Perplexity

Perplexity is an AI-powered search and research platform that answers queries with cited sources rather than a list of links. It is used for real-time research, fact-checking, competitive analysis, and academic study by individuals, researchers, and business teams. Perplexity's model stack is multi-provider, drawing on models from Anthropic, OpenAI, Mistral, and others depending on query type and user selection.

Deep Research, Perplexity's long-form research capability, has been upgraded to run on Claude Opus 4.6, reflecting improved benchmark performance for complex multi-step research tasks. Deep Research conducts autonomous web searches, synthesizes findings across multiple sources, and produces structured reports with inline citations — suitable for tasks that would otherwise require hours of manual research. The Claude Opus 4.6 upgrade improves the depth of analysis and the quality of synthesis on complex technical and business research topics.

Personal Computer for Mac is a native Mac application that extends Perplexity beyond search into agentic computer control. It can interact with on-screen content, automate desktop tasks, and respond to natural language instructions that require operating the computer itself. Importantly, the feature is available to all users — not restricted to Pro subscribers — making it one of the most broadly available agentic computer-control products in the market.

Microsoft Teams integration brings Perplexity into enterprise collaboration environments. Users can access Perplexity search and the computer agent capability directly within the Teams application, enabling research and automation within enterprise communication workflows without leaving the Teams interface.

Finance tools include an ETF holdings tab that displays portfolio composition data directly in Perplexity search results, useful for investors and analysts researching fund exposure. Study tools on the iOS app generate quizzes and flashcards from any content — articles, documents, or pages — for spaced-repetition learning.

Perplexity is free for standard use. The Pro plan is $20 per month and adds Deep Research on Claude Opus 4.6, model selection, and higher usage limits. Perplexity is best for researchers, students, finance professionals, and teams who need cited, real-time answers with agentic computer capabilities.