What is Perplexity AI? Complete Search Engine Guide 2026

Quick Summary: Everything you need to know about Perplexity AI in 2026. This guide is written for complete beginners — no technical knowledge required.

What is Perplexity AI?

Perplexity AI is an AI-powered search engine that gives you direct answers instead of a list of links. It reads and synthesizes information from multiple sources, providing cited answers you can verify.

How It is Different from Google

Google gives you links to click through. Perplexity reads those pages for you and provides a synthesized answer with inline citations. It is like having a research assistant who reads everything and gives you a summary.

Getting Started

Go to perplexity.ai and start asking questions. No account needed for basic searches. Sign up for saved history and Pro features. Available as web app, iOS, and Android.

Free vs Pro ($20/month)

Free: 5 Pro searches per day, standard model. Pro ($20/mo): Unlimited Pro searches, choose between GPT-4, Claude, Gemini models, file uploads, image generation.

Best Use Cases

Academic research with citations, fact-checking claims, market research, learning new topics, comparing products, getting up-to-date information, and any research task where sources matter.

Tips for Better Results

Use Focus modes (Academic, Writing, Math) for specialized searches. Follow up with clarifying questions. Use Pro Search for complex topics. Ask Perplexity to compare sources when they disagree.