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You may have heard the hype: Perplexity.AI and ChatGPT are some of the most popular AI’s on the market. But where does the hype end and the actual quality begin?
Are you looking for a writing partner? Are you looking for an instructor? Are you looking for another Google? Are you looking for SEO suggestions?
Your answers to those questions can lead you to one of these two AI’s or the other.
Let’s begin the showdown. Perplexity.ai vs ChatGPT
Perplexity
Perplexity functions like Google. It’s really great at discerning the intention of what you want behind the search phrase you type into its engine.
Accuracy is Everything
Accuracy, as the company repeatedly mentions, is extremely important to perplexity. Every single fact claimed in your results includes a citation.
What exactly does Perplexity do?
Perplexity is great if you want to learn anything. Like an encyclopedia with multiple accurate citations getting a result that’s closer to what you ACTUALLY want to know than Google or Wikipedia can manage.
You can use Perplexity for anything there exists a how to guide of lessons for.
Extremely Fast
It’s also extremely fast at delivering results. You click send, and it’ll spit out hundreds of words in a split second.
A New “Google”?
It’s a data processing beast that genuinely tops Google in a lot of ways. It has become my go-to for things I used to search on Google. I only search Google now when I’m specifically looking to browse new websites.
But this isn’t Perplexity vs Google.
This is Perplexity.ai vs ChatGPT and here’s one feature that ChatGPT DOESN’T have.
Perplexity has a “focus” tool that takes its search functionality further.
Precision Research: Unlike traditional search engines that return a massive pool of results, Perplexity AI’s “Focus” allows you to specify where you want your information to come from. You can choose from various sources like:
The Entire Web: Conduct a broad web search for a general overview of a topic.
Academic Writing: Focus on academic journals, scholarly articles, and credible research papers for in-depth knowledge.
Wolfram Alpha: Access computational knowledge and data for factual inquiries and calculations.
YouTube: Search for educational videos and documentaries to gain a multimedia perspective.
Reddit: Explore user discussions and community insights on a specific topic (if enabled by Perplexity AI).
But how does it compare to ChatGPT?
Well, it’s all in the writing.
There’s no creativity to the language of Perplexity results. It is NOT good at taking a prompt and writing something creative for you. And while ChatGPT can actually hold conversations with its users (yep, even philosophical ones), Perplexity is more likely to spit an encyclopedia entry at you.
And that brings us to…
ChatGPT
ChatGPT can help with content creation and fiction writing like nobody’s business. Sales copy, headlines and SEO too. If you want a service that actually writes WITH you and FOR you, ChatGPT is the go-to.
Here’s how it works compared to Perplexity:
Perplexity can TEACH you writing by summarizing lessons and how to’s for you. But it can never write in a tone that isn’t some variation of a professor’s lecture.
ChatGPT excels at processing and responding to prompts in a way that mimics human conversation. It can understand the context of your questions and respond with grammatically correct sentences that flow naturally.
Whether you want to have a casual chat, debate a philosophical topic, or role-play a fictional scenario, ChatGPT can adapt its tone and style to fit the situation.
While it’s not a sentient being, ChatGPT can create a sense of personality in its responses. It can use humor, sarcasm, or even express emotions (within its programming) to make the conversation more engaging.
ChatGPT thrives on open ended prompts that allow it to be creative and explore different avenues in its response. It can build on your ideas and take the conversation in unexpected but interesting directions.
Accuracy is Less Important to ChatGPT
It’s important to note that while ChatGPT excels in conversation, it can sometimes struggle with factual accuracy or go off on tangents. However, its ability to have natural, engaging, and creative conversations is a major strength that makes it a valuable tool for writers, content creators, and anyone who wants to explore the potential of AI for communication.
But yeah: accuracy is a problem for ChatGPT. Very much so, in my experience. So, you do have to verify everything you get out of it. Especially if it’s important or health related.
Perplexity.ai vs ChatGPT: Price Showdown
Perplexity has a tiered pricing structure. The free version allows you to use most of its functions. But upgrading (which is $20 a month or $200 a year) gives you unlimited file uploads, API access, and the option to use advanced AI models like GPT-4.
So, with Perplexity Pro you’ll also be getting some of ChatGPT pro’s features (access to their latest premium version GPT-4).
ChatGPT also has a tiered pricing structure. The free tier uses their older model of AI, ChatGPT 3.5. So, it’s a lesser quality of writing and information than you’d get with their newer model ChatGPT 4.
Their pro model costs more than Perplexity at $49 per month. It allows you to use ChatGPT 4 with enhanced capabilities and the ability to use plug ins. The plug-in usage may matter depending on how much of your business is reliant on ChatGPT.
Personally, I quite like the free version of ChatGPT, so I’m not ponying up the $49 for the enhanced ChatGPT 4. But paying for Perplexity is interesting because it includes ChatGPT 4 at a reduced price along with enhanced Perplexity capabilities.
Which AI is better?
Perplexity.ai vs ChatGPT
How are we judging this?
If it’s based on price: Perplexity AI wins.
If it’s based on accuracy: Perplexity AI wins.
If it’s based on creativity enhancement: ChatGPT wins.
If it’s based on improving AI and human relations, ChatGPT’s conversational ability has Perplexity beat.
If it’s based on importance to humanity, Perplexity delivers accurate, necessary information to the masses. So: Perplexity wins.
But it’s all about what you really need for yourself. And you’re going to have different needs at different times. So, why not both?
I hope you try both of these out and have some fun with it too. You can learn a musical instrument with Perplexity and write a short story with ChatGPT. The options are endless. Enjoy!
Love,
