Perplexity is a search engine that writes answers with numbered citations; ChatGPT is a general assistant that also searches. Their main paid plans both cost $20 a month, so the decision is whether you want sources up front or the widest feature set.
Perplexity is built around one habit: every answer arrives with citations to the pages it used. That makes it faster than a normal search for factual questions and easier to verify than a general chatbot. ChatGPT treats search as one feature among many, alongside file analysis, image generation, voice, deep research, scheduled tasks, custom GPTs and Codex. Tighter source citations remain the clearest reason to choose Perplexity over it.
The overlap is Perplexity's problem. ChatGPT search, Gemini Deep Research and Google's free AI Mode now cover much of what it does, and Perplexity's answer has been to grow outward. Comet, its Chromium-based browser with an assistant in every tab, has been free since October 2025 and runs on Mac, Windows, Android and iPhone, and paid plans add Computer, which runs multi-step tasks in the background on monthly credits. Pro also lets you choose between top models from OpenAI, Anthropic and Google.
Pricing lines up at $20 for the plan most people need: ChatGPT Plus with GPT-6 Sol, or Perplexity Pro with model choice, more Research runs and file uploads. Above that, both get expensive. Perplexity Max at $200 adds 10,000 monthly credits and higher limits on file and app creation, though reviewers agree it buys scale rather than smarter answers. ChatGPT's Pro tiers at $100, $200 and $500 make sense only for heavy agent or coding work. Students get the better deal at Perplexity, with Education Pro at $10.
Neither is flawless. Perplexity's citations can point to sources that do not fully support the claim, it has faced publisher lawsuits over how it uses their content, and the credit system for Computer adds complexity. ChatGPT's plan and model maze confuses new users, and its free and Go tiers show ads. If you already pay for ChatGPT and mostly chat, a second $20 subscription is hard to justify; if research is the work, Perplexity earns its place.