When it comes to searching for information online, there is no shortage of search engines. For the past few decades, Google has been dominating the search engine industry. However, now artificial intelligence (AI) powered search engines are entering the competition. These AI search engines offer new ways to browse and consume information. Among the plethora of AI search engines that have emerged in the past few months, ChatGPT Search and Perplexity are the most popular choices with millions of users.
However, that begs the question, are AI search engines such as ChatGPT Search and Perplexity truly better than Google? We are here to find an answer to this question.
In this article, we will look into the comparison between ChatGPT Search vs Google vs Perplexity to determine which AI search model is the best.
OpenAI ChatGPT Search: How it Works, Key Features, and Accessibility?
About ChatGPT Search
ChatGPT Search crawls, retrieves, and provides information from the web. Built on GPT-4, it combines OpenAI’s powerful language model with up-to-date web results, bringing you information that feels curated rather than dumped in front of you. One of the key features of ChatGPT Search is that it can understand your context and refine its answers as your conversation evolves.
Key Features
- ChatGPT Search remembers the conversation context. For example, you can ask about the weather in your city and ask follow-up questions about dinner recommendations. ChatGPT will then respond as though it is part of the same thought.
- Transparency is baked in. You can click the “Sources” button to verify information or dive deeper into referenced articles. You do not have to (and you should not) take the AI’s word for it when you can just verify it yourself.
- OpenAI partnered with major outlets like Le Monde, Vox Media, and Reuters to provide high-quality and trustworthy responses.
- You can also expect visual data such as weather maps, stock charts, and even restaurant locations every time you interact with ChatGPT Search.
About Google
Google has become the synonym of the word search. You type in a query, and in milliseconds, it serves up millions of results. Google is fast, familiar, and capable of handling everything from finding the weather to digging up obscure academic papers. While its focus is primarily on keyword-based searches, recent updates have integrated its large language model (LLM) Gemini into the platform.
Key Features
- Even now, no one can outmatch Google. It still offers the most extensive web index and the fastest results.
- One of the most interesting features of Google is that it provides tailored search results based on location, browsing history, and preferences.
- Apart from search functionality, you get tons of integrated applications within Google. Some of these include tools like Google Images, News, Maps, shopping, and more.
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About Perplexity
Perplexity AI was designed for the sole purpose of exploration and discovery. It is a multipurpose tool that helps in deep diving, creative brainstorming, and data organization. Where ChatGPT shines in conversational flow, Perplexity doubles down on structure and personalization. Plus, its Pro Search feature adds a layer of conversational refinement, allowing you to customize results to your needs.
Key Features
- Instead of offering surface-level answers, Perplexity engages with follow-up questions to tailor responses to your exact needs. This makes it perfect for travel planning or business research.
- Perplexity focuses on academic, professional, and research-based use cases.
- You can upload files, ask questions, and interact with your data seamlessly with this platform.
- Threads is one of Perplexity’s most enticing features. For researchers, students, or even hobbyists, the ability to group Threads into Collections makes managing projects a breeze.
ChatGPT Search vs Google vs Perplexity
Here are the differences between the three platforms:
| Feature | ChatGPT Search | Perplexity AI | |
| Primary Use Case | Conversational search with real-time data | Broad keyword-based search | Deep exploration and topic discovery |
| User Interaction | Conversational, with follow-up questions | Primarily keyword-based | Conversational with Pro Search refinement |
| Data Sources | Third-party providers, partners, and the web | Comprehensive web index | Web, user-uploaded files, and research databases |
| Transparency | Provides links to sources | Limited transparency for snippets | Highly transparent with detailed citations |
| Best For | Natural, contextual answers | Quick, general searches | Academic and professional research |
| Personalization | Context-aware chats | Search history and location-based results | AI profiles and customizable Pro Search |
| File Interaction | No direct file support | No file interaction | Allows questions about user-uploaded files |
| Organizational Tools | None | Limited to saved searches | Collections, threads, and sharing options |
| AI Integration | GPT-4-based conversational AI | Google Bard (early stages of AI search) | Advanced AI Copilot for guided exploration |
| Target Audience | General users, including casual researchers | Global audience, including casual users | Researchers, academics, and professionals |
| Unique Strength | Blend of chat and search | Largest web index and fastest results | Personalized search with organizational tools |
ChatGPT Search vs Google vs Perplexity: Which is the best AI search model?
Though ChatGPT Search, Google, and Perplexity have search functionality, we simply cannot crown one as the best. However, we can help you choose the one that will suit your needs and preferences better.
- If you value natural conversations with up-to-date answers, then ChatGPT Search is the one you should choose.
- However, if you want quick, broad results from a massive web index, Google remains unbeatable.
- If your focus is on in-depth exploration and research, Perplexity AI offers the best tools for the job.
So, depending on what you are looking for and what you will be comfortable with, either of the three platforms will do the job.
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The Bottom Line
Each of these tools excels in different areas. ChatGPT Search is shaping the future of conversational AI search, Google dominates with its sheer scale and speed, and Perplexity AI is carving a niche in deep exploration and organized research. Depending on your priorities, speed, depth, or conversational context, you can pick the one that suits your needs best.
Also, all of these three platforms are updating and evolving. ChatGPT is expanding its capabilities to include advanced voice features. Perplexity is pushing the boundaries of personalized, interactive search. And Google is integrating AI into its core experience.
