Perplexity vs ChatGPT
An answer engine and an assistant, compared plainly. Chatly is a third way.
Where each one wins
Perplexity wins
Cited answers
Every Perplexity answer cites its sources inline, even on the free plan.
- Perplexity wins
Choice of models
Perplexity Pro lets you pick models from several makers. ChatGPT runs OpenAI's own.
ChatGPT wins
Price to start
ChatGPT Go is $8 a month; Perplexity Pro is $20.
- ChatGPT wins
Images
ChatGPT makes and edits images in the chat. Perplexity is built around search.
- ChatGPT wins
Chat limits
ChatGPT has no cap on chat messages on any plan since August 2026.
Perplexity and ChatGPT at a glance
| Feature | Perplexity | ChatGPT |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Perplexity | OpenAI |
| Newest models | Runs other makers' models; Pro users pick from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and more | GPT-6 Astra and GPT-6.1 Sol |
| In Chatly | No. Perplexity is its own app | Yes, every model above |
| Free plan | Yes, cited answers with basic models | Yes, with GPT 5.6 Luna, and ads |
| Paid plans | Pro $20 ($17 billed yearly), Max $200 a month | Go $8, Plus $20, Pro from $100 a month |
| Makes images | Not its focus; paid plans add video generation | Yes, in the chat |
| Web search | Yes. Every answer cites its sources | Yes |
Pricing
| Plan | Perplexity | ChatGPT |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0, cited answers | $0, GPT 5.6 Luna, with ads |
| Cheapest paid | Pro, $20 a month ($17 billed yearly) | Go, $8 a month |
| Main paid plan | Pro, $20 a month | Plus, $20 a month |
| Heavy use | Max, $200 a month | Pro, $100, $200 or $500 a month |
| Teams | Enterprise Pro, $34 a seat a month | Business, $25 a user a month ($20 billed yearly) |
Prices in US dollars. Taxes and local prices vary.
Then put the answer to work
The same plan runs the agent behind the chat. It makes the files, not just the text, and works with Gmail, Slack and 40+ other apps.
Turn an answer into slides
A deck with real charts and speaker notes, ready to present or edit.
Write the document
Reports, proposals, contracts and invoices, formatted and ready to send.
Build the spreadsheet
Budgets, trackers and models that arrive built, filled in and charted.
Publish a website
A landing page or a full site, live on its own link from one request.
Make the images
Product shots, headshots and social posts from the top image models.
Research with sources
Deep research that reads the web for you and cites every claim.
Chatly plans
Three plans, and Teams on top: pick how long you pay for, and how many credits.
Standard
$18/ month, billed quarterly
Perfect for getting started with AI
Subscribe7K credits / month
- Flash and Pro modes
- 3 concurrent agent tasks
- 2 scheduled tasks
- Connect up to 2 apps, like Gmail and Slack
- 2 knowledge bases
- Commercial usage rights
- Build and publish websites
- Create presentation-ready slides
- Deep research with citations
- Generate docs, sheets and audio
- Generate images and videos
Professional
$36/ month, billed quarterly
More credits, more room to create
Subscribe- Flash, Pro and Ultra modes
- 5 concurrent agent tasks
- 5 scheduled tasks
- Connect up to 5 apps, like Gmail and Slack
- 5 knowledge bases
- Commercial usage rights
- Build and publish websites
- Create presentation-ready slides
- Deep research with citations
- Generate docs, sheets and audio
- Generate images and videos
- AI ad creator
- AI video editor
Ultra
$183/ month, billed quarterly
Built for power users who never hit limits
Subscribe- Flash, Pro and Ultra modes
- Unlimited concurrent agent tasks
- 25 scheduled tasks
- Connect all 40+ apps
- 25 knowledge bases
- Commercial usage rights
- Build and publish websites
- Create presentation-ready slides
- Deep research with citations
- Generate docs, sheets and audio
- Generate images and videos
- AI ad creator
- AI video editor
- Early access to new models
Chatly for Teams: pooled credits and shared seats, from three seats. Talk to us
Which should you choose?
Choose Perplexity if
- You want every answer to cite its sources
- You want to pick models from several makers
- You research products, prices and studies
Choose ChatGPT if
- You want the cheapest paid step (Go, $8)
- You want images in the same chat
- You want no cap on chat messages
Common questions
Is Perplexity better than ChatGPT?
For research where you want sources on every line, Perplexity is built for it. ChatGPT is cheaper to start, makes images and has no cap on chat messages. Many people use both.
How much do Perplexity and ChatGPT cost?
Perplexity Pro is $20 a month ($17 billed yearly) and Max $200. ChatGPT Go is $8, Plus $20 and Pro from $100 a month. Both have free plans.
Is Perplexity in Chatly?
No. Perplexity is its own app. Chatly is a separate product that puts GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek and other models in one model picker, with deep research that cites its sources.
Which models can I compare in Chatly?
GPT-6 Astra, GPT-6.1 Sol, GPT 5.6, Claude Opus 5.5, Fable 5.1 and Sonnet 5.5, Gemini 3.1 Pro, Grok 4.5, DeepSeek V4, Kimi K3 and more.
How current is this comparison?
Plans and prices come from each company's own site. They change often, so check before you buy.
Product names belong to their owners and are used here only to compare. No endorsement is implied.
Chatly on your phone and your Mac
Chatly for iPhone
Brief a job on the train, approve the plan, and watch it finish. Every project you start here is on your phone.
Coming soon to the App Store
Chatly for Mac
The agent on your desktop, with the files, screenshots and spreadsheets you already have to hand.
Download for macOS