Perplexity: pricing, free plan, and how to use it
Perplexity is an AI answer engine that searches the web and cites its sources, which makes it useful for quick business research. It has a free plan. Its Pro page lists Pro at $17 a month and Max at $167 a month, both billed annually, and an Enterprise offering for teams.
Last checked:
Quick answer
Yes, Perplexity has a free plan. Pro is $17 a month and Max is $167 a month when billed annually, on Perplexity’s Pro page. Monthly prices were not shown in our check. Enterprise is for organizations.
No affiliate links. Links to Perplexity on this page are plain links to the official site. Mishal Brands has not tested Perplexity hands-on; this page reports what Perplexity publishes.
What is Perplexity?
Perplexity answers questions by searching the web and citing sources. Pro adds deep research, a choice of AI models, and higher limits; Max adds the highest limits. Perplexity Enterprise connects to company files and apps, and Perplexity says it never trains its models on enterprise customers’ data.
Official site: www.perplexity.ai. Category in the AI Library: Research & search.
How much does Perplexity cost?
Prices from Perplexity’s official pricing page, checked Oct 13, 2026, in US dollars before tax. If the official page shows something different, the official page is right.
| Plan | Price | What the official page says |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Everyday answers with citations |
| Pro | $17/month billed annually | Deep research, model choice, more usage |
| Max | $167/month billed annually | Highest limits and priority access |
| Enterprise | Not shown on the pages we checked | Company file and app connections, SOC 2 Type II |
How do you use Perplexity to check a market claim before you publish it?
Here is a practical setup in 5 steps. It follows the features Perplexity lists; it is not a hands-on test.
- Go to perplexity.ai; no account is needed to try a question.
- Ask the exact question, for example the market size and the source behind it.
- Open the cited sources and read the original numbers.
- Keep only the facts you confirmed, with the original source link.
- On Pro, use deep research for longer reports.
What is Perplexity’s Mishal Brands Score?
Perplexity scores 8 out of 10 on the Mishal Brands Score (fact-based, not hands-on testing). Each point comes from a public fact on an official page, not from testing the tool. How the score works.
| Criterion | Points | Public fact |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing transparency | 1 / 2 | Pro and Max annual prices are published; monthly and Enterprise prices were not shown in our check. |
| Free plan or trial | 2 / 2 | Free plan. |
| Business features | 1 / 2 | Enterprise offering for organizations; SSO is not named on the page we checked. |
| Integrations and API | 2 / 2 | Public API docs; Enterprise connects to company apps. |
| Documentation and support | 1 / 1 | Public help center. |
| Privacy and data terms | 1 / 1 | Privacy policy, plus a statement that enterprise customer data is never used for training. |
| Total | 8 / 10 | Mishal Brands Score (fact-based, not hands-on testing) |
FAQ
Is Perplexity free?
Yes. The Pro page compares paid plans against a Free plan.
How much is Perplexity Pro?
$17 a month billed annually, on Perplexity’s Pro page, checked October 13, 2026.
Does Perplexity cite sources?
Yes. Answers include citations to the pages it used.
Does Perplexity have an API?
Yes. Perplexity publishes API documentation at docs.perplexity.ai.
Sources, all official Perplexity pages, checked Oct 13, 2026: Perplexity Pro; Perplexity Enterprise; Perplexity API docs; Perplexity privacy policy.
Mishal Brands is not affiliated with Perplexity. Product names belong to their owners. How we review.