Comparison · Free to read · 4 min read
Perplexity vs ChatGPT: which is better for web search and research?
For quick facts with sources, Perplexity is the more focused choice: with web search switched on, according to the provider every answer shows its sources, and in a UK test by the consumer organisation Which? from September 2025 Perplexity received a better overall score than ChatGPT. ChatGPT now also searches the web on every plan and is stronger when you want to keep working with the results. Perplexity Pro costs 20 dollars a month, ChatGPT Plus 23 euros (as of October 2026).
Perplexity or ChatGPT
Checked on 11 October 2026
- Perplexity:
- Free $0; Pro $20 a month or $17 a month billed annually, Max from $167; opened from Germany the pricing page shows dollars, no euro price
- ChatGPT:
- Free €0; Go €8; Plus €23; Pro from €103 a month on the pricing page opened from Germany
- Perplexity:
- Available on the web and as an app, with a German pricing page
- ChatGPT:
- Available on the web and as an app; web search on every plan from Free to Pro
- Perplexity:
- Answer engine with sources in every answer when web search is on; Pro: model choice (e.g. GPT-5.6 Terra, Claude Sonnet 5), Deep Research, file uploads, images
- ChatGPT:
- All-round assistant with web search, Deep Research, images, projects and voice chat; GPT-6 also on Free and Go since October 2026
- Perplexity:
- Free: 3 Pro Searches a day, 1 Research query a month, no model choice, no image generation
- ChatGPT:
- Free and Go: Deep Research only limited; Free with limited image creation
- Perplexity:
- AI training use is on by default on Free and Pro too; can be switched off, but only for future data
- ChatGPT:
- Training controllable in Data controls; Temporary Chats kept up to 30 days, not used for training; ads on Free and Go, not personalised in the EEA for now
- Perplexity:
- According to the provider, inline sources in every answer when web search is on
- ChatGPT:
- With web search, answers include links to sources; searches automatically or on request
- Perplexity:
- Which? test in the UK (September 2025, published November 2025, 40 questions): overall score 71% (accuracy 72%), first place
- ChatGPT:
- Same test: overall score 64% (accuracy 65%); older model versions were tested
- Perplexity:
- Quick look-ups with sources, fact-checking, research across many websites
- ChatGPT:
- Research plus follow-up work: writing, analysing files, images, long conversations
Our take: Choose Perplexity if you mainly want to look things up quickly and check every statement against its source; the free version is often enough. Choose ChatGPT if you keep working with the results after searching, for example writing texts or analysing files. If you already pay for ChatGPT, you do not need a second subscription for occasional web searches.
The difference in one sentence
Perplexity is a search engine with AI: by default it searches the web for every question and writes an answer with numbered sources in the text. If you switch “Web” off at the start of a conversation, according to its help page it answers from the model's own knowledge only, without web sources. ChatGPT is an all-round assistant that also searches the web when needed, but just as readily writes texts, analyses files or creates images.
Perplexity uses models from several companies. According to its help page, Pro offers a choice that includes OpenAI's GPT-5.6 Terra, Anthropic's Claude Sonnet 5 and Google's Gemini 3.7 Flash. On the free version Perplexity picks the model itself.
If you are looking for a general assistant for everything, our comparison of ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini will help. This page is only about search and research.
What both cost in Germany (as of October 2026)
Perplexity can be used for free. According to Perplexity, Pro costs 20 dollars a month or 200 dollars a year. Opened from Germany, the German pricing page also shows dollars: 17 dollars a month for Pro and 167 dollars for Max when billed annually. Perplexity does not show a euro price there; you only see the exact amount at checkout.
ChatGPT can also be used for free. According to the German pricing page, Go costs 8 euros, Plus 23 euros and Pro from 103 euros a month.
For plain searches the free versions of both are often enough. According to its help page, however, Perplexity Free only includes three more thorough Pro Searches a day and one in-depth Research query a month.
Search, sources and accuracy compared
According to its pricing page, Perplexity shows in every answer with web search switched on which source a statement comes from. According to OpenAI, ChatGPT decides by itself whether a question needs a web search, but you can also switch search on deliberately. You then also get links to the sources.
An independent reference point comes from a test by the British consumer organisation Which?. In September 2025 it asked 40 questions on money, law, health and consumer rights from a UK location and published the results in November 2025; Stiftung Warentest reported on it in January 2026. The answers were rated for accuracy, relevance, clarity, usefulness and ethical responsibility. In the overall score Perplexity came first with 71 per cent, while ChatGPT reached 64 per cent. For accuracy alone the two scored 72 and 65 per cent; Stiftung Warentest describes these figures as a rate of correct answers. Both services have updated their models since then. The testers also found outdated or doubtful sources with every chatbot.
For thorough reports both have a Deep Research feature. On ChatGPT it is only limited on Free and Go; on Perplexity Free it is capped at one query a month.
Privacy: switch it off yourself on both
According to its help page, Perplexity uses your queries for training by default on Free, Pro and Max. You can switch this off in the settings under "AI data retention". This only applies to future data; training data already collected is not deleted.
On ChatGPT you can control whether your chats are used for training in Data controls. According to OpenAI, Temporary Chats are not used for training but are kept for up to 30 days. Free and Go may show ads, which OpenAI says are not personalised in the European Economic Area for now.
With either service, do not enter health data or contract numbers unless necessary.
Who should pick which?
The following is an editorial recommendation based on the providers' information and the Which? test, not our own test.
Perplexity fits if you mainly want to look things up and check the sources yourself, for example travel rules, product questions or news.
ChatGPT fits if searching is only the first step and you then need a text, a table or help with a decision. If you already use ChatGPT, you do not need a second subscription for occasional searches.
For money, legal and health questions the same applies to both: open the sources and get a second opinion.
Sources
- Perplexity pricing (German pricing page, opened from Germany on 10 Oct 2026)
- Perplexity hub page with Pro FAQ
- Perplexity Help: Which Perplexity Subscription Plan is right for you? (updated 8 Oct 2026)
- Perplexity Help: What advanced AI models are included in my subscription?
- Perplexity Help: Data Collection at Perplexity
- ChatGPT pricing (German pricing page, opened from Germany on 10 Oct 2026)
- OpenAI Help: Searching the web with ChatGPT
- OpenAI Help: Ads in ChatGPT
- OpenAI Help: Data controls in ChatGPT
- OpenAI Help: Projects in ChatGPT (section on model improvement)
- OpenAI: GPT-6 and Intelligent UI for everyone (7 Oct 2026)
- Stiftung Warentest: AI chatbots tested – Perplexity beats ChatGPT and Meta AI (German, 16 Jan 2026)
- Which?: Can you trust AI? ChatGPT and other AI chatbots put to the test (17 Nov 2025)
- Perplexity Help: Technical capabilities of Sessions (switching web search off)
Created with AI assistance and editorially approved before publication.