ChatGPT excels at creative tasks and extended conversations with 200M+ monthly users and advanced reasoning models, while Perplexity prioritizes real-time web search integration and citation accuracy for research-focused queries. ChatGPT offers broader capabilities; Perplexity delivers fresher, verifiable information.
ChatGPT vs Perplexity — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Choose ChatGPT if you need advanced reasoning for complex problem-solving, prefer a mature ecosystem with custom GPTs, or want the most capable multimodal AI (vision, voice, text). Choose Perplexity if research accuracy, current information, and source transparency are priorities, or if you want comprehensive web search integrated for free without subscriptions.
Conversational AI assistant by OpenAI with advanced reasoning and multimodal capabilities.
AI search engine prioritizing real-time web access, source citations, and research accuracy.
Structured comparison data for ChatGPT vs Perplexity with 209 attributes.
Minimum Monthly Cost for Advanced Features
Coding Task Accuracy (HumanEval Benchmark)
ChatGPT vs Perplexity — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for ChatGPT vs Perplexity.
Can I use web search in the free version of each tool?
ChatGPT's free tier has no web search; it requires a $20/month ChatGPT Plus subscription. Perplexity includes full web search with citations in its free version, making it the better choice for users who need current information without paying.
Which is better for research papers and academic work?
Perplexity is superior for academic research because every response includes clickable source citations, highlighting which sources support each claim. ChatGPT requires manual source verification. Perplexity also offers an 'Academic' mode with access to 200M+ research papers, while ChatGPT has no dedicated research tools.
Does ChatGPT or Perplexity have better reasoning for math and coding?
ChatGPT's o1 model significantly outperforms both platforms on complex reasoning tasks, achieving 92% accuracy on math competition problems compared to 60-70% for standard models. Perplexity uses third-party models without proprietary reasoning enhancements, making ChatGPT the clear winner for advanced problem-solving.
ChatGPT supports image uploads, PDFs, and video processing across Plus and Pro tiers. Perplexity currently supports text-only input and does not process images or files, limiting its use for visual analysis or document-based research.
Which has more accurate and verifiable information?
Perplexity delivers more verifiable information because every claim is linked to a live source with one-click access. ChatGPT's April 2024 knowledge cutoff means outdated information on recent events, and its responses lack inline citations by default. For factual accuracy and transparency, Perplexity is the stronger choice.