the documentation we read, Perplexity is best for people who do research-led work and value citations, if they are comfortable managing credits and privacy settings. It is less suited to anyone who needs fixed, published usage guarantees. Start with the free tier, compare it against a general chatbot on your own questions, and only then decide on a paid plan. Our guides on how to choose an AI tool and how to check AI output for mistakes will help you do that sensibly.
Sources
- Perplexity Pricing: Plans for Individuals and Enterprise, accessed 11 November 2026
- Which Perplexity Subscription Plan is right for you? (Help Center), accessed 11 November 2026
- What is Perplexity Pro? (Help Center), accessed 11 November 2026
- How credits work on Perplexity (Help Center), accessed 11 November 2026
- What advanced AI models are included in my subscription? (Help Center), accessed 11 November 2026
- Are third-party model providers training on my data? (Help Center), accessed 11 November 2026
- Data Collection at Perplexity (Help Center), accessed 11 November 2026
- Memory (Help Center), accessed 11 November 2026
- eWeek: Amazon Wins Injunction Against Perplexity Over Comet Browser Access, accessed 11 November 2026
- ChatGPT pricing (OpenAI), accessed 11 November 2026
- Claude pricing (Anthropic), accessed 11 November 2026
