Perplexity starts at $17/mo billed yearly, Gemini at $4.99/mo. Both have a free plan. Every plan from both vendors, the limits each one actually publishes, and what changed recently, with a source on every line.
Pick Gemini if you want the lowest monthly bill. Beyond price and free access, the deciding factor is which models and features you need; we track the money, not the model quality.
| Fact | Perplexity | Gemini |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Free tier | Free tier |
| Cheapest plan | Pro · $17/mo billed yearly | Google AI Plus · $4.99/mo |
| Top plan | Max · $167/mo billed yearly | Google AI Ultra (20x) · $199.99/mo |
| Plans tracked | 4 | 4 |
| Yearly discount | Yearly prices only | None shown |
| Allowance periods | WeeklyMonthly | Monthly |
| Latest change | None logged | price cutnew tier |
| Last checked |
One vendor only publishes billed-yearly prices, so this page compares per-month prices billed yearly where offered.
| Tool | Plan | Price | Limits as stated & source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perplexity | Pro | $17/mo billed yearly | Pro Searches, Research queries, Comet assistant and file/app creation all 'weekly/monthly limits (average use)'; numbers not published. Limited-time +$40 Computer credits. Source: perplexity.ai · checked 2026-10-16 |
| Perplexity | Max | $167/mo billed yearly | 'Unlimited usage'; 10,000 monthly credits; limits '(advanced use)' not quantified. Limited-time +$450 Computer credits. Source: perplexity.ai · checked 2026-10-16 |
| Perplexity | Education Pro | $10/mo | Everything in Pro for verified students/educators (SheerID). Source: perplexity.ai · checked 2026-10-16 |
| Perplexity | Enterprise Pro | $40/mo | 400 Pro Searches/week; 50 Research/month; 80 Comet queries/month; 100 file-upload sessions/week. Source: perplexity.ai · checked 2026-10-16 |
| Gemini | Google AI Plus | $4.99/mo | 2x standard (Free) usage limits; 128k context; 200 Google Flow credits; 400 GB storage. Source: gemini.google · checked 2026-10-16 |
| Gemini | Google AI Pro | $19.99/mo | 4x standard usage limits; 1M-token context; 1,000 Flow credits; higher Jules limits; entry Antigravity rate limits; $10/mo Google Cloud credits; 5 TB storage. Source: gemini.google · checked 2026-10-16 |
| Gemini | Google AI Ultra (5x) | $99.99/mo | 5x AI Pro usage limits; 10,000 Flow credits; higher Antigravity limits; YouTube Premium; from 20 TB storage. Source: gemini.google · checked 2026-10-16 |
| Gemini | Google AI Ultra (20x) | $199.99/mo | 20x AI Pro usage limits; 25,000 Flow credits; highest Antigravity limits. Source: gemini.google · checked 2026-10-16 |
| Tool | Free? | What you get for $0 & source |
|---|---|---|
| Perplexity | Free tier | Free (Standard): 'practically unlimited basic searches'; Pro Searches 3/day; Research queries 1/month; no advanced models or image generation; limited file uploads. Source: perplexity.ai · checked 2026-10-16 |
| Gemini | Free tier | Free $0 with a Google Account: 'standard limits' (compute-based; refresh every 5 hours until a weekly limit); 32k-token context window; limited Nano Banana Pro; 15 GB storage. Source: support.google.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
Announced at Google I/O 2026. The top Ultra tier keeps 20x AI Pro limits at the lower price.
Gemini is cheaper to start: Google AI Plus costs $4.99/mo, against $17/mo billed yearly for Perplexity Pro. At the top end, Perplexity Max is $167/mo billed yearly and Google AI Ultra (20x) is $199.99/mo.
Perplexity: Yes. Free (Standard): 'practically unlimited basic searches'; Pro Searches 3/day; Research queries 1/month; no advanced models or image generation; limited file uploads. Gemini: Yes. Free $0 with a Google Account: 'standard limits' (compute-based; refresh every 5 hours until a weekly limit); 32k-token context window; limited Nano Banana Pro; 15 GB storage.
Perplexity Pro ($17/mo billed yearly): Pro Searches, Research queries, Comet assistant and file/app creation all 'weekly/monthly limits (average use)'; numbers not published. Limited-time +$40 Computer credits. Google AI Pro ($19.99/mo): 4x standard usage limits; 1M-token context; 1,000 Flow credits; higher Jules limits; entry Antigravity rate limits; $10/mo Google Cloud credits; 5 TB storage.
19 May 2026, Gemini: Google AI Ultra cut from $249.99 to $199.99; new $99.99 Ultra (5x Pro) tier.