OpenAI vs Perplexity.
Prices checked
For a model's own search, OpenAI Web search tool costs $10 per 1,000 searches at 1,000 a month against Perplexity web_search tool, fast at $1, checked .
Where to start
Each kind of search both sell
Per 1,000 searches, the cheaper of the two marked.
| Kind and volume | OpenAI | Perplexity |
|---|---|---|
| Model toolsat 1,000 a month | $10Web search tool | $1web_search tool, fast |
| Model toolsat 100,000 a month | $10Web search tool | $1web_search tool, fast |
Side by side
| Fact |  OpenAI |  Perplexity |
|---|---|---|
| What it returns | Model tools | Own index, Model tools |
| Page text | no | yes |
| Free tier | none listed | none listed |
| Prices published | 2 | 4 |
How we count
Each kind of search both sell is a row, each side at its cheapest product of that kind, because a Google results page and a written answer are not the same purchase. Each price is per 1,000 searches when you make 1,000 or 100,000 searches a month and buy them the cheapest way that provider sells: pay as you go, the plan that covers them with its overage, or a pack spread over the months it lasts. A free allowance is not subtracted; free tiers are listed on their own.
A model's search tool bills the model's tokens on top of each search, so it is compared only with other model tools.
Frequently asked
- Is OpenAI cheaper than Perplexity?
- For a model's own search, OpenAI Web search tool costs $10 per 1,000 searches at 1,000 a month against Perplexity web_search tool, fast at $1. Checked 21 Oct 2026, before tax.
- What about at 100,000 searches a month?
- Model tools: OpenAI $10, Perplexity $1 per 1,000.
- Do OpenAI and Perplexity have a free tier?
- OpenAI: none listed. Perplexity: none listed. A free tier is a limit, not a price, so neither is the cheaper for having one.
- How current are these prices?
- Both are read every day from the providers' own pages. OpenAI was last read 21 Oct 2026 and Perplexity 21 Oct 2026.
Provider pages