AI Powered Searches — Perplexity vs GPT: The Right Tool for the Search Job

Samsung users can get Perplexity Pro FREE via Galaxy Store

Whether you’re an expat or digital nomad in a foreign country trying to get local information, or an employee digging up employment law with citations, knowing where and how to find information is key.

It used to be Google was king. Over time it turned into “pay to rank,” and now we’re all stuck with Google’s AI telling us to eat small rocks or glue our pizza toppings on. Not exactly confidence-inspiring.

Which means it’s time to look at other options — in this case, Perplexity vs. ChatGPT. It’s less a cage match and more a tag team, depending on what you’re trying to do. Why these two? Because they’re the ones I actually use. And as I’ve said before, I don’t recommend products or services unless I use them myself.

Perplexity: If you have a Samsung phone (I do), you may be able to claim a free year of Perplexity Pro AI — a $200 value — just by downloading the app through the Samsung/Galaxy Store (Not GooglePlay). I did. It works.

No Samsung? No problem.You can still sign up for Perplexity’s free (standard) plan.

The free plan includes:

• Unlimited Quick Searches: Fast answers for simple questions using the standard AI model.

• 5 Pro Searches per day: Access to more detailed answers with advanced AI models.

• 3 Research uses per day: For advanced planning and reasoning.

• Limited file uploads: 3 attachments per day, 5 per Space.

• Access to the Standard AI Model: Optimized for speed and quality.

• Search history access.

GPT: For ChatGPT, there’s no free “Pro” tier — GPT Plus is $20/month and now runs on GPT-5, which replaced GPT-4o and earlier models.OpenAI has said 4o may return, but for now it’s GPT-5 across the board.

ChatGPT Free Plan includes:

• Access to GPT-5: The latest model for chats.

• Web browsing: Can search for fresh information (news, events, sports scores, etc.).

• Image generation with DALL·E: Limited number of requests per month.

• File/image uploads: Can analyze images and certain file types within size limits.

• Multimodal chats: Can combine text and image conversation in the same thread.

Free Plan limits:

• Lower priority access: Slower responses or temporary restrictions during peak demand.

• Message caps: Fewer messages allowed per time period than Plus users.

• Less image generation capacity: Fewer DALL·E requests per month.

• No advanced data analysis (Code Interpreter): Can’t run large scripts or advanced math.

• No persistent memory: Chats don’t remember info between sessions unless you re-share it.

• No custom GPT creation: Can’t build and host custom assistants.

• Stricter file limits: Smaller max file size and fewer file types than Plus.

ChatGPT Plus ($20/mo) adds:

• Access to GPT-5: Higher reasoning, more consistent output, and faster performance.

• Higher priority access: Faster response times, even at peak hours.

• Longer context handling: Keeps more of the conversation in memory.

• Advanced tools: Depending on settings, can include browsing, file uploads, image generation, and Advanced Data Analysis.

• Larger file allowances: More file types and bigger size limits.

• Custom GPT creation: Ability to build and host your own assistants.

Now before we continue, I need to remind you — when using AI of any kind, personal responsibility is key. Don’t take the results as gospel. Always check and verify — “trust but verify.”

As I wrote in Mirror or Minion: The Sycophancy Problem in AI:

Even when an AI isn’t being overly flattering, there’s another serious issue to watch for: hallucinations.In AI terms, a “hallucination” isn’t a dreamlike vision — it’s when the model makes something up that sounds real but isn’t.It might invent a quote, cite a non-existent source, misstate a law, or describe a scientific process incorrectly — all while sounding completely confident. That’s because LLMs generate responses by predicting what words should come next based on patterns in their training data — not by verifying facts.

Perplexity vs ChatGPT

Both have Android apps, and both can be used to look up information. So what’s the difference?

Perplexity is closer to a search engine that can talk, while ChatGPT is more of an assistant.

Key differences:

• Perplexity: Lives and breathes “conversational search.” Almost every answer starts with a live web search, pulling relevant pages and stitching them into a summary with citations. It’s not designed to freewheel from memory — it’s built to point you back to a source.

• ChatGPT: Can answer using its training, your saved context/memory, and sometimes the web (if browsing is enabled). Doesn’t automatically pull live citations unless in browsing mode. Can handle creative writing, reasoning, coding, and other tasks without touching the internet.

Think of it like this:

• Perplexity: “Ask me a question, I’ll look it up and give you the receipts.”

• ChatGPT: “Ask me a question, I might already know it, I can look it up, and I can help with things unrelated to searching.”

Perplexity is your citation-pulling Wikipedia assistant. ChatGPT is your ongoing partner with memory and personality.

Regardless of the type of AI you’re using, you need to know how to use it.Below is a quick reference guide and a few prompts to get you started.

Perplexity Pro Quick Reference

Core Tips

1. Use it when you need receipts, not just answers:

2. Clickable citations under each answer.

3. Best for policies, studies, official docs, and news.

4. Not great for creative or nuanced tone.

2. Pro Search for freshness:

• Pulls from the latest indexed web pages.

• Example: site:earnest.com loan policy

• Often beats Google for pinpointing content.

3. Chain questions without restating context:

• Ask follow-ups without retyping the whole query.

4. Use it as a second opinion:

• Compare results with another source.

5. Mobile quick hit: /focus web

• Forces web-based results instead of guesses.
  

Three Go-To Prompts

Fresh Policy Lookup:/focus web site:[companywebsite.com] [topic]Example: /focus web site:uscis.gov reentry permit travel restrictions

Compare Two Sources:Find and summarize the main differences between [source A] and [source B] on [topic], with citations.Example: Compare CDC and WHO on COVID-19 mask guidance.

Niche Problem Solver:Search for the most recent and reliable fix for [problem] on [system or platform], and only include answers from the last 6 months.Example: Linux XFCE slow boot fix site:forums.xfce.org

ChatGPT Quick Reference

Core Tips

1. Know what mode you’re in:

2. Default GPT runs from training data + your conversation context.

3. Enable browsing (Pro plans) when you need fresh info.

2. Prime it for context:

• Tell it who you are, what you’re working on, and what you want.

• Example: “You’re helping me write a blog post for remote workers. Keep it casual and concise.”

3. Chain prompts for depth:

• Start broad, then refine.

• Example: “Give me 5 blog titles” → “Expand #3 into an outline” → “Write the intro in my voice.”

4. Use system prompts for personality:

• Guide tone/style so results match your brand.

• Example: “Write in a dry, sarcastic style like my JMA posts.”

5. Double-check factual claims:

• Even in browsing mode, GPT can hallucinate. Verify sources yourself.
  

Three Go-To Prompts

Idea Generator:Give me 10 content ideas for [topic], ranked by what would get the most engagement with [audience].

Rewrite for Clarity:Rewrite the following so it’s clearer and matches this tone: [sample text]. Keep it under 200 words.

Ask, Then Drill Down:Explain [concept] at a beginner level, then at an advanced level. Include examples.

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