Perplexity AI vs ChatGPT: Which AI Tool Is Better in 2025? – DemandSage
Two of the top AI tools in 2025, Perplexity and ChatGPT, when compared, reveal many similarities yet significant differences.
Perplexity and ChatGPT offer users two distinct paths on the same highway, each providing a unique user experience. To reach a fair conclusion, I’ve compared ChatGPT and Perplexity purely based on the general day-to-day experience that the tools offer.
In this post, I’ve conducted a few tests to verify whether both AI tools deliver the performance in practice as claimed on paper. Read on to check which one of the two should be your choice!
TL;DR: Is Perplexity Better Than ChatGPT?
While both AI tools are exceptional, the experience of using both differs. The comparison shows that Perplexity offers an inclusive experience with its interactive elements, making the prompt results more resourceful than the plain responses from ChatGPT.
Apart from the standard features and use cases, Perlpexity’s primary identity, which was an answer engine, has reached newer levels of providing accurate and insightful results ideal for research and gaining knowledge. It can now do the same things that ChatGPT can, but more. You can now Shop with Perplexity!
Perplexity is different than ChatGPT by:
These differences are evident when comparing their approach to sharing prompt results regarding the technical aspects; the following are notable differences summarized.
When there are so many signs pointing towards Perplexity being a better option, is ChatGPT any good?
My comparison of the two highlighted the lesser-known experience of using Perplexity over ChatGPT. This does not mean that ChatGPT is any less. ChatGPT also offers several features that surpass those of Perplexity. More on this further below in the post.
While it can prove helpful for many, ChatGPT is most suitable for:
On the other hand, Perlpexity is more suited for anyone with the following purposes in mind:
Open AI and its brainchild need no introduction, as they have proven to be a blessing for researchers, students, and anyone who knows how to use ChatGPT. With its record-breaking user signup, the USA contributes 14.07 % of ChatGPT’s user share.
How can you use ChatGPT?
Expanding its use case, ChatGPT can now be used beyond the website and mobile app. Here’s how you can use ChatGPT:
In a recent 12-day Open AI update, it was announced that users can use ChatGPT by calling a phone number or on WhatsApp! Even with the difference in use case, the price range remains the same for all.
ChatGPT Pricing details:
Quick updates on recent changes to ChatGPT:
ChatGPT has received major updates over the last few months, including the most exciting new update: the launch of SearchGPT and the ChatGPT and Apple partnership. Later in the year, ChatGPT-integrated experiences are expected to be launched on supported devices operating on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS.
Secondly, Open AI has gotten into major collaborations with news publications following the industry’s highest standard to power its all-new ‘SearchGPT.’
SearchGPT, which is available to Plus and Team plan users in its prototype stage, gives a glimpse of a much-simplified way of using ChatGPT, which is very similar to Perplexity’s search results and the Google AI overview.
Along with ‘SearchGPT,’ ChatGPT can soon interact with users in real-time using microphones and cameras through its mobile app, featuring the all-new GPT 4 model.
Open AI has also recently launched a new advanced thinking AI model – o1 in a preview mode and is best suitable for complex tasks in science, math, and code.
Demandsage Bonus: Get an insight into ChatGPT and its capabilities from our detailed article on ChatGPT.
Launched by Big Brains from Open AI, Meta, and Coursera’s past employees, Perplextiy AI’s founding team includes the crème de la crème students from the likes of Harvard, Stanford, and UC Berkley, and big investors supporting their journeys.
It uses Natural language processing (NLP) and Machine learning, similar to ChatGPT. This NLP allows the AI to understand the user prompts. It helps correlate the questions with the data it has and provides a result.
Unlike ChatGPT, Perplexity AI is not just an AI chat assistant but is meant to enhance a user’s search experience with artificial intelligence and provide knowledge.
Perplexity is not a search engine nor an AI chatbot, but is actually a fusion of both and is known as an “answer engine.”
How can you use Perplexity?
Unlike ChatGPT, Perplexity is not as extensively available. Perplexity can be used via:
Since the purpose of Perplexity is not that of a personal assistant, you might not see Perplexity offering a voice call feature or a WhatsApp contact number.
Perplexity Pricing details:
Quick updates on recent changes to Perplexity:
First things first: This AI search engine has made significant developments in the last year, which have changed my perspective on search engines and AI chatbots. Here’s the entire timeline of updates received by Perplexity:
It has received $73.6 million in Series B funding and is backed up by powerhouse investors like IVP, NVIDIA, Jeff Bezos, Tobias Lutke, and more!
Perplexity is sort of breaking the internet, and perhaps Google too. It has announced a unique shopping experience that challenges traditional ways we shop online.
“Perplexity Shopping” provides a combination of AI assistance to find products and purchases; Perplexity Pro users get a smooth checkout experience while finding the best products in a unique way to shop.
Perplexity AI users can now:
Comparing the best ways to use ChatGPT and Perplexity, that is, with their paid subscriptions starting at $20/month.
The next part of the post covers further practical examples that explain the differences between the two AI models for their free and paid versions.
Now, let’s compare them further and see the key difference between ChatGPT vs Perplexity on the paper and actual result basis.
I will compare Perplexity and ChatGPT for the AI language models that both use to generate results, the user interface, some critical features, and practical use cases of both.
By the end of this comparison, you can clearly feel the difference between the two when you use them simultaneously. The way each of them displays a prompt result is the polar opposite.
Both offer a completely different user experience, too!
Disclaimer: Since Perplexity offers responses that are visually appealing and interactive, I have shared a majority of its responses in video format.
The language model used by AI tools is a critical requirement for interpreting human language and providing necessary responses. The model that an AI uses defines its potential and limitations. The better the AI model is used, the better the results are in terms of accuracy, speed, and other features.
When we see Perplexity vs ChatGPT, Perplexity can access more AI language models than ChatGPT. Have a look:
ChatGPT has added a good number of AI models suitable for specific user needs. The most advanced in reasoning is the o1 model, which is only available in a preview mode.
Here’s a breakdown of each ChatGPT model you can use:
These 6 models combine to form a powerful toolkit that meets every need. While Perplexity may not have the model for advanced reasoning that ChatGPT uses, it offers the best of many worlds rather than just one.
Perplexity AI allows access to: GPT 4o language model, Claude 3.5, Sonar Large (LLama 3.1), and a Perplexity exclusive model for its $20/mo Perplexity Pro membership users’ need.
ChatGPT has a slight edge over Perplexity with the access to the new OpenAI o1 model, but not enough to shadow Perplexity’s language model access.
Perplexity offers the best language models to use with their Perplexity Pro subscription. Using
You can pick o1 now as a model choice on Perplexity Pro. It’s super slow. So, best to use it if you know what you’re asking is pretty complex or you want to rewrite an existing answer with o1 in case you’re not satisfied with it. pic.twitter.com/kO16wDgyBT
This is where Perplexity AI stands out with its ability to offer more language models for both its free and paid users.
While both AI assistants have access to GPT 4o with a paid subscription, Perplexity takes it a step further with the option to choose from Antropic, Meta, and Open AI’s best AI language models.
Talking about the AI language models accessible in both, ChatGPT runs its free access on GPT 4o mini, while Perplexity runs on a standard default Perplexity AI model.
Here’s an example of using free models of ChatGPT and Perplexity, demonstrating basic differences in their result generation:
Prompt used: How is the weather today in Copenhagen?
ChatGPT’s response:
“Today in Copenhagen, the weather is cool and mostly cloudy, with temperatures around 19°C (66°F). The morning started off at about 13°C (55°F), and it’s expected to stay mild throughout the day. There’s a light breeze, and the city might experience some scattered showers later in the day, but overall, it’s a typical late summer day in Denmark. If you’re heading out, a light jacket and an umbrella might be a good idea.
The humidity is moderate, and the UV index is at a medium level, so while sunburn isn’t a major concern, it’s still wise to wear sunscreen if you’re spending time outside (Meteoprog,Where And When,Weather Atlas).”
Perplexity AI’s response:
“The weather in Copenhagen today, August 28, 2024, is sunny with a current temperature of 18°C (64°F). The humidity level is at 88%, and there is a southeast wind blowing at 12 mph. Visibility is good at 6 miles, and there is no precipitation expected today.”
What’s interesting about the response from Perplexity was this interactive weather chart below that showed the temperature variation of the week! Click this link to check out the response.
Note – There were also sources added to the above headlines provided.
Verdict:
While ChatGPT’s response was more intuitive and personal, sharing tips for sunscreen and clothes, Perplexity’s response felt to the point and advanced enough to be available with a free plan!
With a paid subscription, too, ChatGPT can only use the OpenAI language models, while Perplexity Pro can give you access to GPT-4, Claude 3.5, Llama 3.1, and Perplexity’s own AI model together! So, it is pretty clear which AI wins this test.
Both AI software have a simple UI without any unnecessary complications or ads. This helps the user focus on the information and results and gives a clean experience.
Prompt Used: The largest planet in the solar system
The user interface is pretty straightforward and easy to use. However, it displays information in the form of a text conversation without any interactive elements.
ChatGPT allows users to access old chats in the left pane with options for dark themes, clearing chats, deleting accounts, opting out of training, etc.
The prompt result generation is simple and is similar to searching for anything on a search engine. ChatGPT also gives a button to stop generating a prompt if you have given an incorrect or incomplete prompt, a copy and paste button, a regenerate button, and like and dislike buttons for feedback.
Where ChatGPT excels is in its user interface, with its mobile application and its voice chat feature. Users have reported that they have been helped with this feature, which allowed them to translate conversations live.
This is fire. @OpenAI 's voice assistant just got me through a day in a hospital where NOBODY could speak english. For real this was the most compelling AI experience since AI became a thing.
I got sick yesterday and my insurance company sent me to a nice new clinic, which is… pic.twitter.com/Q9va3PZoyl
ChatGPT’s upcoming user interface looks promising in its demos of the ‘SearchGPT’ and ‘GPT-4o with Canvas’ modes, but these modes still have limited availability or are in beta testing and do not change things much as of now.
After the recent updates, Perplexity feels very fresh and crisp to use. All the elements look thought out and are designed very well. Especially with the new shopping experience that Perplexity offers, searching for something feels more interactive and available under one roof.
For the same query, Perplexity shares details about the available products that might interest me while also providing a direct link to buy.
The results from Perplexity are more lively and vivid than those from ChatGPT. Relevant images and videos are on the right, while sources and related topics are also provided (more on this later).
Perplexity AI allows users to discover topics they might be interested in from the “Discover” tab. Similar to ChatGPT, you can access old searches from the left pane under “Library.”
In the ” Discover ” section, you can also see the number of people who have viewed the thread, the number of people who saved it, and even the likes it has.
There’s another feature called the ‘AI profile’ where you can briefly introduce yourself, your location, and the language you use. This helps the bot understand the user and make their experience more valuable.
Verdict:
ChatGPT has an equally simple user interface that does enough to satisfy the user’s intent. Perplexity offers a better user experience and adds more to what the user takes away from the generated response.
While receiving a result on a prompt, we must get the source of that data. This helps to trust the provided data and is an additional source of relevant information.
To check the reliability of the sources of Perplexity vs ChatGPT, I used the same prompt used for the parameter tested above.
Sources for information when using ChatGPT are not as directly shown as Perplexity does. Access to the SearchGPT is limited, and whatever the web access provides, it turns out to be difficult to find. Refer to the above image.
ChatGPT, with its free version, does not always provide the source from which it has taken the information, either. A user has to be signed up for the ‘plus’ plan to access the Internet and get the relevant links.
Now, Perplexity, on the other hand, offers a detailed list of the sources that it has taken references from for the fetched answer. They can be accessed directly from within the answer or from a separate button that lists all the sources.
Verdict:
I’ve decided the result for this parameter to be a tie, as the intention here was to get a source for the generated answer. The only difference is that ChatGPT does so upon prompting, and Perplexity AI lists the sources irrespective.
It is an additional feature for an AI assistant to get real-time information by using the Internet. Many AI assistants out there, like Bing AI and Google Bard, can answer real-time questions.
But can ChatGPT and Perplexity do that?
Prompt used: Show me how the Apple stock performed yesterday.
With the recent update from GPT 3.5 to GPT 4o mini, even the basic free plan of ChatGPT can access the internet and answer prompts to provide real-time information.
However, in real use, ChatGPT’s new web search ability can be a hit or a miss. In my experience, I have rarely gotten satisfactory answers or results to a real-time query that I asked the ChatGPT models.
This in turn, affects the user experience and limits the way that I would want to use ChatGPT for my daily questions.
As I was expecting, Perplexity AI popped the results in no time and provided a brief analysis of the stock performance I needed for the previous day. It did not stop there, and also was able to share with me the news that was related to the stock performance and the overall financial status of the stock.
Verdict:
This round is taken away by Perplexity, as ChatGPT was not consistent with providing real-time information, and denied simple queries. Perplexity AI shared an interactive chart, did well, and accessed the web to give me accurate, real-time information.
When it comes to the accuracy of these two, ChatGPT lacks when it comes to providing up-to-date information, and also accepts that it will make mistakes. It is also reported to be biased at times.
Have a look at this FAQ answered on the OpenAI website.
“ChatGPT is not free from biases and stereotypes, so users and educators should carefully review its content. It is important to critically assess any content that could teach or reinforce biases or stereotypes. Bias mitigation is an ongoing area of research for us, and we welcome feedback on how to improve.”
Source – Is ChatGPT biased? | OpenAI Help Center
Here’s the ChatGPT disclaimer that always shows below the prompt bar:
Hence, the accuracy of the data ChatGPT provides cannot always be trusted.
Perplexity AI, on the other hand, is not an AI chatbot and is an answer engine; it is bound to be accurate with the given use of the Internet and other sources for the reliability of its results.
With these sources, a user can easily scan multiple pieces of information, which provides a more accurate resolution of the search query than ChatGPT.
But here’s a twist. It did not give me the correct answer when I asked, “What is the AI model that the Perplexity Free plan is based on?” I did not get an accurate answer.
Here’s the result I received:
“As mentioned earlier, the AI model used by Perplexity AI is not explicitly mentioned in the search results. However, it is known that the free plan offers basic access to the platform’s features, while the paid Pro plan is built on more advanced AI models and offers additional features. The free plan is suitable for casual users or those with minimal requirements, while the Pro plan is designed for users with more comprehensive needs.”
Now, here’s the twist: I thought Perplexity would be knowing itself; this question has been answered in their FAQ section. Read this answer from the Perplexity AI blog. Hence, I cannot trust the data received from Perplexity without verification.
Verdict:
Both AIs fall short when it comes to the accuracy of the answers they provide and receive no points for this comparison. This is not to suggest that they are unreliable—they are reliable—but maybe not 100%!
To test both in terms of their practical usefulness, I planned three tasks to assign both and compared the responses.
Here’s how they did,
Prompt used for the letter: Write a letter to Christopher Nolan for a request to give a guest lecture at your film academy.
ChatGPT nailed it out of the park and wrote a proper letter that served the purpose. Though it went a bit overboard with the length, it covered all the relevant points.
I loved how Perplexity in its response, showed me related questions that I could ask based on the letter it generated.
Demandsage Bonus: AI can now even help you write essays. Check out our unbiased list of best AI Essay writers and generators.
Prompt used for the checklist: I am going on a hike tomorrow. Help me make a checklist.
ChatGPT added an extra touch to the response, first reacting positively about me going on a hike. Apart from the essentials required for hiking, it also helped me remember some points before starting my hike.
Perplexity AI, too, provided the required essentials, tips, and gear, but its response felt a bit robotic without an acknowledgment of the activity.
Prompt used for translation: I am planning a trip to Paris tomorrow. Help me learn conversational French.
ChatGPT responded with bifurcations for different types of conversations using simple sentences and their translations. It covered translations for:
Plus, ChatGPT also helped me with some basic pronunciation tips for French.
When you combine its voice mode for translation, ChatGPT can be a great tool to use while traveling or communicating with someone speaking a different language.
Perplexity gave a total of 16 basic words and their translations for the same prompt, but not as personalized as ChatGPT did.
While Perplexity Pro also offers advanced voice mode, it is not as good as ChatGPT for active voice interaction.
Verdict:
As a general result, both ChatGPT and Perplexity shared excellent use-case results, with ChatGPT having an edge in personalization while Perplexity shares more insightful results.
Here’s a quick overview of the comparison of ChatGPT and Perplexity AI based on my tests.
Thoughts on Perplexity after comparison:
Perplexity is a go-to AI tool for every search you make on a browser.
Perplexity vs ChatGPT battle highlights how different yet similar Perplexity is to ChatGPT.
To put things into perspective, imagine Perplexity to be your daily search engine but with advanced AI capabilities. It turns out to be a potential substitute for Googling that I don’t mind using.
It somehow provides the best of both worlds and yet feels unique.
Thoughts on ChatGPT after comparison:
ChatGPT feels more personal and query-focused than a general search engine.
ChatGPT is best used to understand a complex subject while also being able to interact like a human.
With its recent updates, like the launch of the new o1 model, this use case is bound to get even stronger. At the same time, the launch of SearchGPT was meant to provide a Perplexity-like experience, and ChatGPT aimed to provide a similar visual experience, but it is a little far from reaching it at this moment.
There are some minor differences and similarities that I found at the end of my Perplexity vs ChatGPT comparison. Here are a few:
Related Reads:
In this Perplexity vs. ChatGPT comparison, Perplexity outperforms. In technical terms, Perplexity offers access to many advanced LLMs, including the latest ChatGPT language model, while maintaining the same price.
Considering this comparison from a general perspective, even after the launch of voice mode, an advanced reasoning model, and Search GPT, I found that Perplexity offers a better user experience.
Remember, the comparison between Perplexity AI and ChatGPT is not entirely a fair fight, as both have their strengths and weaknesses. ChatGPT excels with its extensive training data and ability to personalize responses with its tone.
While Perplexity AI boasts visually appealing and insightful results, it lacks advanced reasoning abilities and the ability to engage in human-like conversations.
Though this comparison between an answer engine and an AI assistant does not seem to share clear differences, Perplexity shows rapid signs of improvement across areas, simultaneously challenging tech giants like OpenAI and Google and trying to lure away their users.
Read our comparison between ChatGPT vs Google Bard vs Bing AI and see which one of these is capable of combining both ChatGPT and Perplexity AI.
The key difference between Perplexity and ChatGPT is the language they work on. Perplexity uses a standard default perplexity model with Claude 3.5, GPT 4o, and Llama 3.1, while ChatGPT is solely based on OpenAI’s GPT models.
Yes, Perplexity uses OpenAI’s language models and others as a base for working.
Many AI assistants are competing with ChatGPT to get the title of the best. Among ChatGPT, Google Bard, and Bing AI, we found Bing AI to be the best in multiple aspects.
Perplexity AI shares fairly accurate information as it refers to and cites its sources, providing a summarized and accurate answer to the information. This also works for sharing real-time information, as my comparison above shows.
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