What is Perplexity AI?
Perplexity AI is a ai productivity tool priced at $20/mo that aims to ai search engine that gives answers, not links. We spent over 40 hours testing it across real-world use cases to bring you this comprehensive review.
In the rapidly evolving ai productivity landscape of 2026, Perplexity AI has positioned itself as a top-tier option. It consistently outperforms competitors in key areas and earns our strong recommendation.
Key Strengths
During our testing, Perplexity AI impressed us in several areas. The core functionality is exceptional — delivering results that matched or exceeded our expectations in virtually every test.
The quality gap between Perplexity AI and competitors is noticeable and consistent. This isnt a marginal improvement — its a genuine step up that justifies the investment.
Where It Falls Short
No tool is perfect, and Perplexity AI has clear limitations. Even at this quality level, there are areas where improvement would be welcome.
The price may give some users pause, and the learning curve means you wont see full value immediately. But stick with it, and the investment pays off.
Pricing & Value
At $20/mo, Perplexity AI represents strong value for the quality delivered. You would need to spend significantly more to find a meaningful upgrade.
Pros & Cons
What We Love
- Core ai productivity capabilities are best-in-class
- Exceptional value at the $20/mo price point
- Sets the standard in the ai productivity category
- Regular updates and active development
Watch Out For
- Minor limitations that dont significantly impact the experience
- Learning curve for new users
- Premium pricing may not suit all budgets
Our Verdict — 8.8/10
Perplexity AI earns a 8.8/10 in our testing. This is one of the best tools in the ai productivity category, and we recommend it without hesitation for anyone who can justify the investment.