ChatGPT
Best overall
OpenAI's general assistant for writing, questions, images and code.
Free$8/mo
Answer engine that searches the web and cites every source.
Perplexity works like a search engine that writes the answer for you, with numbered links to the pages it used so you can check them. It is useful for quick research, comparing products or catching up on a topic. The free plan covers everyday questions; Pro adds stronger models and more in-depth research runs.
| Plan | Pricing | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Everyday searches |
| Pro | $17/mo yearly | Top models, expanded research |
| Max | $167/mo yearly | Unlimited use, highest tier |
Prices checked Nov 9
OpenAI's general assistant for writing, questions, images and code.
Anthropic's assistant for long documents, careful writing and coding.
Search engine that answers questions from peer-reviewed papers.
Free chat app and low-cost API built on DeepSeek's open models.