Perplexity is free with limits, and Pro costs $20 a month

Yes, Perplexity is free. The Free plan costs $0 and, according to Perplexity's plan comparison in its help center, gives you basic searches with practically no cap, plus 3 Pro Searches a day and 1 Research query a month. Paid plans start at $20 a month, as of October 27, 2026.

Whether Perplexity is free depends on what you want from it. Quick answers with citations cost nothing. The stronger models, image generation and heavy research do not.

What you get on the Free plan

The help center lists these Free features, as read on October 27, 2026:

• Search history.
• Practically unlimited basic searches.
• A limited number of Pro Searches: 3 per day.
• 1 Research query per month.
• Automatic model selection, and limited basic file uploads.

It lists what Free leaves out: advanced AI models, image generation and premium support. File and app creation is not included either.

One detail does not line up. Perplexity's pricing page describes Free as "good for limited daily usage" in one place and as having "limited weekly usage" in the FAQ. The help center article is the one with specific numbers, so those are the figures used here. Limits can change, so check your account's usage page.

How much Perplexity costs

Perplexity's pricing post of October 13, 2026 lists these prices in US dollars, as of October 2026:

The pricing page, read on October 27, 2026, shows Pro at $17 a month and Max at $167 a month when billed annually. A help center article on Max gives Max as $200 a month or $2,000 a year, with annual billing only in the web app.

What Pro adds

According to the help center, Pro gives extended Pro Search, access to current models from several labs, image generation, limited video generation, higher upload limits, extended Research and access to creating files and apps. Pro limits are weekly for Pro Search and monthly for Research, set for "average use". Perplexity does not publish the exact numbers on the plan comparison page.

New Pro subscribers also get a one-time bonus of 4,000 credits that expire in about 30 days, per the credits article. Credits pay for Computer, Perplexity's agent feature. In that article, 100 credits cost $1.

Is there a student discount?

Yes. The plan comparison lists Education Pro at $10 a month after you verify as a student or faculty member through SheerID. It includes everything in Pro.

What to check before you pay

Cancellations and downgrades take effect at the end of the billing cycle. Refund windows depend on where you live: 14 days in the EU, UK and Turkey, 7 days in South Korea and Brazil, and 24 hours for monthly or 48 hours for annual plans elsewhere, according to the Max help article. Check the current terms for your plan before you buy.