Two premium answers to different questions. OpenAI sells scaling frontier reasoning; Perplexity sells unlimited verified research at a flat $200. If you're considering either, you already know which question your month is full of — this page is the sanity check.
ChatGPT Pro now starts at $100/mo (5× Plus usage), with GPT-5.5 pro mode and 250 Deep Research runs arriving at $200. Perplexity Max is a flat $200/mo for unlimited cited research with top models underneath. Thinkers → Pro; researchers → Max.
By OpenAI. Full ChatGPT profile →
By Perplexity AI. Full Perplexity profile →
Best for: Everyday writing, brainstorming, image generation, casual coding
Weakness: Output quality varies between model tiers; pricing tiers can confuse
From $0 (free)/mo. Top tier: $500/mo.
Best for: Research with verifiable sources, fact-checking, exploring unfamiliar topics
Weakness: Less suited for creative writing or open-ended chat
From $0 (free)/mo. Top tier: $200/mo.
Pick ChatGPT Pro to think with fewer limits: $100 buys 5× Plus usage and Codex; $200 adds 10× usage (down from 20× for new subscribers), GPT-5.5 pro mode and 250 Deep Research runs. The strongest generalist tier on the market.
Pick Perplexity Max to research without limits: unlimited advanced-model searches (GPT-5.6, Claude Opus 5 under the hood), unlimited Labs, every answer cited. It's a research department subscription, flat at $200.
Deep problem-solving and creation → ChatGPT Pro (start at $100). High-volume verifiable research → Perplexity Max ($200 flat).
Only for professionals whose daily output is research: analysts, journalists, consultants hitting Pro's caps. Unlimited Opus 5-backed cited search is genuinely unique — but Perplexity Pro at $20 already covers 300+ searches a day.
Yes — 250 Deep Research runs a month at the $200 tier, plus 20× Plus usage of GPT-5.6 Sol. What it lacks vs Perplexity is the citation-first live-search workflow.
Run both mid tiers: ChatGPT Plus + Perplexity Pro is $40/month total, or step up to ChatGPT Pro's $100 entry tier before jumping to either $200 plan.