Perplexity
: How to use it, features, and the business problems it solves

How to Use

1. Create an account

   From the official site (perplexity.ai) or the iOS/Android app, sign up with an email address or a Google or Apple account. You can try searching from the browser right away even without registering.

2. Enter a question

   Type what you want to know into the search box in natural Japanese. Rather than keywords, you can ask in full sentences, such as "Tell me about X, including the latest examples."

3. Review the sourced answer

   The AI searches across multiple sources on the web and generates an answer summarizing the key points. Each sentence is tagged with a source number, and you can click through to check the primary information.

4. Dig deeper with follow-up questions

   Continue with follow-up questions and deepen your research in a conversational format, taking context into account. You can also dig in via the suggested related questions.

5. Use different modes for different purposes

   In addition to regular search, switch among "Pro Search" for deeper research, "Deep Research" that automatically conducts extended research, and "Spaces" for organizing by purpose, according to your needs.

Features

• AI answers with sources (citations)

  Because it always shows the web pages that an answer is based on, it is easy to verify information and reduces the risk of hallucination (false information).

• Real-time web search

  Because it searches across the latest news, papers, official sites, and more on the spot, it can answer with up-to-date information without being bound by a training-data cutoff.

• Choice of multiple high-performance AI models

  Switch among multiple frontier models such as GPT, Claude, and Gemini according to your needs (paid plan).

• Deep Research

  For a single topic, the AI autonomously repeats dozens of searches and reads, automatically generating a detailed report with sources.

• AI agent / browser control

  Beyond just looking things up, it is evolving into an agent feature that automatically carries out multi-step tasks involving browser operation.

• File and image upload analysis

  Upload PDFs, images, spreadsheet data, and more to summarize, analyze, and ask questions about their contents.

• Spaces

  Group search contexts and files by topic or project, useful for collaborative research with a team.

• Full Japanese support

  Both the UI and answers support Japanese. Adoption in the Japanese market is also progressing, with offers such as free Pro perks for SoftBank line users.

Pricing

Pricing is current as of June 2026. Amounts are in US dollars, and the yen equivalent fluctuates with exchange rates. Check the official pricing page for the latest amounts.

*Discounted student plans and free Pro perks through partnerships with carriers such as SoftBank may be offered.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Because answers always come with sources, it's easy to use for business research and fact-checking
• It answers based on the latest web information, so it's strong on trends and current topics
• A single paid plan lets you switch among multiple models such as GPT, Claude, and Gemini
• High Japanese accuracy, with a Japanese-language UI

Cons

• For pure generation tasks that don't involve search, such as long-form creative writing or code generation, dedicated tools may have the edge
• Many advanced features (unlimited Pro Search, Deep Research, etc.) require a paid plan
• Because answers depend on the quality of the cited sources, important decisions require checking the citations

Reviews and Reputation

• It is highly rated for research use: "It reduces the effort of reading and comparing search results yourself, and you can check the sources all together."
• Many business users distinguish by purpose: "ChatGPT for ideation, Perplexity for information gathering."
• On the other hand, there are voices like "the free version limits the number of deep researches" and "final verification should be done at the cited sources," so the consensus is to use it as a gateway to primary information.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q. Can I use Perplexity for free?

Yes. Even the free plan lets you use sourced AI search. There are limits on Pro Search usage and which models are available, and unlimited use and advanced features require a Pro or higher paid plan.

Q. Does it support Japanese?

Yes. You can ask in Japanese, and answers come back in Japanese. The UI is also localized into Japanese.

Q. How does it differ from ChatGPT?

Perplexity is specialized in "answering with sources and up-to-date information," assuming web search. General-purpose conversation, writing, and code generation are strengths of ChatGPT and Claude, so the common split is ChatGPT/Claude for those and Perplexity for research.

Q. Can I trust the accuracy of the information?

It is designed to make verification easy by clearly showing citations, but because it is generative AI, answers may contain errors. For important uses, always check the primary information at the cited sources.

How Perplexity Differs from Other AI Services

For a more detailed comparison, see the pages for related services as well.