Perplexity on Mac

Use Perplexity AI on Mac
as a native app

Fello AI is a native Mac app giving you Perplexity for real-time sourced search, plus every other frontier model in one place. One subscription, no browser tabs.

Download on the Mac App Store
Fello AI on macOS with the model picker open, showing 9 AI models
What is Perplexity

What Perplexity actually is

Perplexity is not quite a chatbot and not quite a search engine. It is something new: an AI that searches the live web in real time, reads the results, and gives you a clear summarized answer with links to every source it used. You can click through and verify every single claim it makes. That is very different from asking ChatGPT a question and having to take its word for it.

The practical difference this makes is significant for anything time-sensitive. If you ask ChatGPT what the latest iPhone costs, it might give you an outdated answer based on training data from a year ago. If you ask Perplexity, it goes and checks right now and comes back with the current price and a link to Apple's website proving it. For research, news, prices, events, and anything that changes frequently, Perplexity is more reliable than a general-purpose AI.

Where Perplexity falls short is tasks that are not research. Writing a long essay, analyzing a document you upload, generating an image, debugging code, for these, models like Claude and GPT-5.6 are significantly stronger. This is exactly the case for using Perplexity inside Fello AI: do your research with Perplexity, then flip to Claude or GPT-5.6 to write the final output, all inside the same app.

Perplexity vs Perplexity Pro: Perplexity is the product. The free tier includes basic searches with daily limits. Pro ($20/month standalone) removes limits and adds more powerful underlying models and file uploads. In Fello AI, Perplexity is included at $9.99/month alongside 30+ other models.

100%
Of answers include source links
30M+
Monthly users worldwide
Live web
Searches the internet right now
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3 ways to use Perplexity on Mac

01
Fello AI Recommended

Download Fello AI from the Mac App Store and select Perplexity from the model list. You get Perplexity's real-time sourced search plus Claude, GPT-5.6, Gemini, Grok, and 30+ other models all in one native Mac app. When your research is done, flip to Claude to write the final output without leaving the app. Free tier available, starts at $9.99/month.

Download Fello AI
02
Perplexity.ai in your browser

Visit perplexity.ai in Safari or Chrome to use Perplexity directly. The free tier allows a limited number of Pro searches per day. You can pin the tab or add the site to your dock as a web app for quicker access. The limitation is that it stays Perplexity-only with no other models available and no native Mac integration.

03
The official Perplexity Mac app

Perplexity does offer a native Mac app available at perplexity.ai/download, plus Comet, its own AI browser that has been free for everyone since March 2026 and runs on Mac. It is a solid choice if Perplexity search is the only AI tool you need. The limitation is that it only covers Perplexity. You still need separate subscriptions for ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini if you want to use them. Perplexity Pro is $20 per month on its own and Perplexity Max is $200 per month, making Fello AI a better value if you use more than one model.

Why Fello AI

More than just Perplexity

Perplexity is one of the best tools for quick answers with real sources. Fello AI brings similar web search to a native Mac app, alongside leading models like Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini. Search the web with sources, continue working with another model, generate AI images, or turn any answer into a real PowerPoint, Excel, or Word file.

Perplexity for search, others for everything else
Perplexity is the best AI for real-time sourced web research. But for writing, coding, image generation, or PDF analysis, dedicated models are stronger. Fello AI has them all in one place so you never have to choose.
One subscription instead of many
Perplexity Pro alone is $20/month. Add ChatGPT Plus at $20 and Claude Pro at $20 and you're at $60 before counting anything else. Fello AI starts at $9.99/month and includes Perplexity alongside 30+ other frontier models.
Mac, iPhone and iPad under one plan
Fello AI works across Mac, iPhone, and iPad on a single subscription. The app is about 30 to 50MB, uses negligible RAM, and runs on any Apple silicon device as well as Intel Macs on macOS 12 or later.
Side by side

Fello AI vs Perplexity official

FeatureFello AIPerplexity (Pro / Mac app)
PriceFree tier + $9.99/mo or $79.99/yr$20/mo (Perplexity Pro)
Perplexity search✓ Yes✓ Yes
Native Mac app✓ macOS 12+, Intel + Apple siliconperplexity.ai/download
Models available✓ Perplexity, Claude 5, GPT-5.6, Gemini 3.6, Grok 4.5, DeepSeek V4 and more✗ Perplexity only
Image generation✓ GPT Image 2, Nano Banana 2, Seedream 5, FLUX.2Limited (Pro)
PDF support✓ Up to 16 PDFs at onceLimited (Pro only)
Podcast generation✓ Yes✗ No
iPhone and iPad✓ Yes, same appSeparate Perplexity iOS app
In depth

A closer look at Perplexity

Every answer links to its sources

Perplexity does not just tell you things, it shows you where it got them. Every response includes numbered citations you can click to verify. This is fundamentally different from trusting a chatbot's confident-sounding claim with nothing to back it up.

Always uses current information

Perplexity searches the live web before answering. Prices, news, product specs, recent events, anything that changes over time is answered with today's information, not data from a training cutoff months or years ago.

Best used for research, not writing

Perplexity is exceptional at gathering and citing information. For writing long documents, generating images, analyzing uploads, or coding, Claude or GPT-5.6 are significantly better. Use Perplexity to find the facts, then switch to another model to write about them.

Works like a smarter Google

Instead of returning a list of links and making you read ten articles, Perplexity reads them for you and gives you a summarized answer with the key points pulled out. Most research questions that used to take 20 minutes of tab-switching now take two.

Model comparison

How does Perplexity compare to other AIs?

The AI landscape in 2026 is crowded with capable tools. ChatGPT handles computer-use workflows, Claude 5 leads on writing quality, and Grok 4.5 brings live data from X. Where does Perplexity actually stand?

Perplexity is the best AI tool for research with citations. It is not a general-purpose chatbot. It is a search-first AI that finds, reads, and summarizes sources in real time, returning verified answers with links instead of confident claims with nothing behind them.

Perplexity VS ChatGPT

Perplexity vs ChatGPT

ChatGPT creates. Perplexity verifies.

ChatGPT powered by GPT-5.6 is a general-purpose AI that can write, code, reason, analyze, and operate software. It is stronger than Perplexity at generating finished output: writing documents, building code, planning, executing multi-step workflows, and operating your computer directly.

Perplexity is stronger at researching and verifying. Where ChatGPT may state things confidently from training data that could be outdated or wrong, Perplexity searches the live web and shows you the source. For fact-checking, market research, and anything where accuracy matters more than output generation, Perplexity has the structural advantage.

Use ChatGPT to generate finished output: code, documents, workflows, execution. Use Perplexity to research, verify, and source information from the live web.

Perplexity VS Claude

Perplexity vs Claude

Perplexity is the researcher. Claude is the writer.

Claude 5 is the best model for writing quality, long-form analysis, and following complex instructions. It produces the most natural and well-structured output of any major AI, and it excels at turning information into polished, finished documents.

Perplexity is better at finding that information in the first place with citations. If you want to research a topic before writing about it, Perplexity gathers the sources. Then Claude writes the piece. They work better together than as substitutes for each other.

Use Perplexity to research and gather sources. Use Claude to write, analyze, and produce polished output from that research.

Perplexity VS Gemini

Perplexity vs Gemini

Gemini searches Google. Perplexity searches the web.

Gemini 3.1 Pro has native Google Search grounding, which means it can also pull real-time information from the web with citations. It is not purely a search tool like Perplexity, but it overlaps significantly for research tasks, especially for Google-sourced information.

Perplexity's advantage is focus. It is optimized specifically for this use case, the interface is cleaner for research workflows, and it surfaces a broader range of sources rather than Google-indexed content exclusively.

Use Gemini for research within the Google ecosystem, especially with Google Drive or Docs. Use Perplexity for broader web research with a cleaner, more source-diverse interface.

Perplexity VS Grok

Perplexity vs Grok

Grok reads the room. Perplexity reads the web.

Grok 4.5 is optimized for live X data and real-time social context. It knows what is being discussed right now on X, making it the best model for live events, breaking news, and social sentiment.

Perplexity is broader and more structured in its sourcing. It draws from a wider range of web sources, provides cleaner citation formatting, and is better for systematic research where you need multiple sources rather than the pulse of what is trending on one platform.

Use Grok for live X data, social sentiment, and breaking news. Use Perplexity for systematic web research with clean, broad-source citations.

Perplexity VS DeepSeek

Perplexity vs DeepSeek

DeepSeek reasons. Perplexity researches.

DeepSeek V4 is an open-weight reasoning and coding model that excels at structured technical tasks. It is a general-purpose AI that is also cost-efficient and fully open-source, not primarily a research or search tool.

Perplexity and DeepSeek operate in different categories. DeepSeek is for building, reasoning, and coding. Perplexity is for finding and verifying. They are not really substitutes for each other.

Use DeepSeek for reasoning, coding, and technical tasks. Use Perplexity for web research, fact verification, and finding cited sources.

Perplexity VS Qwen GLM Kimi

Perplexity vs other models

No single model wins every task.

Fello AI also gives you Qwen for math and coding, GLM as a strong open model, and Kimi as a top open-weight model. Each is a click away, right beside Perplexity.

Use all of them in one app

No single model is best at everything. Perplexity finds the facts, but Claude writes better, ChatGPT handles computer use, and Grok has live X data. The smartest workflow is to research with Perplexity and act with a general-purpose model. Fello AI puts Perplexity, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and DeepSeek in one native app for Mac, iPhone, and iPad.

CapabilityPerplexityChatGPT (GPT-5.6)Claude 5Grok 4.5
Web search accuracyBest (live citations)Good (Plus)LimitedGood (live X + web)
Source citations✓ Inline every answerPartialPartialPartial
Long-form writingBasicExcellentBest in classGood
CodingBasicTop tierTop tierGood
Image generationLimited (Pro)GPT Image 2NoneGrok Imagine
Best forReal-time research, fact-checkingAll-round work, codingDocs, writing, analysisNews, creative tasks
What Fello AI offers

What you can actually do in Fello AI

Switching between AI models in Fello AI
Use the right model for the task

Different models are better at different kinds of work. In Fello AI, you switch between ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and more without leaving the app or rebuilding your workflow. Compare outputs, move faster, and use the model that fits instead of forcing everything through one tool.

Fello AI supports PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, images, and many more file formats
Chat with PDFs, images, and Office files

Upload PDFs, images, Excel sheets, slide decks, and documents, then ask for summaries, explanations, rewrites, or extracted insights. This makes Fello AI much more useful for study, research, reporting, and day-to-day professional tasks than a plain text chatbot.

Fello AI generating a downloadable PDF report from a spreadsheet
Create real documents you can download

Generate PowerPoint presentations, Excel spreadsheets with formulas, Word documents, and PDFs, then download and use them immediately. That turns AI from a brainstorming tool into something much closer to a real productivity workspace.

Fello AI web search results with cited sources
Search the web and keep working in one place

When you need current information, Fello AI searches the web with cited sources instead of forcing you to leave the app and manually piece things together. Especially useful when researching a topic, checking facts, or turning fresh information into a finished document.

Fello AI on Mac, iPhone, and iPad
One workflow across Mac, iPhone, and iPad

Fello AI is native on all Apple devices, so you keep the same app, the same models, and the same workflow whether you're on your Mac at a desk or on your phone on the go. No separate setup, no switching tools, no restarting the context.

For professionals

Fello AI gives professionals a practical way to use ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and other top models across Mac, iPhone, and iPad as part of one consistent workflow. Analyze PDFs, Word files, Excel sheets, presentations, and images, then turn the result into real downloadable documents for client work, internal workflows, and day-to-day execution.

For students

Fello AI helps students handle everyday academic work more efficiently. Summarize readings, explain difficult topics, compare answers across models, and work with PDFs, slides, notes, and study materials in one place. Instead of relying on a single AI answer, use the model that fits the task and move from quick explanations to deeper research without jumping between apps.

Related reading

Learn more about Perplexity and AI research

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July 14, 2026
Common questions

Perplexity on Mac FAQ

Perplexity is an AI research engine that searches the live web and returns answers with inline source citations. ChatGPT is a conversational AI assistant that draws from training data. The practical difference is that Perplexity answers are verifiable because every claim links to a source, while ChatGPT answers may be more fluent and capable for creative or reasoning tasks but are based on knowledge from a training cutoff. Both are available inside Fello AI so you can use each for what it does best.
Yes. Source citations are Perplexity's core differentiating feature. Every response includes numbered inline citations that link to the web pages it pulled information from. You can verify claims directly, which makes it far more reliable for research use cases than models that simply state information from training data without external verification.
Perplexity has a free tier that covers basic searches with limited Pro searches per day. Perplexity Pro costs $20 per month and unlocks enhanced search sessions, access to more powerful underlying models, file uploads, and image generation. Perplexity Max is $200 per month (about $2,000 per year) for the highest usage limits and top frontier models. Perplexity also offers Comet, its own AI browser that has been free for everyone since March 2026 on Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android, with an optional Comet Plus add-on at $5 per month that is included free for Pro and Max subscribers. In Fello AI, you can access Perplexity starting from $9.99 per month alongside over 30 other frontier models.
Perplexity is generally more factually reliable than general-purpose AI chatbots for current information because it searches the live web and links to sources. That said, it can occasionally surface low-quality sources or misinterpret content, especially for niche or ambiguous queries. The citation system makes errors easier to spot and correct compared to a model that simply asserts facts. For critical research, always cross-check key claims.
For many research queries, yes. Perplexity synthesizes web results into a readable answer rather than returning a list of links, which saves significant time. It handles research questions, technical lookups, news tracking, and comparison tasks well. For local search (finding nearby businesses), navigational searches (going directly to a specific website), or highly visual content, Google still has advantages. Many people use Perplexity for research and Google for navigation.
Perplexity Pro is worth it if sourced AI search is your primary daily use case and you do not need other models. At $20 per month it gives you unlimited enhanced searches and access to more powerful models within Perplexity. However, if you also use ChatGPT, Claude, or other models, Fello AI offers better value at $9.99 per month by bundling Perplexity with all other frontier models in one app.
Yes. Perplexity offers a native Mac app available at perplexity.ai/download. It is a focused search experience and works well if Perplexity is the only AI tool you need. Fello AI is the better option if you want Perplexity alongside Claude, GPT-5.6, Gemini, and other models in a single app under one subscription.
Perplexity wins on real-time sourced information because it is searching the live web. Claude and GPT-5.6 have training cutoffs and are not primarily search tools. However, Claude and GPT-5.6 are significantly stronger at reasoning, writing long-form documents, analyzing uploaded files, and coding. The optimal workflow in Fello AI is to use Perplexity to gather current facts and sources, then switch to Claude or GPT-5.6 to produce the final output.
Yes. In Fello AI you can switch between Perplexity and any other model from the model selector. A common workflow is researching a topic with Perplexity, copying the key findings, then switching to Claude or GPT-5.6 to write an article, report, or email based on those findings, all without leaving the app.
Yes. Fello AI supports macOS 12 or later on both Intel and Apple silicon Macs. The app is approximately 30 to 50MB and has a minimal performance footprint, making it a comfortable fit on older hardware as well as the latest M-series Macs.

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