#1 in Research & searchFree tier
Perplexity
Answer engine that cites the pages it used.
Perplexity answers questions from the web and shows citations. There is a consumer app and a developer API. It also ships agent products, including Computer, which are outside this research ranking.
Why this rank
For a question you have to check, Perplexity is first because the citations are part of the answer, not an afterthought.
Best for
Research questions that need links you can open.
Pricing
Free tier and paid Pro and Max plans on perplexity.ai. The API is usage-based and separate. Confirm current plan prices on the site.
Pricing checked November 7, 2026. Confirm it on the official site.
Before you commit
- A citation can be thin or wrong. Open it.
- Pro features, file uploads, and higher limits are paid.
Also look at
- NotebookLM — Google's notebook that answers from sources you upload.
- Exa — Web search API built for agents and apps.
- ChatGPT — OpenAI's general assistant for drafts, rewrites, and tools.