Perplexity vs ChatGPT

🔥 published November 22, 2023 - updated May 22, 2024

Quick Overview

Who will stand the ground in terms of academic writing: Perplexity or ChatGPT? Obviously, both services are extremely popular and deserve their moment of glory. This was reflected in our Perplexity AI review and mystery shopping experiments, as each of the platforms finished with impressive results. However, they scored differently in the quality of the paper, and although ChatGPT’s essay was a bit better, it didn’t secure enough points for the tool overall.

Liked about ChatGPT
  • High quality of essays
  • Quick text creation
  • Advanced AI model
Liked about Perplexity
  • No text generation limits
  • Slick interface
  • Variety of helpful features
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An infographic with a short Perplexity vs ChatGPTcomparison describing the ways these 2 services were tested and how the winner was picked
 PerplexityChatGPT
Best fit forStudents who are constantly working with lots of references and materials when writing.People who need a simple yet effective tool to help with content creation.
A*Help Score⭐⭐⭐⭐
87.9/100
⭐⭐⭐⭐
77.1/100
Paper Quality⭐⭐⭐⭐
Perplexity AI writes proper academic assignments, reaching high levels of clarity and objectivity.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
ChatGPT quickly created a high-quality paper with almost perfect scores, although the efficiency of it could be higher.
Overall Experience⭐⭐⭐⭐
Perplexity AI provides users with writing help and a convenient interface to make the whole process quicker. 
⭐⭐⭐⭐
ChatGPT was easy to use and provided an amazing customer experience.
Value for Money⭐⭐⭐⭐
Perplexity AI is a completely free-to-use tool, which also has paid plans for more services.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
ChatGPT has free and paid versions, both of which provide users with quality AI assistance.

Imagine having a writing partner that’s available anytime, equipped with vast knowledge and creativity. This is where services like Perplexity AI and ChatGPT shine as essay writing aids. Perplexity AI stands out for its ability to delve deeply into a wide range of topics, offering insightful and detailed content. ChatGPT, on the other hand, is famous for its conversational style and versatility, adapting to various writing needs with ease. Both tools are equipped with advanced AI technology to assist you in crafting essays, whether for academic purposes or other reasons. We decided to put them to the test and see what’s the difference between Perplexity and ChatGPT.

Perplexity vs ChatGPT: Which Is Better? 

From the perspective of the most important grading criteria, paper quality, ChatGPT edges out Perplexity with a score of 88.9 compared to Perplexity’s 76.9. ChatGPT’s essay impressed with its thorough document formatting, achieving high marks in spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Specifically, it scored 91% in mechanics, with 100% in spelling and notable scores in grammar and punctuation. However, it could improve in reasoning and logic, where it scored 79%. 

Perplexity also performed well, particularly in mechanics, with a score of 91% (spelling 100%, grammar 75%, punctuation 92%). However, the essay was a bit short, which impacted its length score (87%). Perplexity’s reasoning and logic were slightly better at 85%, but it faced challenges with efficiency. Overall, while both tools provide a solid command of the language, ChatGPT is better in formatting and overall mechanics, giving it a slight edge in paper quality.

 ChatGPTPerplexity
Paper Grade88.9/100 pts79.9/100 pts
Spelling100%100%
Grammar86%75%
Word Choice82%95%
Punctuation96%92%
Clarity89%96%
Objectivity94%97%
Efficiency51%51%
Acuity82%97%

Comparing Value for Money: Perplexity vs ChatGPT

Both services offer a free plan and substantial value at the $20 per month price point for the “Plus” at ChatGPT and the “Professional” plan from Perplexity. ChatGPT is suitable for those who prefer customization capabilities. It is ideal for users requiring sophisticated AI interactions and creative outputs. For example, it offers exclusive access to its proprietary models and the ability to create custom GPTs, which may be helpful for some recurrent tasks. 

Perplexity is rich in additional features that students should enjoy using. For example, research assistance and the possibility to create in-text citations, in our opinion, enhance Perplexity’s value compared to OpenAI’s product. What we see as a downside in both cases is that neither grammar check nor plagiarism detection services are included regardless of the plan package.

To sum up, both platforms offer similar subscription models, but they have different strengths and shared weaknesses. On the one hand, ChatGPT’s superior document formatting and overall higher paper quality make it a more attractive option. But on the other hand, Perplexity’s service package seems to fit students’ needs a little better.

A screenshot of perplexity AI Subscription Plans
Perplexity AI Subscription Plans (click here to see a large image)
A screenshot of ChatGPT Pricing
ChatGPT Pricing (click here to see a large image)
SubscriptionsPerplexityChatGPT
Daily plan
Monthly Plan$20/month$20/month
Annual Billing$200/year
Free Trial

Comparing Overall Experience: Perplexity vs ChatGPT

Both ChatGPT and Perplexity offer easy registration processes that only require an email and don’t ask for anything else. ChatGPT does not support third-party registration methods such as Apple, Facebook, Google, or Microsoft accounts, which might not be convenient for users preferring these options. 

In terms of website experience, we didn’t have any difficulties working with the tools. Both services provide an aesthetic interface and easy-to-use platforms. However, ChatGPT offers a simpler essay creation flow, whereas Perplexity does not. When it comes to the time needed for text creation, ChatGPT is faster, generating essays in 30 seconds to 2 minutes, compared to Perplexity’s up to 5 minutes. The time varies depending on the word count. Speaking of which – both services have no word count limits. 

Regarding support systems, ChatGPT provides both guides and support services, whereas Perplexity offers guides but no direct support chat or phone services, instead relying on a Discord server for support.

In conclusion, ChatGPT works quicker and has an easier essay generation flow and direct support services, making it potentially more efficient and user-friendly for those who need quick and straightforward text creation with accessible support. Perplexity, on the other hand, allows users to try the service before registering and accepts an additional payment method, which may appeal to users seeking flexibility and a trial option before committing. Both services have strengths, and the choice depends on specific user preferences. 

A screenshot of Perplexity dashboard
Perplexity Dashboard (click here to see a large image)
A screenshot of the dashboard at ChatGPT
Dashboard at ChatGPT (click here to see a large image)
PerplexityChatGPT
Value For Money22/2516/25
Price7/76/7
Services6/83/8
Text Creation Options4/44/4

The Verdict

It was a tough decision between the two tools. However, the one that came out on top is Perplexity AI! With its high-quality essays and features handy for most academic purposes, it surely can become your go-to choice when puzzled with an annoying assignment. 

Main Specs

 PerplexityChatGPT
> Website experience  
Aesthetic Interface
Easy-to-use platform
Simple Essay creation flow
Trying before registration
Full time to generate essay5 minutes2 minutes
Wordcount limitsNoneNone
> Support  
Guides
Support chat/phone
> Services  
AI chat
Research assistant
In-text citations
Reference finder
MLA and APA Citations
Grammar check
Plagcheck
> Subscriptions & Limits  
Daily
Weekly
Monthly
$20/month
$20
Annually 
$200/year
> Free trial  
Free trial/plan
Limits7 days with yearly subscriptionGPT 3.5 is free of charge
> Text Creation Options  
Generate
Rewrite
Rephrase
Summarize
> Text Formatting  
FormatSimple textNone
OutlineCan be addedCan be done
StructureParagraph structureParagraph structure
ReferencesNoneNone
FormattingCan be asked but doesn’t really workCan be done
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