Shortlist by what you need
Start here if you know why you are leaving Perplexity AI.
Want the closest match?
You.comMost similar to Perplexity AI in what it does, its category and its price.
Visit (opens You.com in a new tab)Need a free plan?
Duck.aiHas a free plan, rated 4.3 out of 5.
Visit (opens Duck.ai in a new tab)Want to pay less than Perplexity AI?
iAskFrom $12/mo, against from $20/mo for Perplexity AI.
Visit (opens iAsk in a new tab)Want the best rated?
FeloRated 4.1 out of 5 in our review, against 4.6 for Perplexity AI.
Visit (opens Felo in a new tab)
At a glance
Green means better than Perplexity AI, red means worse. Prices are starting prices per month.
| Tool | Our rating | Starts at | Free plan | Best for | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Perplexity AIBaseline | 4.6 | $20/mo | Yes | The AI answer engine most competitors measure themselves against | |
| You.com | 4.2−0.4 | $15/mo$5 less | Yes | An early mover in AI search, now with a choice of models | vs Perplexity AI |
| Felo | 4.1−0.5 | $14/mo$6 less | Yes | AI search that builds you a slide deck, not just an answer | vs Perplexity AI |
 Cody by Meetcody | 4.0−0.6 | $29/mo$9 more | Yes | Cody trains an AI employee on a company's documents, websites, and files so it can answer staff and customer questions with cited sources. | vs Perplexity AI |
| iAsk | 4.1−0.5 | $12/mo$8 less | Yes | Leads with self-reported benchmark scores as its main pitch | vs Perplexity AI |
 Andi | 4.0−0.6 | Free | Yes | A conversational answer instead of a page of blue links | vs Perplexity AI |
| Duck.ai | 4.3−0.3 | Free | Yes | Private AI chat from DuckDuckGo with several models and no account needed | vs Perplexity AI |
The alternatives in detail
In order of how closely each one matches Perplexity AI.
You.com
4.2$15/mo
vs Perplexity AI$5 less−0.4
An early mover in AI search, now with a choice of models.
- Choice of underlying AI models for search and chat
- App-generation and lightweight agent features
- Search-first design predating most current competitors
Genuine model choice within a search-focused tool
Faces direct competition from better-funded, more recently launched search rivals
Felo
4.1$14/mo
vs Perplexity AI$6 less−0.5
AI search that builds you a slide deck, not just an answer.
- AI search with source citations
- Built-in Slides feature for presentation generation
- Multilingual search and creation support
Presentation generation built directly into search is a genuine differentiator
Newer company with a shorter track record than established competitors
Cody by Meetcody
4.0$29/mo
vs Perplexity AI$9 more−0.6
Cody trains an AI employee on a company's documents, websites, and files so it can answer staff and customer questions with cited sources.
- Knowledge base built from uploaded files or crawled websites
- Source citations attached to every answer
- Website chat widget and Slack deployment
Answers cite their source document, reducing hallucinated claims
Shares a name with unrelated AI tools, including Sourcegraph's coding assistant, risking confusion
iAsk
4.1$12/mo
vs Perplexity AI$8 less−0.5
Leads with self-reported benchmark scores as its main pitch.
- Search grounded in cited, authoritative sources
- Self-reported high scores on MMLU-Pro and GPQA benchmarks
- Document analysis and image generation included
Source citations support verifying answers directly
Benchmark leadership claims are self-reported, worth independently verifying
Andi
4.0Free
vs Perplexity AI−0.6
A conversational answer instead of a page of blue links.
- Conversational search results instead of a link list
- Ad-free, non-tracking search model
- Source citations for every answer
Genuinely ad-free and privacy-respecting search model
Smaller company with less brand recognition than major search engines
Duck.ai
4.3Free
vs Perplexity AI−0.3
Private AI chat from DuckDuckGo with several models and no account needed.
- Chat with several AI models from different providers in one interface
- No account needed to start chatting
- Requests are anonymized: DuckDuckGo removes identifying data such as your IP address before sending them to providers
Genuine anonymized access removes the need for separate provider accounts
Daily message limits on the free tier restrict heavy use
FAQ
Questions people ask
Is Perplexity AI free?
Perplexity AI has a free plan, and paid plans start from $20/mo.
What is the best free alternative to Perplexity AI?
Duck.ai is the highest-rated alternative here with a free plan (4.3 out of 5). Other free options: You.com, Felo, iAsk.
What is the cheapest alternative to Perplexity AI?
Among paid plans, iAsk has the lowest starting price (from $12/mo). If you need it free, start with Duck.ai.
How did you pick these alternatives?
We match tools on what they do, their category and their price, using the details in our directory. Ratings come from our reviews and reader reviews.