For educational purposes only. This comparison is compiled from public plan information checked on 13 Oct 2026, not hands-on benchmark testing. Prices change — confirm on each official page.
Key takeaways
- Perplexity shows sources on every answer; ChatGPT is broader in what it can create.
- Both have free plans.
- Perplexity Pro is $20/month and Max $200/month; ChatGPT Pro runs $100–$500/month.
- For teams: ChatGPT Business from $25/user monthly; Perplexity Enterprise Pro from $40/seat.
Side by side
| ChatGPT | Perplexity | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | General tasks and creation | Research with citations |
| Sources shown | When it searches the web | On every answer |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Personal paid plan | Plus (see pricing page) | Pro $20/month |
| Heavy-use plan | Pro $100 / $200 / $500 | Max $200/month |
| Team plan | Business $25/user monthly | Enterprise Pro from $40/seat |
| Images, voice, coding | Yes | Images; limited elsewhere |
Which should you pick?
- Fact-finding, market research, quick checks: Perplexity.
- Drafting, editing, images and analysis of your own files: ChatGPT.
- Doing both often: the free plans let you combine them before paying.
Full reviews: ChatGPT · Perplexity. Also see ChatGPT vs Claude.
FAQ
Is Perplexity better than ChatGPT for research?
For sourced answers, Perplexity is built for it. ChatGPT can also search the web and run deep research reports.
Which is cheaper?
Both start free. Perplexity Pro is $20/month; ChatGPT's heavy-use Pro starts at $100/month.