Perplexity API Pricing
AI-powered search with real-time web access and citations
5 paid models · 8 free · Price range: $1.00 - $3.00 /1M
About Perplexity
Perplexity combines large language models with real-time web search to provide accurate, cited answers. Their API enables developers to build applications with built-in web search capabilities, making it ideal for applications requiring current information with source attribution.
Key Highlights
- Real-time web search integration
- Automatic source citations
- Sonar models for search-augmented generation
- Current information access
- Reduced hallucination through grounding
Pricing Features
- Pay-per-token billing
Pricing includes web search costs. Competitive rates for search-augmented generation use cases.
API Features
Common Use Cases
- • Research Assistants
- • Fact-Checking Applications
- • News Analysis
- • Knowledge Base Q&A
- • Current Events
📊 Perplexity Model Comparison
Compare all models side by side. Sorted by total price (input + output).
| Model | Tier | Input /1M | Output /1M | Total /1M | Context | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonar | Budget | $1.00 | $1.00 | $2.00 | 127k | Image analysis |
| Sonar Deep Research | Balanced | $2.00 | $8.00 | $10.00 | 128k | Complex reasoning, math |
| Sonar Reasoning Pro | Balanced | $2.00 | $8.00 | $10.00 | 128k | Complex reasoning, math |
| Sonar Pro Search | Flagship | $3.00 | $15.00 | $18.00 | 200k | Complex reasoning, math |
| Sonar Pro | Flagship | $3.00 | $15.00 | $18.00 | 200k | Image analysis |
🎯 Which Perplexity Model Should You Choose?
Quick recommendations based on your use case.
💰 Perplexity Monthly Cost Examples
Estimated monthly costs for common use cases.
| Use Case | Monthly Usage | Sonar (Budget) |
Sonar Reasoning (Flagship) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Customer Service Bot
1000 conversations/day
|
500k input 200k output |
$0.70/mo | $0.00/mo |
|
Code Assistant
200 requests/day
|
1.0M input 500k output |
$1.50/mo | $0.00/mo |
|
Data Analysis
500 analyses/day
|
2.0M input 300k output |
$2.30/mo | $0.00/mo |
⚔️ Perplexity vs Competitors
How does {brand} compare to other major AI providers?
| Brand | Model | Input /1M | Output /1M | Total /1M | Context | vs {brand} |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Perplexity
|
Sonar Reasoning Current | Free | Free | Free | 127k | — |
OpenAI
|
GPT-5.2 Chat | $1.75 | $14.00 | $15.75 | 128k | Infinity% more |
|
OpenAI
|
GPT-5.2 Pro | $21.00 | $168.00 | $189.00 | 400k | Infinity% more |
|
OpenAI
|
GPT-5.2 | $1.75 | $14.00 | $15.75 | 400k | Infinity% more |
|
OpenAI
|
GPT-5.1-Codex-Max | $1.25 | $10.00 | $11.25 | 400k | Infinity% more |
|
OpenAI
|
GPT-5.1 | $1.25 | $10.00 | $11.25 | 400k | Infinity% more |
|
OpenAI
|
GPT-5.1 Chat | $1.25 | $10.00 | $11.25 | 128k | Infinity% more |
All Models
| Model | Input /1M | Output /1M | Context | Capabilities | Actions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonar Reasoning FREE | Free | Free | 127k | View Details | ||
| R1 1776 FREE | Free | Free | 128k | View Details | ||
| Sonar Deep Research | $2.00 | $8.00 | 128k | View Details | ||
| Sonar Reasoning Pro | $2.00 | $8.00 | 128k | View Details | ||
| Sonar Pro Search | $3.00 | $15.00 | 200k | View Details | ||
| Llama 3.1 Sonar 8B Online FREE | Free | Free | 127k | View Details | ||
| Llama 3.1 Sonar 70B Online FREE | Free | Free | 127k | View Details | ||
| Sonar Cheapest | $1.00 | $1.00 | 127k | View Details | ||
| Sonar Pro | $3.00 | $15.00 | 200k | View Details | ||
| Llama3 Sonar 70B FREE | Free | Free | 33k | View Details | ||
| Llama3 Sonar 8B FREE | Free | Free | 33k | View Details | ||
| Llama3 Sonar 8B Online FREE | Free | Free | 28k | View Details | ||
| Llama3 Sonar 70B Online FREE | Free | Free | 28k | View Details |
❓ Perplexity Pricing FAQ
What is the cheapest Perplexity model?
The cheapest Perplexity model is Sonar at $2.00 per 1M tokens (input + output combined).
What is the maximum context length for Perplexity models?
Perplexity models support up to 200k context length, allowing you to process large documents and maintain long conversations.
How do I choose between Perplexity models?
For budget projects, choose the cheapest model. For code generation, prioritize low output price. For complex reasoning, choose models with reasoning capability. Use our scenario guide above.