perplexity vs searchgpt
Perplexity vs SearchGPT — features, pricing, and which to choose for your SEO workflow in 2026.
Quick Verdict
Two AI search giants are reshaping how we find information online. Perplexity pioneered the AI search category in 2022, building a dedicated platform around cited, synthesized answers. SearchGPT launched in 2024 as OpenAI's answer to Google, integrating real-time web search directly into ChatGPT's familiar interface.
The choice between them often comes down to workflow preference. Perplexity is purpose-built for research and discovery, while SearchGPT uses the conversational power of ChatGPT for search tasks. For SEO professionals, both represent critical platforms where your content needs visibility in this new AI-powered search space.
Feature Comparison
Perplexity excels at deep research with its Collections feature for organizing searches, Follow-up suggestions that guide exploration, and Pro Search mode that uses multiple AI models for complex queries. Its Focus modes let you search specific sources like Academic papers, YouTube, or Reddit. The platform also offers Spaces for team collaboration and detailed source attribution with clickable citations. SearchGPT integrates smoothly with ChatGPT's conversational abilities, letting you ask follow-up questions naturally within the same thread. It provides real-time web results with AI summaries, though its source citation is less detailed than Perplexity's. SearchGPT's strength lies in combining search with ChatGPT's reasoning capabilities — you can search for information then immediately ask it to analyze, rewrite, or create content based on those findings. The key difference: Perplexity is optimized for research discovery, while SearchGPT is optimized for research-to-action workflows.
Pricing Comparison
Both platforms offer solid free tiers, but their paid plans target different users. Perplexity Pro costs $20/month and includes unlimited Pro Search queries (which use Claude, GPT-4, and other advanced models), file uploads, and API credits. For heavy researchers, this represents excellent value given the quality of sources and citations. SearchGPT comes bundled with ChatGPT Plus at $20/month, which also includes access to GPT-4, DALL-E, and other OpenAI tools. If you're already using ChatGPT for content creation, adding search capability for the same price is compelling. However, standalone search users might find Perplexity's dedicated features more valuable.
Best For
Perplexity is better when you need dedicated research capabilities, detailed source citations for content creation, or collaborative research workflows. SEO professionals who regularly conduct competitor research, trend analysis, or need to cite sources will find its Focus modes and Collections invaluable. SearchGPT is better when you want search integrated into existing ChatGPT workflows, prefer conversational interfaces, or need to quickly move from research to content creation. It's ideal for users who already rely on ChatGPT and want to add real-time information without switching platforms.
The Verdict
Perplexity wins for dedicated SEO and content research. Its superior source attribution, specialized search modes, and research-focused features make it the better tool for professional information gathering. SearchGPT is more convenient if you're already embedded in the ChatGPT ecosystem, but Perplexity's purpose-built approach delivers more value for serious search tasks.