Perplexity vs Grok
Which is better in 2026? Five scores, side by side.
Perplexity is the better app overall, scoring 8.6 to 7.9. Perplexity wins on 5 of the 5 scores, Grok on 0.
Researchers, students and curious people who want answers backed by sources
X users and news followers who want fast takes on what is happening right now
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Perplexity | Grok |
|---|---|---|
| Category | AI Assistants | AI Assistants |
| Category rank | #5 of 10 | #9 of 10 |
| Developer | Perplexity AI | SpaceXSI (formerly xAI) |
| Pricing | Free + paid plans | Free + paid plans |
| Usable for free | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mac | ✓ | — |
| Windows | ✓ | — |
| Web | ✓ | ✓ |
Common questions
Is Perplexity better than Grok?
Perplexity is the better app overall, scoring 8.6 to 7.9. Perplexity wins on 5 of the 5 scores, Grok on 0.
Which is cheaper, Perplexity or Grok?
Perplexity: Free plan; Pro $20/month or $200/year; Max $2,000/year. Grok: Free tier; SuperGrok plans from $10, with higher tiers for heavy use. On value for money, Perplexity scores higher.
Do Perplexity and Grok work on the same devices?
Only Perplexity runs on Mac, Windows.
Which is more private, Perplexity or Grok?
Perplexity scores higher on privacy (6.6/10). The App Store label links purchases, precise location, identifiers and usage to you, with no tracking. AI data retention is on by default for consumer plans, and you can opt out in settings.
Strengths and weaknesses
Perplexity
- Sources make answers easy to verify
- Fast, clean answers to factual questions
- Pro plan bundles models from several AI labs
- Weaker for long-form writing and creative work
- Cited sources can be low quality or misread
- AI data retention is on by default
Perplexity is built for finding things out. Every answer comes with linked sources, so you can check claims quickly, and paid plans let you switch between leading models from several AI labs. Deep Research writes longer reports, Projects keep work organized, and Perplexity Computer can carry out multi-step tasks for you. It is less suited to long creative writing. If most of your AI use is search, it can replace a lot of browsing.
Full Perplexity review
Grok
- Up-to-the-minute answers on news and trends
- Strong reasoning models on paid plans
- Image and video generation for subscribers
- Deepfake scandal led to probes in several countries
- Closely tied to X and its data practices
- Best models and Grok Imagine require a subscription
Grok stands out for real-time knowledge pulled from X, so it is quick on breaking news and trending topics. Paid plans add Grok 4.7 in Expert and Heavy modes, plus Grok Imagine for images and video. It is looser with content limits than most rivals, and that backfired in January 2026, when sexualized deepfakes made with Grok triggered investigations in the EU, UK and beyond. Privacy and safety remain the weak spots.
Full Grok review
