Character.AI
AI Chat, Reimagined – Your Words. Your World.
VS
Perplexity AI
AI-powered answer engine for real-time, cited information and advanced research.
Detailed comparison
Criteria
Character.AI
Perplexity AI
Pricing
Freemium
Freemium
Plans & pricing
Free: Free, c.ai+: $9.99/mo
Free Plan: Free, Perplexity Pro: $16.67/mo, Education Pro: $10/mo, Perplexity Max: $166.67/mo, Perplexity Enterprise Pro: $33.33/mo, Perplexity Enterprise Max: $270.83/mo, API Pricing: Custom
Free trial
No
No
Audience
b2c
b2c
Platforms
Web, Ios, Android
Web
API
No
No
Open Source
Proprietary
Proprietary
Categories
Communication, information technology & services, Chatting
Specialized Technologies, information technology & services, Search engine
Popularity
Very High
Very High
Description
Character.AI is an AI chatbot platform where users can create and interact with AI characters powered by large language models. These characters can b...
Perplexity AI is a research-oriented answer engine that integrates large language models with live web search, transparent citations, document analysi...
Pricing
Character.AI
Freemium
Perplexity AI
Freemium
Plans & pricing
Character.AI
Free: Free, c.ai+: $9.99/mo
Perplexity AI
Free Plan: Free, Perplexity Pro: $16.67/mo, Education Pro: $10/mo, Perplexity Max: $166.67/mo, Perplexity Enterprise Pro: $33.33/mo, Perplexity Enterprise Max: $270.83/mo, API Pricing: Custom
Free trial
Character.AI
No
Perplexity AI
No
Audience
Character.AI
b2c
Perplexity AI
b2c
Platforms
Character.AI
Web, Ios, Android
Perplexity AI
Web
API
Character.AI
No
Perplexity AI
No
Open Source
Character.AI
Proprietary
Perplexity AI
Proprietary
Categories
Character.AI
Communication, information technology & services, Chatting
Perplexity AI
Specialized Technologies, information technology & services, Search engine
Popularity
Character.AI
Very High
Perplexity AI
Very High
Description
Character.AI
Character.AI is an AI chatbot platform where users can create and interact with AI characters powered by large language models. These characters can b...
Perplexity AI
Perplexity AI is a research-oriented answer engine that integrates large language models with live web search, transparent citations, document analysi...
Features
Character.AI
Create and customize AI characters with unique personalities and backstories
Engage in advanced, context-aware conversations with AI characters
Utilize voice chat to speak directly with AI characters
Participate in group chats with multiple users and AI characters
Benefit from continuous improvements in character memory for consistent interactions
Access creator tools for fine-tuning character behavior and responses
Perplexity AI
Real-time answers with cited sources
Perplexity Computer for autonomous, multi-model AI workflows
Access to advanced AI models (GPT-5.1, Claude Opus 4.5, o3-pro, etc.)
File upload and analysis (PDFs, spreadsheets, reports)
Comet AI-native browser for integrated web assistance
Focus Modes for targeted searches (Web, Academic, Social, Health, Finance)
Key differentiators
Character.AI
- User-created, customizable AI characters
- Advanced, context-aware conversations
- Voice & group chat capabilities
Perplexity AI
- Real-time answers with cited sources
- Agentic AI workflows (Perplexity Computer)
- Document analysis & specialized focus modes
Other comparisons
FAQ: Character.AI vs Perplexity AI
Character.AI: AI Chat, Reimagined – Your Words. Your World.. Perplexity AI: AI-powered answer engine for real-time, cited information and advanced research.. Both tools take different approaches to address similar needs.
Both offer a free or freemium plan. Character.AI is freemium and Perplexity AI is freemium.
The best choice between Character.AI and Perplexity AI depends on your specific needs. Compare their features, pricing, and target audience on this page to find the tool that best fits your use case.
Both are primarily designed for individuals. The choice depends on which specific features you need.
Character.AI offers: Create and customize AI characters with unique personalities and backstories, Engage in advanced, context-aware conversations with AI characters, Utilize voice chat to speak directly with AI characters, Participate in group chats with multiple users and AI characters. Perplexity AI offers: Real-time answers with cited sources, Perplexity Computer for autonomous, multi-model AI workflows, Access to advanced AI models (GPT-5.1, Claude Opus 4.5, o3-pro, etc.), File upload and analysis (PDFs, spreadsheets, reports).
Based on our data, Perplexity AI currently enjoys greater popularity. However, popularity isn't the only factor — compare features to find the right tool for your needs.