Perplexity is an AI-powered Q&A search engine launched in 2022. It lets users ask questions in natural language and returns answers with source citations. In this article, we review Perplexity for students and parents, comparing tutoring platforms. We cover reviews, pricing, and features so you can make an informed choice.
Perplexity Reviews and Testimonials
Trustpilot
Trustpilot has about 180 reviews with an average rating of around 1.6/5. Reviews are mostly negative—common complaints: surprise subscription charges and difficulty cancelling. Many users describe the AI as “incompetent” or “garbage” and say customer support is unhelpful. Some report serious privacy concerns (keystroke logging). Rare positive comments note that the interface is fast and answers basic queries satisfactorily.
Product Hunt
On Product Hunt, Perplexity has 96 ratings with an average of about 4.8/5. Users praise it as a quick, accurate research assistant with clear citations. The interface is noted to be clean and easy to use, making information discovery fast. Key positives: AI-driven search, speed, and reliability. Few negatives: some mention occasional incorrect answers or hallucinations, and minor interface quirks.
Capterra
Capterra shows around 19 reviews and an average score of 4.7/5. Reviewers find Perplexity easy to use and appreciate that it updates with new AI models (like GPT-4o). They highlight its ability to search the web in real-time and provide useful data tables. One user notes the free version actually queries the internet (unlike some AI) and tends to avoid hallucinations. Minor cons: limited ability to switch models mid-session or attach files easily.
G2
G2 has 47 user reviews averaging 4.7/5. Reviewers commend Perplexity’s clean UI and fast performance. They say it uses up-to-date AI models for quick, accurate information gathering. It’s viewed as a reliable tool for research, saving time by summarizing answers with sources. Criticisms: some find responses occasionally slow or generic, and worry about the $20/mo cost.
Is Perplexity legit? Yes. Perplexity is a legitimate AI company (founded in 2022) with real reviews on known sites. Its service and business are genuine. Reviews are mixed: tech sites rate it highly for AI research, while some users (especially on Trustpilot) have negative experiences with billing and support. There is no evidence it is a scam; it simply has both fans and critics.
Overall, Perplexity’s feedback is mixed. Tech community platforms (Product Hunt, G2, Capterra) give it high marks for its quick, sourced answers. However, Trustpilot shows many angry reviews about billing and support. Users praising it call it a “fast, helpful” search assistant. In summary, Perplexity has strong AI capabilities but inconsistent customer experience.
Perplexity Pricing
Pricing Range
Perplexity uses subscription plans. There is a Free Standard plan (basic use, no cost) and a Pro plan at USD $20/month (or $200/year). Businesses can use Enterprise Pro at $40/month per seat. There is also a top-tier “Max” plan at $200/month (or $2000/year) for heavy users. No hourly rates or tutor commissions apply, since this is an AI service. The Enterprise plan and API options are pay-as-you-go or per-seat.
What students say about Perplexity Pricing
Users have mixed views on the $20/month price. Some feel it’s too high when free alternatives exist. One person said “I wouldn’t pay $20 monthly” and prefers free tools. Others found deals or discounts (e.g. an annual plan for €10) and felt it was worth the cost. In general, $20/mo is comparable to ChatGPT Plus pricing, so it’s about average for advanced AI services. Some point out Perplexity includes multiple LLMs for that price, which adds value. In comparison, typical online tutor fees range much higher per hour, so as an AI tool the subscription is not unusually expensive.
Hidden costs
Perplexity advertises no signup fees; only the subscription cost applies. It does not list any cancellation fee. Officially there are no add-on charges beyond the chosen plan. In practice, however, some users report issues: multiple reviewers say Perplexity kept charging them even after they tried to cancel. One user described canceling as “getting out of the Mafia” because the service continued billing them. There are anecdotal reports of free trial codes being revoked unexpectedly. So while no fees are hidden by policy, users should watch their billing statements closely.
How Perplexity’s pricing works
Users pay with credit card (or PayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay). Monthly or annual billing is available (annual saves ~17%). There are no group or special discounts publicly listed. The paid plans auto-renew until canceled, and the service must be paid up front (Perplexity has no “pay later” option). One can switch between free and Pro in account settings. There are no public promotions or student/military discounts on the site. You simply choose a plan and pay for it upfront; there is no deposit, deposit is the full period’s fee.
Free Trial
Perplexity does not offer a limited-time free trial. Instead, it has a free Standard plan that can be used indefinitely. The free plan allows a few searches per day (e.g. 3 advanced queries/day). Users can upgrade to Pro anytime for unlimited use. All relevant usage terms are on their help page.
Refund policy
Perplexity’s official policy is no refunds. Their Terms state that subscription payments are non-refundable and no partial credits are given. Customers keep access until the paid period ends after cancellation, but they won’t get money back. Reviews confirm this: one user complained Perplexity “makes it impossible to request a refund” after a purchase. Another said his subscription was canceled without refund. In short, the company does not honor refunds (or only at its discretion). Trustpilot reviewers regularly warn that you must accept no-refund terms; many say Perplexity kept money and refused to repay dissatisfied users.
Perplexity Alternatives
Students may look for alternatives to Perplexity if they want human tutors, different pricing, or more personalized help. Some may find an AI assistant like Perplexity not detailed enough. Here are some popular alternatives:
Chegg
Chegg Tutors and Study have a wide subject range (college and K–12). Pricing is subscription-based (roughly $15–$30/month for full access). Pros: 24/7 help, homework Q&A, textbook solutions, and affordable options. Cons: You need a paid membership for most features and tutor quality varies by tutor. Compared to Perplexity, Chegg offers actual human assistance and extensive written resources, but it costs more and may include hidden fees (e.g. auto-renewals). Chegg can aid in homework more directly, while Perplexity is better for quick factual queries with citations.
Wyzant
Wyzant is a large tutor marketplace with over 65,000 tutors and 275+ subjects. Tutors set their own hourly rates (often $10–$60/hr). Pros: Choose your tutor, in-person or online, with a pay-as-you-go model (no subscription). It also has a “first-lesson free” guarantee. Cons: High prices for top tutors and mixed support (Trustpilot score 1.5/5). Unlike Perplexity’s AI, Wyzant provides real-person tutoring and customized lessons, but at a much higher cost. Perplexity’s AI can be cheaper or free, but it lacks the personal touch and assurance a human tutor provides.
Course Hero
Course Hero is a study resource platform with Q&A. Users pay for access plans: e.g. $39.99/month for 10 tutor questions, or as low as $9.95/month (billed annually) for 40 questions. Pros: Large library of study guides, flashcards, and on-demand answers to questions. Cons: The free tier is very limited and you must buy a subscription to ask tutors. Compared to Perplexity, Course Hero supplies human-verified answers and study materials, but you only get a limited number of questions and must pay continuously. Perplexity is unlimited (with a subscription) but uses AI that may not always be correct.
Varsity Tutors
Varsity Tutors offers online classes, live tutoring, and test prep (K–college). It provides group courses or one-on-one sessions. Average tutoring costs are in the $50–$100 per hour range. Pros: A wide range of subjects, expert-led classes, and rigorous test prep. Cons: Higher expense and often requires buying packages or subscriptions. Compared to Perplexity’s instant AI answers, Varsity Tutors gives direct teacher interaction and structured coursework. However, Varsity Tutors is much more expensive and requires scheduling; Perplexity is instant and cheaper but might lack depth for complex topics.
My Engineering Buddy
My Engineering Buddy (MEB) specializes in 1:1 tutoring for engineering and advanced STEM. It is particularly known for engineering homework help. Pros: Personalized support from expert tutors, high satisfaction (MEB has a ~4.7/5 Trustpilot rating). Students praise how effectively MEB tutors explain difficult concepts. Cons: Niche focus means fewer tutors outside engineering; not free (tutors charge by session). Unlike Perplexity, MEB uses real tutors who ensure clarity and understanding. Reviews show students often achieve high grades and refer friends, making MEB a strong choice for challenging university coursework.
In summary, these alternatives each have strengths over Perplexity in certain areas. Chegg and Varsity Tutors offer structured classes and homework help but cost more. Wyzant gives flexible tutor choice, while Course Hero focuses on study materials. My Engineering Buddy stands out for advanced engineering help. Perplexity itself excels at quick research answers (often free or cheap), whereas these platforms excel in personalized learning and in-depth support.
How it Works?
For Students
Students start by signing up at Perplexity.ai, either with email or single sign-on. You then select a plan (Standard/free or Pro) and log in. There are no tutors to choose; instead, you simply type (or speak) your question into Perplexity’s chat box. The AI search engine processes your query and returns an answer with sources instantly. There are no appointments or scheduling – everything happens on demand. You can refine or follow-up with new questions right away. All help comes from the AI, so there’s no waiting for a tutor to become available.
For Tutors
Perplexity does not operate like a tutoring marketplace. Tutors cannot “join” to teach students on Perplexity. Therefore, there is no special signup for tutors. Instead, anyone (including tutors) would just sign up as a user and use the tool for research. Perplexity does not match tutors with students. If you are a tutor looking to help students, you should use dedicated tutor platforms. For completeness, you can refer to Perplexity’s pricing/signup info, but note that this is for user access only.
FAQs
Can tutors set up their own fee or is it fixed by the company? Perplexity uses AI rather than human tutors, so there is no tutor fee setting. All users pay the fixed subscription price set by Perplexity.
How much can a tutor expect to earn on an hourly basis? Not applicable. Perplexity is not a tutoring platform and does not involve human tutors, so there are no tutor earnings.
How many hours of work a tutor can get per month? Not applicable, since Perplexity does not have tutors or student bookings. There is no hourly work for tutors here.
Is it easy to get students? This question does not apply to Perplexity. It is an AI Q&A tool, not a tutoring marketplace, so tutors cannot recruit students on this platform.
Tips on how to get more students on Perplexity: Not applicable. Since Perplexity has no human tutors or student matching, there is no concept of gaining students on it. Tutors should use actual tutoring websites for those tips.
What tutors like about Perplexity: Perplexity offers AI-powered answers, but it does not employ tutors. Therefore, tutors don’t actually “work” on Perplexity and have no reviews about it. There is no tutor satisfaction feedback.
What tutors do not like about Perplexity: Similarly, since Perplexity has no tutor portal or jobs, there are no tutor complaints or feedback on Glassdoor/Indeed. There is nothing for tutors to dislike because they cannot use Perplexity to tutor.
How does Perplexity compare to My Engineering Buddy? Perplexity is an AI answer engine, while My Engineering Buddy (MEB) is a human tutoring service. Perplexity provides instant AI-generated answers (often free or low-cost), whereas MEB connects you with a live tutor for guided help. MEB is generally better for in-depth complex subjects, whereas Perplexity is suited for quick factual queries. Many students find MEB’s personalized support more helpful for challenging homework, while Perplexity is a handy tool for broad research.
What is Perplexity used for? Perplexity is an AI-powered search assistant. You type in questions and it summarizes answers with citations from the web. It is used for research, studying, or getting quick info on any topic. Think of it as a chat-based search engine. It supports a wide range of subjects by drawing on internet sources.
Is Perplexity free? Yes, there is a free Standard plan you can use without payment. It allows a limited number of daily searches. For unlimited use and advanced features, you pay $20/month (Pro). So the basic version is free, but heavy users need a subscription.
Does Perplexity have a mobile app? Yes. Perplexity offers both iOS and Android apps for mobile devices. You can download the app to ask questions on your phone or tablet. There’s also a browser extension. This lets you use Perplexity on the go.
How accurate and safe is Perplexity? Perplexity uses advanced AI models and cites sources, but like all AI it can make mistakes. Reviews note it sometimes gives incorrect or “hallucinated” answers. It often finds sources quickly, but always double-check facts. In terms of privacy, it’s not specifically designed for children, and some users worry it logs more data than expected. The company is reputable, but you should verify important info and be cautious with personal data.
How is Perplexity different from ChatGPT? Perplexity is specialized for web-based answers with live citations. ChatGPT is a general chat AI with a knowledge cutoff (no real-time web search). Perplexity pulls current info and shows sources, whereas ChatGPT’s answers come from its training data without links. For up-to-date facts and transparency, Perplexity aims to be better, but ChatGPT is often better at open-ended conversation without internet access.
Conclusion
Perplexity’s strengths are fast, AI-powered knowledge retrieval and clear source citations. Weaknesses include occasional wrong answers and frustrating billing/support issues. In contrast, My Engineering Buddy offers highly-rated human tutoring for advanced engineering subjects. For students needing detailed, personalized help (especially in technical fields), MEB’s live tutors are a compelling alternative to Perplexity’s AI answers. Overall, Perplexity is useful for quick research, while My Engineering Buddy excels at in-depth homework help.
Sources: Company websites, user reviews and news articles cited above (see brackets) provide the basis for all data and comparisons in this article.
