Perplexity Deep Research
By Perplexity AI · Updated 2026
What It Actually Is
Perplexity observed something obvious that everyone else missed: people don't just want answers —
they want to know why those are the answers. Every claim comes with inline citations and
source links. It's the difference between a friend who says "I heard somewhere that..." and a
researcher who says "According to this paper, published by these people, on this date..."
The Deep Research tier takes this further. It doesn't just search and summarize — it conducts
multi-step investigations. Ask it a complex question, and it plans a research strategy, queries
multiple sources, cross-references the results using multiple AI models (including Claude and GPT),
and assembles a comprehensive report. It's essentially a research assistant who works in minutes
instead of days.
Key Strengths
- Citation-first philosophy: Every answer includes inline citations with
clickable source links. You can verify any claim instantly.
- Multi-model research: Pro mode cross-references answers using multiple AI
models — not just one model's perspective, but a consensus view.
- Deep Research mode: State-of-the-art on deep-research benchmarks. Multi-step
investigations that would take a human researcher hours.
- Real-time information: Unlike ChatGPT or Claude, Perplexity searches the live
web for every query. No knowledge cutoff problem.
- Collections: Organize research into persistent collections you can share and
build upon over time.
What Sets It Apart
- Arena Elo — 1,162 (#9 Search)Crowdsourced blind comparisons on arena.ai Search leaderboard with 183K+ votes. Ranks #9 across 19 search models — behind Google and OpenAI but competitive.
- Source attribution — Inline citationsEvery factual claim is linked to a verifiable source. You can check any answer with one click — the opposite of hallucination.
- Deep Research — 50+ sources per reportExtended research mode synthesizes information from dozens of web pages, papers, and articles into structured reports with full citation chains.
Honest Limitations
- Subscription tiers: The best Deep Research stack is gated to higher tiers
($20/mo Pro, $200/mo Enterprise). Heavy research sessions quickly become a subscription
decision.
- Source quality variation: It cites sources, but not all sources are created
equal. A Reddit comment and a peer-reviewed paper both get citations — buyer beware.
- Not conversational: It's optimized for research queries, not back-and-forth
dialogue. For creative writing or coding, use a different tool.
The Verdict: If your work requires verifiable information — journalism, academic
research, market analysis, due diligence — Perplexity is indispensable. The citation model isn't
just a feature; it's a fundamentally different philosophy about what an AI answer should look
like.
Google Search — AI Mode
By Google · Powered by Gemini 3
What It Actually Is
For 25 years, Google Search gave you ten blue links and wished you luck. AI Mode is Google's attempt
at something bolder: a search engine that actually answers your question, follows up with
relevant sub-questions, and guides you through complex topics like a knowledgeable tutor.
Powered by Gemini 3, AI Mode transforms traditional search into a conversational research session.
Ask about the best hiking trails in Patagonia, and instead of links to travel blogs, you get a
synthesized answer with follow-up suggestions: "Would you like to know about the difficulty level?
The best time of year? Gear recommendations?" It's Google wearing a tutor's hat.
Key Strengths
- World's largest search index: Built on top of Google's unmatched web index. No
other search tool can access this breadth of information.
- Conversational flow: Follow-up questions feel natural. The AI maintains context
across a multi-turn research session.
- Free: No subscription required. The AI features are integrated directly into
regular Google Search.
- Ubiquitous access: Available everywhere Google Search works — desktop, mobile,
Chrome, Android, iOS. No separate app needed.
- Shopping and local integration: AI overviews for products and local businesses
include real pricing, reviews, and availability.
What Sets It Apart
- Arena Elo — 1,224 (#1 Search)Gemini-powered Google Search holds #1 on arena.ai Search leaderboard with 183K+ votes across 19 models. The largest crowdsourced search quality test.
- Index size — Largest in the worldDraws from Google's complete search index — web pages, scholarly articles, images, videos, maps, and the Knowledge Graph simultaneously.
- Freshness — Real-time web dataUnlike models with knowledge cutoffs, Google AI Search accesses live web data. Critical for time-sensitive queries about news, events, or current pricing.
Honest Limitations
- Confident errors: AI overview answers can be confidently wrong. They've been
gamed by scammers and have produced factually incorrect answers that looked authoritative.
Always click through to the sources for anything high-stakes.
- SEO contamination: The underlying web pages the AI draws from are themselves
increasingly AI-generated, creating a potential feedback loop of machine-generated "facts."
- Publisher concerns: By answering questions directly, AI Mode reduces clicks to
source websites — the same publishers whose content trains the AI. The sustainability tension is
real.
The Verdict: The most accessible AI research tool on the planet — because it's
just Google with a smarter hat. For casual research and quick fact-finding, it's unbeatable. For
anything where accuracy matters, verify the sources. The AI is a starting point, not the final
word.