Head-to-head · facts checked 21 Sept 2026
Perplexity vs Scite
Perplexity uniquely has 8 features · Scite uniquely has 7 features.
From
$20/mo (Pro)
Free plan
Yes
The verdict
Perplexity or Scite?
Section 01
Pricing, plan by plan
Every plan each vendor publishes, monthly and yearly where both are offered.
Perplexity
Free
Free
Cited answers, limited file uploads, auto model
Perplexity Pro
$17/mo · $204/yr
4,000 bonus credits + US$40 free Computer credits; access to latest AI models including Claude Sonnet 5, Gemini 3.1 Pro, Sonar 2
Perplexity Max
$167/mo · $2,004/yr
35,000 bonus credits + 10,000 monthly credits + US$450 free Computer credits; unlimited usage and top performance
Enterprise Pro
$34/seat/mo · $408/seat/yr
US$85 free Computer credits; guaranteed no training on your data, SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, GDPR, PCI DSS compliance
Enterprise Max
$271/seat/mo · $3,251/seat/ye
US$550 free Computer credits; unlimited usage, premium security features including SCIM, audit logs, and data retention settings
Education Pro
$9/mo · $108/yr
Scite
Free
Free
Free Connect tier, used through ChatGPT or Claude, no credit card
Basic
$20/mo · $144/yr
Unlimited Assistant queries, Full-Text Search, Smart Citation Reports, 250 MCP credits/month, collections up to 1,000 papers
Pro
$50/mo · $480/yr
Everything in Basic plus 2,500 MCP credits/month, collections up to 10,000 papers, patents/clinical trials/grants search
Team
$50/seat/mo · $480/seat/yr
Everything in Pro plus private/shared collections, team analytics, centralized billing, flexible seat management
Enterprise
Contact us
Unlimited users, API access, regulatory datasets (FAERS, MAUDE, 510(k), MHRA), SAML/SSO, dedicated customer success manager
For everything else about each tool, read the full Perplexity review and Scite review.
Side by side
| Company | ||
| Founded | 2022 | 2018 |
| HQ | San Francisco | Henderson, NV USA |
| AI model | Sonar 2, GPT-5.6 Terra, Claude Sonnet 5, Gemini 3.1 Pro, Grok 4.5 | Proprietary (built on licensed scholarly database with AI assistant layer) |
| User base | 15 million MAU | 2M+ |
| Platforms | Web, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android | Web, Chrome Extension, Zotero Plugin, API, Claude/ChatGPT integrations (MCP) |
| Languages | 50+ | English primarily |
| Pricing | ||
| Pricing model | Freemium | Subscription |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes, free Connect tier (MCP-only, via ChatGPT/Claude, no credit card) |
| Free trial | No (free tier available instead) | Yes |
| Starting price | $20/mo (Pro) | $20/mo |
| Enterprise | $40/user/mo | Contact us |
| Refund policy | — | Non-refundable; users can cancel future renewals at any time |
| All plans | Free — Free Perplexity Pro — $17/mo Perplexity Max — $167/mo Enterprise Pro — $34/seat/mo Enterprise Max — $271/seat/mo Education Pro — $9/mo | Free — Free Basic — $20/mo Pro — $50/mo Team — $50/seat/mo Enterprise — Contact us |
| Positioning | ||
| Best for | Researchers who want cited answers, memory across sessions and an agent that works in a cloud sandbox | Individual researchers, labs, and small teams doing deep research |
| Differentiator | Perplexity combines real-time web search with AI synthesis and inline citations, delivering concise research answers with transparent source verification in a single interface. | Scite's Smart Citations uniquely classify how later research has supported, contradicted, or mentioned a paper, grounding every AI-generated answer in verifiable sentence-level evidence from 1.6B+ indexed citations across 40+ licensed publisher agreements. |
| Competitors | ChatGPT, Google Gemini, You.com, Bing Copilot | Semantic Scholar, Elicit, Consensus, ResearchRabbit, Connected Papers |
| Features | ||
| Chatgpt & Claude Integrations | — | ✓ |
| Citation Alerts | — | ✓ |
| Deep Research | ✓ | — |
| File Uploads & Analysis | ✓ | — |
| Full Text Search | — | ✓ |
| Image Generation | ✓ | — |
| MCP Credits | — | ✓ |
| Patent, Clinical Trial & Grant Search | — | ✓ |
| Perplexity Computer | ✓ | — |
| Pro Search | ✓ | — |
| Smart Citations | — | ✓ |
| Video Generation | ✓ | — |
| 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 | Perplexity API, Chrome Extension, iOS Shortcuts, Android integration, Spaces sharing | Zotero, Claude, ChatGPT, MCP-compatible assistants, API |
| Zotero Integration | ✕ | ✓ |
Section 02
Perplexity vs Scite: common questions
Is Perplexity or Scite cheaper?
Perplexity's cheapest paid plan is $20/mo (Pro) and Scite's is $20/mo. Compare what each plan includes below before going on price alone.
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