Tools & Platforms
Perplexity
The AI search engine — answers with citations, replaces Google for research queries.
Also known as: Perplexity AI
Perplexity is an AI-powered search engine that answers questions directly with citations rather than returning a list of links. Founded in 2022, it has become the leading AI search product by 2026. Free tier is generous; Perplexity Pro at $20/month unlocks Claude Opus 4.8, GPT-5, more searches, and the new Comet browser. Strong for: research queries, "explain this with sources", multi-step questions. Trails Google for: navigational searches, local results, shopping. Most search-first users in 2026 use Perplexity for research questions and Google for everything else.
