Perplexity is an AI search engine that reads the web and gives you a synthesized answer with numbered citations. I use it whenever I need to research something current — comparing approaches, getting up to speed on a new domain, or finding sources I can actually trace. Pro ($20/month) adds Deep Research mode which iteratively searches and refines over 2-4 minutes, scoring 93.9% on SimpleQA.

The caveat worth remembering: those citations feel like proof but the sources can be wrong, and the synthesis can misrepresent them. A confidently cited wrong answer is harder to catch than an uncited one. "Cited" and "true" aren't the same thing — the model only works if you actually click through.

I use Claude for creative and analytical work. Perplexity for grounded research with sources.