| ChatGPT Search | Perplexity | Google Search | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search behavior | Searches when it detects the need | Always searches on every query | Always returns ranked links |
| Average sources per response | ~8 | ~22 | 10 blue links + AI Overview |
| Academic accuracy | ~85% | ~92% | N/A (you read sources directly) |
| Citation style | Inline hyperlinks + Sources sidebar | Numbered footnotes with previews | Clickable page links |
| Visual displays | Weather, stocks, sports, news, maps | Text based results | Rich snippets, Knowledge Graph |
| Beyond search | Full ChatGPT (images, code, voice, canvas) | Limited (image gen on Pro) | Separate Google products |
| Price | Free (all plans) | Free basic; $20/mo for Pro | Free (ad supported) |
When to use which
Use ChatGPT Search when you are already in ChatGPT and need a quick factual lookup with citations. Use Perplexity when you are doing dedicated research and need comprehensive, multi source citations on every query. Use Google when you want to browse and discover, or when you need the most comprehensive search index.
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Average sources per ChatGPT Search response
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Average sources per Perplexity response
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ChatGPT Search academic accuracy