Explainpaper vs Perplexity
Perplexity uniquely has 16 features · Explainpaper uniquely has 11 features.
| Explainpaper | Perplexity | |
|---|---|---|
| Company | ||
| Founded | 2022 | 2022 |
| HQ | San Francisco, USA | San Francisco |
| AI model | Advanced AI models (basic AI on free tier) | Sonar 2, GPT-5.6 Terra, Claude Sonnet 5, Gemini 3.1 Pro, Grok 4.5 |
| User base | 400,000+ | 15 million MAU |
| Platforms | Web | Web |
| Languages | 50+ | 50+ |
| Pricing | ||
| Pricing model | Freemium | — |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | No (free tier available instead) |
| Starting price | $16/mo | $20/mo |
| Enterprise | Contact us | $40/user/mo |
| Refund policy | 14-day money-back guarantee on initial Pro subscriptions | — |
| All plans | Free$0/moPro$16/moTeamsContact us | Perplexity Pro$17/moPerplexity Max$167/moEnterprise Pro$34/seat/moEnterprise Max$271/seat/moEducation Pro$9/mo |
| Positioning | ||
| Best for | Professional research and academic paper comprehension | Researchers, students, professionals, and knowledge workers needing fast cited answers |
| Differentiator | Math and figure explanations, Zotero import, whole-paper summaries, multilingual output | Perplexity combines real-time web search with AI synthesis and inline citations, delivering concise research answers with transparent source verification in a single interface. |
| Competitors | Consensus, Elicit, SciSpace, ChatPDF, Semantic Scholar, Perplexity | ChatGPT, Google Gemini, You.com, Bing Copilot |
| Features | ||
| Advanced AI Models | ✓ | — |
| Ask Follow Up Questions | ✓ | — |
| Deep Research | — | ✓ |
| File Uploads & Analysis | — | ✓ |
| Follow Up Questions | ✓ | — |
| Image Generation | — | ✓ |
| Math & Figure Explanations | ✓ | — |
| Perplexity Computer | — | ✓ |
| Pro Search | — | ✓ |
| Saved Highlights | ✓ | — |
| Saved Highlights & Explanations | ✓ | — |
| Smart Outlines & Key Point Extraction | ✓ | — |
| Video Generation | — | ✓ |
| Whole Paper Summaries | ✓ | — |
| Zotero Import | ✓ | — |
| Zotero Library Import | ✓ | — |
| Academic Search | ✕ | ✓ |
| AI Summarization | ✓ | ✓ |
| API Access | ✕ | ✓ |
| Browser Extension | ✕ | ✓ |
| Citation Generation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Data Privacy | — | ✓ |
| Document Upload | ✓ | ✓ |
| Export Formats | — | Markdown, copy to clipboard, shareable link |
| Fact Checking | ✕ | ✓ |
| Follow Up Questions | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mobile App | ✕ | ✓ |
| Multi Source Synthesis | ✕ | ✓ |
| Team Collaboration | ✓ | ✓ |
| Web Search | ✕ | ✓ |
| Integrations | ||
| API Access | ✕ | ✓ |
| Browser Extension | ✕ | ✓ |
| Google Docs Export | ✕ | ✕ |
| Key Integrations | Zotero | Perplexity API, Chrome Extension, iOS Shortcuts, Android integration, Spaces sharing |
| Notion Integration | ✕ | — |
| Zotero Integration | ✓ | ✕ |