AI AND SOFTWARE
Perplexity
Research
A research engine I use instead of a search box: ask a real question, get a sourced answer with links I can verify.
- Pricing
- Free tier is usable; Pro around $20/month for the stronger models and more Pro searches.
- Best for
- Anyone who researches more than they browse and wants sources attached to every claim.
Why I use it
Most of my searching is research, not navigation — comps for a domain, how a registrar handles transfers, whether a library still ships. Perplexity answers with citations, so I can jump straight to the source and judge it myself.
How I use it
- Market and competitor checks before I price a domain or pitch a build.
- Fast technical triage: error strings, changelogs, migration notes.
- Drafting a factual outline that I rewrite in my own voice afterwards.
I never publish anything from it without opening the sources first.
What works
- + Answers come with citations you can check
- + Fast follow-up questions keep context
- + Good at recent, time-sensitive information
What doesn’t
- − Still summarises — verify anything that matters
- − Long-form writing is weaker than a dedicated model
- − Free tier limits the best models
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Disclosure: links marked “Affiliate” may earn me a commission if you sign up. Nothing is listed because of that — every item here is something I use in a normal working week.