The versatile AI assistant vs the specialized AI search engine. They look similar but serve fundamentally different purposes.
| Feature | ChatGPT | Perplexity |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Strength | Versatility — does everything | Research accuracy with citations |
| Citations | None (can hallucinate sources) | Every answer has sources Winner |
| Creative Writing | Excellent Winner | Basic |
| Coding | Excellent Winner | Limited |
| Image Generation | DALL-E 3 built in Winner | Not available |
| Research Accuracy | Good, can hallucinate | Excellent, sourced Winner |
| Real-time Info | Web browsing | Always web-connected Winner |
| File Analysis | PDF, images, data Winner | PDF, CSV (Pro) |
| Free Tier | GPT-4o mini + limited 4o | Unlimited quick, 5 Pro/day |
| Pro Price | $20/month | $20/month |
Use ChatGPT for creating things (writing, coding, images, brainstorming). Use Perplexity for finding things (research, fact-checking, sourced answers). Most power users have subscriptions to both — they complement each other perfectly.