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Yes, Perplexity is free for basic searches with cited answers, with no end date. The parts it advertises are rationed: 3 Pro Searches a day and 1 Research report a month. You cannot pick a model or generate images, and the Comet browser's agent does not run on the free plan.
Stay on the free plan if you want quick answers with sources and need a deeper search only a few times a day, because basic searches are practically unlimited.
Pay if you run research reports every week or want to choose the model yourself, and you accept that Perplexity does not say how many searches $20 buys.
Skip it if you already use ChatGPT or Gemini, since both now search the web and cite sources on their free plans.
prices checked 2026-10-05 · by dan scutaru
| plan | price | what matters |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Practically unlimited basic searches, 3 Pro Searches a day, 1 Research query a month |
| Pro | $20/mo | Model choice, image generation, Research. Limits published only as "weekly limits (average use)". $17/mo equivalent billed annually |
| Education Pro | $10/mo | Everything in Pro, for students and educators verified through SheerID |
| Max | $200/mo | Higher limits, the top models, 10,000 Computer credits a month. $2,000 billed annually |
The everyday search is free and close to uncapped. Perplexity's plan table calls it "practically unlimited basic searches". The numbers start with the modes people sign up for: 3 Pro Searches a day and 1 Research query a month. Its own help page describes the first as a "very limited amount".
Several guides still print 5 Pro Searches a day. That is an older figure. The table Perplexity last edited on October 3, 2026 says 3.
Only if research is a weekly habit. Pro adds a model picker, image generation, Research reports, file creation and Comet Assistant queries. What it does not add is a number. Every Pro limit is listed as "weekly limits (average use)", so you learn the cap when you hit it.
In May 2026 Android Authority reported subscribers running out after a handful of queries a day. Perplexity said the affected accounts were tied to promotional codes. If 3 Pro Searches a day rarely stop you, $20 will not change much.
There is a student price, and it is not zero. Education Pro costs $10 a month after you verify as a student or educator through SheerID, and it includes everything in Pro. Perplexity's help center lists no free student plan today.
If you redeem a promotional or trial subscription through a partner instead, a credit or debit card is required, and it renews at the standard rate unless you cancel before it ends.
The browser is, the agent is not. Perplexity's Comet page says it will always provide a free version that includes Comet, and you can download it for Mac, Windows, iOS and Android.
The reason most people install it is the assistant that clicks through sites for you. In the plan table, "Browser Agent (Comet Assistant) Queries" reads "No" for Free and "monthly limits" for Pro. Work mode in Comet runs Computer, which spends credits at 100 for $1.
$20 a month. The $17 on Perplexity's pricing page is the monthly equivalent when you pay for a year up front. Max is $200 a month.
Perplexity's pricing page lists none today. Trials exist only as partner promotions, and Perplexity says those need a valid card and auto-renew at the standard rate unless you cancel.
Not on the free plan in any way you control. Perplexity picks the model for free users. Pro subscribers can choose from several, including OpenAI's GPT models, Claude and Gemini.
No. Perplexity says Computer is available to users with an active subscription. Paid Pro includes a weekly amount of Computer usage, and after that it runs on credits.