Independent AI buying guide
No paid rankings
Last checked 26 Oct 2026
Head to head
ChatGPT or Perplexity? Compared on independent test scores, prices and free plans. Every price links to its source, and we re-check everything every week.
The short answer
Calculated from independent tests
Higher scores
ChatGPT
ChatGPT scores higher in all 4 topics where we can compare both.
Cheaper
ChatGPT
The cheapest paid plans: ChatGPT Go at $8/mo, and Perplexity Pro at $17/mo, billed yearly. ChatGPT is the cheaper way in.
Better free plan
—
Only ChatGPT has a free plan with test scores.
Each tool's best subscription per topic, scored out of 100. Higher wins; a tie is a tie.
| Topic | ChatGPT | Perplexity |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 92 (higher)Plus · GPT-6 Astra | 82Pro · Gemini 3.1 Pro |
| Coding | 94Plus · GPT-6 Astra | Not ranked here |
| Writing | 87Plus · GPT-5.6 Sol | Not ranked here |
| Research & search | 98 (higher)Plus · GPT-6 Astra | 89Pro · Gemini 3.1 Pro |
| Maths & hard problems | 98 (higher)Plus · GPT-6.1 Sol | 89Pro · Claude Sonnet 4.6 |
| Studying | 94 (higher)Plus · GPT-6.1 Sol | 89Pro · Gemini 3.1 Pro |
| Business & office | 94Plus · GPT-5.6 Sol | Not ranked here |
Only ChatGPT has a free plan with test scores.
| Topic | ChatGPT free | Perplexity free |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 72GPT-5.6 Terra | No scores |
| Coding | 68GPT-5.6 Terra | No scores |
| Writing | 69GPT-5.6 Terra | No scores |
| Research & search | 66GPT-6 Luna | No scores |
| Maths & hard problems | 82GPT-5.6 Terra | No scores |
| Studying | 78GPT-5.6 Terra | No scores |
| Business & office | 80GPT-5.6 Terra | No scores |
Every plan we track, with the official source and the date we checked it.
Opinion, not test scores: how each one feels to use.
The all-rounder most people already know. Good at almost everything, rarely the very best at one thing.
Reviewed 7 Oct 2026
A search engine that answers instead of listing links. Great for research, less so for writing or coding projects.
Reviewed 7 Oct 2026
Scores come from independent benchmarks, the same ones behind our rankings. Read how we rank for the formula.