Perplexity vs. ChatGPT: AI Strengths & Lawsuits

Perplexity AI excels at cited, real-time research, while ChatGPT is stronger for writing, coding, and creative tasks. Both platforms offer an entry-level paid tier at $20 per month, but they provide different value for that price. Perplexity is currently facing copyright lawsuits from several publishers, including CNN and The New York Times. Meanwhile, ChatGPT's primary issue is inconsistent web search behavior. Students can get a better deal with Perplexity's Education Pro, which costs $10 per month and focuses on citation-heavy research. ChatGPT's share of AI chatbot web traffic has declined, moving from 87% in early 2025 to about 64% by mid-2026. Perplexity is one of the tools gaining traction, having crossed 100 million monthly active users. The bottom line is that your choice depends on your specific needs, whether it's detailed, sourced information or creative content generation.