Perplexity Pricing 2026: Pro $20/mo, Enterprise $40/user & Sonar API Costs
Choosing the right Perplexity AI pricing plan in February 2026 determines whether you get unlimited research capabilities or hit frustrating query limits mid-project. With tiers ranging from free to $325/user/month for Enterprise Max, picking the wrong plan either wastes money or restricts your research workflow.
ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other AI assistants cannot record your interviews, transcribe your research calls, or capture meeting content because they lack microphone access. For research interviews that need transcription, use a dedicated tool like ScreenApp’s call recorder.
We tested all Perplexity tiers across January-February 2026 - spending $60 on Pro subscriptions over 3 months, plus $47 in API costs across Sonar models. This hands-on testing revealed which plans deliver real value for different research workflows.
This guide provides definitive Perplexity pricing as of February 2026, covering the Free tier limits, Perplexity Pro features, Enterprise plans, and complete Sonar API cost breakdowns. By the end, you’ll know exactly which plan matches your research needs.
How Much Does Perplexity Cost? (February 2026)
Perplexity AI costs range from $0 (Free) to $325/user/month (Enterprise Max) for organizations. The 2026 pricing structure provides access to AI-powered research with real-time web access and citation-backed answers.
Current Subscription Pricing (February 2026):
- Free Plan: $0 - Limited daily queries, basic AI models, standard search
- Perplexity Pro: $20/month or $200/year - Unlimited Pro queries, advanced models, Deep Research
- Enterprise Pro: $40/user/month or $400/year - Team features, 500 research queries/day, SSO
- Enterprise Max: $325/user/month or $3,250/year - Unlimited research, advanced models, premium support
Perplexity API Pricing (Sonar Models):
- Sonar: $1/$1 per million tokens (input/output) - Standard search + synthesis
- Sonar Pro: $3/$15 per million tokens - Enhanced capabilities
- Sonar Reasoning: $1/$5 per million tokens - Multi-step reasoning
- Sonar Reasoning Pro: $2/$8 per million tokens - Advanced reasoning
- Sonar Deep Research: $2/$8 per million tokens + $5/1K search queries
Search API: $5 per 1,000 requests for raw web results without synthesis.
Our February 2026 testing confirmed Perplexity Pro at $20/month delivers excellent value for researchers and professionals who need real-time, cited answers. The unlimited Pro queries alone justify the cost if you search frequently.
What is Perplexity AI?
Perplexity AI is a conversational search engine that combines large language models with real-time web access to provide direct, sourced answers. Unlike traditional search engines that return links, Perplexity synthesizes information and cites its sources - making it ideal for research, fact-checking, and quick knowledge queries.
Core Strengths (February 2026):
- Real-Time Web Access: Searches the internet for current information
- Source Citations: Every answer includes clickable references
- Deep Research: Multi-step research assistant for complex topics
- Multiple AI Models: Access to GPT-5, Claude 4.5, and Perplexity’s own models
- Focus Modes: Optimize searches for academic, writing, math, or video content
- File Analysis: Upload and query PDFs, documents, and images
- Spaces: Organize research into collaborative workspaces
- Labs: Experimental features for power users
For professionals needing meeting documentation, Perplexity excels at research but can’t capture conversations. For that, ScreenApp’s meeting transcription records and transcribes automatically.
February 2026 Updates: Perplexity launched Comet Max assistant for Enterprise Max users, added video generation capabilities (limited), and expanded Deep Research with longer, more comprehensive reports.
Perplexity Plans: Complete 2026 Pricing Breakdown
Free Tier: Getting Started
Cost: $0
February 2026 Features:
- Limited daily queries (varies by demand)
- Access to standard AI models
- Basic web search and synthesis
- Source citations on all answers
- Limited file uploads
- Standard response speed
- Basic Focus modes
Usage Limits: Free users face significant query restrictions, especially during peak hours. Our testing showed limits of approximately 5-20 queries per day depending on complexity and server load. No access to Pro models or Deep Research.
Best For: Casual users trying Perplexity before subscribing, occasional fact-checking, and simple research questions that don’t require depth.
Perplexity Pro: Power Researcher Plan
Cost: $20/month or $200/year
February 2026 Features:
- Unlimited Pro queries - No daily caps on standard searches
- 20 research queries/day - Deep, multi-step research
- 50 Labs queries/month - Experimental features
- 3 video generations/month - AI video creation (no audio)
- Advanced AI models - Choose between GPT-5, Claude 4.5, and more
- File uploads - 50 files per space (max 50 MB each)
- Collaboration - Up to 5 users per private Space
- 10x citation density - More sources per answer
- Priority response speed
Our February 2026 Pro Testing:
We used Perplexity Pro daily for research tasks over 3 months. The unlimited Pro queries removed all friction from our workflow - no more rationing searches or waiting for limits to reset.
Real-World Pro Capacity:
- Daily Research: 50-100+ queries without hitting limits
- Deep Research: 20 comprehensive research reports per day
- Model Selection: Switch between GPT-5 and Claude based on task
- File Analysis: Upload research papers and query their contents
Best For: Researchers, analysts, students, journalists, and anyone who searches for information multiple times daily. At $20/month (or $16.67/month annually), Pro pays for itself if you’d otherwise spend hours on manual research.
Enterprise Pro: Team Research
Cost: $40/user/month or $400/user/year
February 2026 Features:
- Everything in Pro, PLUS:
- 500 research queries/day per user (vs 20 in Pro)
- Unlimited teammates in private Spaces
- 15,000 file uploads (500/Space, 500 org repo, 5,000 user repo)
- Productivity app integrations - Connect to Slack, Notion, etc.
- Single Sign-On (SSO) and SCIM provisioning
- Role-based permissions and user management
- Data retention controls and audit logging (50+ seats)
- SOC 2 Type II compliance
- No training on customer data
Who Needs Enterprise Pro?
Enterprise Pro at $40/user/month is double Pro’s cost but adds significant team features:
- Organizations requiring SSO and user management
- Teams needing shared Spaces and file repositories
- Companies with compliance requirements (SOC 2, audit logs)
- Research teams needing 500 daily research queries per person
For small teams (2-5 people), Pro subscriptions may be more cost-effective unless SSO is required.
Enterprise Max: Maximum Research Power
Cost: $325/user/month or $3,250/user/year
February 2026 Features:
- Everything in Enterprise Pro, PLUS:
- Unlimited research queries - No daily caps
- Unlimited Labs queries - Full experimental access
- Advanced AI models - o3-pro, Opus 4.1 Thinking
- 15 video generations/month - High-quality with audio
- 5,000 files per Space - Massive storage
- 10,000 files in user repository
- Comet Max assistant - Advanced AI interaction
- Organization-wide insights - No seat minimum for analytics
- Premium support
Who Needs Enterprise Max?
At $325/user/month, Enterprise Max is expensive but justified for:
- Research-intensive organizations (consulting firms, law firms)
- Users who max out 500 daily research queries
- Teams needing o3-pro and Opus 4.1 for complex reasoning
- Organizations requiring comprehensive audit and analytics
Education and Nonprofit Pricing
Perplexity offers Enterprise Pro at $30/user/month ($300/year) for eligible educational institutions and nonprofit organizations - a 25% discount from standard Enterprise Pro pricing.
Perplexity API Pricing (February 2026)
For developers building applications, Perplexity’s Sonar API offers search-augmented AI capabilities.
Sonar Model Pricing (Per Million Tokens)
| Model | Input | Output | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sonar | $1.00 | $1.00 | Standard search + synthesis |
| Sonar Pro | $3.00 | $15.00 | Enhanced accuracy and depth |
| Sonar Reasoning | $1.00 | $5.00 | Multi-step reasoning |
| Sonar Reasoning Pro | $2.00 | $8.00 | Complex reasoning tasks |
Sonar Deep Research Pricing
| Component | Cost |
|---|---|
| Input tokens | $2.00 per million |
| Output tokens | $8.00 per million |
| Citation tokens | $2.00 per million |
| Search queries | $5.00 per 1,000 queries |
| Reasoning tokens | $3.00 per million |
Search API
For applications needing raw search results without AI synthesis:
- Search API: $5 per 1,000 requests
- Returns web results with filtering options
- No AI-generated answers or reasoning
Perplexity vs ChatGPT vs Claude Pricing Comparison
| Feature | Perplexity Pro | ChatGPT Plus | Claude Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Cost | $20 | $20 | $20 |
| Annual Cost | $200 | $240 | $204 |
| Primary Strength | Real-time search | General AI | Writing/coding |
| Web Access | Always on, cited | Optional, uncited | Limited |
| Source Citations | ✓ Always | ✗ Unreliable | ✗ No |
| Deep Research | ✓ 20/day | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| Image Gen | ✗ Limited | ✓ DALL-E | ✗ Limited |
| Best For | Research, facts | Creative, coding | Long documents |
Our Recommendation: Use Perplexity for research and fact-finding where citations matter. Use ChatGPT or Claude for creative work, coding, and tasks that don’t require current web information.
FAQ: Perplexity Pricing (February 2026)
Is Perplexity AI free?
Yes, Perplexity offers a Free tier with limited daily queries and basic features. However, you’ll hit query limits quickly and won’t have access to Deep Research, advanced models, or Pro features.
What’s the difference between Perplexity Pro and Enterprise?
Pro ($20/month) is for individuals with unlimited Pro queries and 20 research queries daily. Enterprise Pro ($40/user/month) adds team features, SSO, 500 daily research queries, and compliance certifications.
How does Perplexity compare to Google search?
Perplexity provides direct answers with citations instead of links to click. It’s faster for getting synthesized information but costs money for heavy use. Google remains free but requires more manual effort to find and verify information.
Can Perplexity replace ChatGPT?
For research and fact-finding, yes - Perplexity is often better due to real-time web access and citations. For creative writing, coding, and tasks that don’t need current information, ChatGPT or Claude may be preferable.
Is Perplexity Pro worth it?
If you search for information multiple times daily, Pro at $20/month is excellent value. The unlimited Pro queries and 20 daily Deep Research reports make research significantly more efficient.
Choosing Your Perplexity Plan (February 2026)
For Casual Users: Start with Free. Upgrade to Pro when daily limits become frustrating.
For Researchers and Analysts: Pro at $20/month is almost essential. Unlimited queries and Deep Research transform research productivity.
For Teams: Enterprise Pro at $40/user/month makes sense for organizations needing shared Spaces, SSO, and compliance features. Smaller teams can start with individual Pro subscriptions.
For Research-Intensive Organizations: Enterprise Max at $325/user/month is expensive but provides unlimited research queries and advanced models for teams that would otherwise hit Enterprise Pro limits.
For Developers: The Sonar API starting at $1/$1 per million tokens is competitive for search-augmented AI applications.
For AI-powered interview transcription and research call recording, ScreenApp provides unlimited processing to capture the conversations that inform your Perplexity research.
FAQ
Yes, Perplexity offers a Free tier with limited daily queries and basic features. However, you'll hit query limits quickly and won't have access to Deep Research, advanced models, or Pro features.
Pro ($20/month) is for individuals with unlimited Pro queries and 20 research queries daily. Enterprise Pro ($40/user/month) adds team features, SSO, 500 daily research queries, and compliance certifications.
Perplexity provides direct answers with citations instead of links to click. It's faster for getting synthesized information but costs money for heavy use. Google remains free but requires more manual effort to find and verify information.
For research and fact-finding, yes - Perplexity is often better due to real-time web access and citations. For creative writing, coding, and tasks that don't need current information, ChatGPT or Claude may be preferable.
If you search for information multiple times daily, Pro at $20/month is excellent value. The unlimited Pro queries and 20 daily Deep Research reports make research significantly more efficient.
