Much of the credit for the boom in artificial intelligence goes to OpenAI, as it has opened doors for other companies. Perplexity is based on OpenAI’s GPT technology but is specially trained to be a chatbot.
With this in mind, let’s pit the two against each other in various categories (such as base technology, response quality and stability) to determine who is better trained to be your virtual chatting/research assistant.
1. Technology (GPT-3 vs GPT-4)
The difference in language models is immediately where things get interesting. The free version of ChatGPT gives you access to GPT-3.5, a larger language model that most of us are now familiar with. Upgrading to the Plus version gives you access to GPT-4, a more powerful language model than its predecessor.
By default, Perplexity AI does not use the GPT-4 language model. Instead it uses GPT-3. However, you can get access to GPT-4 with Perplexity if you decide to sign up. You can access GPT-4 in Perplexity using copilot mode, if you decide to do so.
This copilot mode is powered by the GPT-4, but you’re limited to five signals every four hours. ChatGPT Plus also has a similar restriction, as you are limited to 25 signals every three hours.
2. Functionality
ChatGPT and Perplexity are conversational AI tools, but they differ in functionality due to differences in design philosophies. ChatGPT is your traditional AI chatbot, but ChatGPT Plus Edition takes it further. You can now install and use plugins and access the new web browsing mode.
Browsing mode lets you access the Internet from within ChatGPT, while plugins can help you solve real-world problems. For example, you can generate Spotify playlists using the PlaylistAI plugin, interact with Gmail using Zapier, or summarize articles with the help of Link Reader.
Perplexity AI is a search engine that provides suggestions and sources to answer your questions. It is designed to search the web in real time to provide you with the latest information on various topics. The new GPT-4 powered Copilot feature is also useful as it can guide your search experience with interactive input to craft personalized responses.
Both of these are useful AI tools for completely different purposes. Perplexity is a great free tool for doing research, while ChatGPT can help you summarize that research and make it presentable.
3. Pricing
ChatGPT Plus charges $20/month for its services (which may not sound like a lot to many people). On the other hand, Perplexity is available completely free of cost and seems to be quite aggressive with its business model. Of course, it may try to monetize the service in the future.
You can also use the free version of ChatGPT. This works well enough but doesn’t give you access to GPT-4. OpenAI is spending a lot of money on maintaining their chatbot, so they have to monetize it somehow.
Again, ChatGPT Plus is still worth the money, especially if you want access to GPT-4 and priority access to new features. There’s no clear winner here, as Perplexity is also worth a try, as it’s free.
4. Reactions
To compare performance in terms of responses, we conducted a series of tests between the two chatbots. We posed the same questions for both language models for better analysis.
Tests showed that ChatGPT Plus consistently outperformed Perplexity by providing detailed and clear responses. Also, it demonstrated better ability to give reasoned and detailed answers.
Confusion produced good quality responses but lacked the level of clarity and detail displayed by ChatGPT Plus. Although the answers may not be detailed, they are still accurate. You’ll often find that Perplexity is great at finding sources that help you find the right answer.
5. Supported Platforms
ChatGPT Plus has a paid version and a huge user base, most of whom access ChatGPT through a web interface. You can try using ChatGPT from your iOS or Android device, and there is now an official ChatGPT iOS app.
Perplexity is also available on the web, but also as an app for iPhone users. This means you have easy access to one of the most powerful search engines right from your pocket. Unfortunately, there is no Android version of the app yet.
The Perplexity app also has a voice command feature that allows users to send prompts hands-free. Although there are many ways to control ChatGPT Plus with your voice, there is no official feature that can help you do so.
6. Speed and Stability
Perplexity AI is much faster than any other chatbot or AI search engine.
