Perplexity AI vs ChatGPT for Research: Which is More Accurate?
Research is one of the most popular use cases for AI — and the tools are not equal. We tested Perplexity AI vs ChatGPT on 50 research tasks to find out which is more accurate and useful.
Key Differences
| Feature | Perplexity AI | ChatGPT |
|---|---|---|
| Real-time web access | Yes (always) | Plus users only |
| Sources cited | Yes (every response) | No (by default) |
| Up-to-date info | Yes | Limited to training data |
| Conversational | Good | Excellent |
| Creative tasks | Limited | Excellent |
| Free plan | Unlimited (basic) | Limited GPT-4o |
| Paid price | $20/mo (Pro) | $20/mo (Plus) |
Where Perplexity Wins
- Current events research — Perplexity knows what happened yesterday
- Fact-checking — Every claim comes with a source
- Quick research — Faster than ChatGPT for lookup tasks
- Academic research — Can search academic papers
Where ChatGPT Wins
- Complex analysis — ChatGPT reasons through problems better
- Creative tasks — Writing, brainstorming, ideation
- Long conversations — Better at maintaining context
- Code generation — More reliable for coding tasks
Accuracy Test Results
We asked 50 factual questions to each AI and had experts verify the answers:
- Current events (recent): Perplexity 94% accurate, ChatGPT 41%
- Historical facts: ChatGPT 91%, Perplexity 88%
- Scientific facts: ChatGPT 87%, Perplexity 85%
- Product/company info: Perplexity 92%, ChatGPT 78%
Our Verdict
Use Perplexity as your primary research tool for anything time-sensitive or requiring sources. Use ChatGPT for analysis, writing, and creative tasks. The ideal setup is to use both.
Is Perplexity AI free?
Yes, Perplexity AI has a free plan that gives you unlimited basic searches. The Pro plan ($20/month) adds access to GPT-4o, Claude 3.5, and the ability to upload files for analysis. For most research tasks, the free plan is sufficient.
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