OpenRouter
The unified interface for LLMs. Find the best models & prices for your prompts.
VS
Perplexity AI
AI-powered answer engine for real-time, cited information and advanced research.
Detailed comparison
Criteria
OpenRouter
Perplexity AI
Pricing
Freemium
Freemium
Plans & pricing
Free: Free, Pay-as-you-go: Custom, Enterprise: Custom
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
b2b
b2c
Platforms
Web, Api
Web
API
Yes
No
Open Source
Proprietary
Proprietary
Categories
Operations, information technology & services, Productivity
Specialized Technologies, information technology & services, Search engine
Popularity
Very High
Very High
Description
OpenRouter provides a unified API to access a wide array of Large Language Models from various providers. It helps users find the best models and pric...
Perplexity AI is a research-oriented answer engine that integrates large language models with live web search, transparent citations, document analysi...
Pricing
OpenRouter
Freemium
Perplexity AI
Freemium
Plans & pricing
OpenRouter
Free: Free, Pay-as-you-go: Custom, Enterprise: Custom
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
OpenRouter
No
Perplexity AI
No
Audience
OpenRouter
b2b
Perplexity AI
b2c
Platforms
OpenRouter
Web, Api
Perplexity AI
Web
API
OpenRouter
Yes
Perplexity AI
No
Open Source
OpenRouter
Proprietary
Perplexity AI
Proprietary
Categories
OpenRouter
Operations, information technology & services, Productivity
Perplexity AI
Specialized Technologies, information technology & services, Search engine
Popularity
OpenRouter
Very High
Perplexity AI
Very High
Description
OpenRouter
OpenRouter provides a unified API to access a wide array of Large Language Models from various providers. It helps users find the best models and pric...
Perplexity AI
Perplexity AI is a research-oriented answer engine that integrates large language models with live web search, transparent citations, document analysi...
Features
OpenRouter
Unified API for all major LLMs
Access to 300+ models from 60+ providers
Pay-as-you-go pricing with credit system
Real-time model rankings and price comparison
Free tier with monthly requests
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
OpenRouter
- Unified API for 300+ LLMs
- Real-time LLM price comparison
Perplexity AI
- Real-time answers with cited sources
- Agentic AI workflows (Perplexity Computer)
- Document analysis & specialized focus modes
Other comparisons
FAQ: OpenRouter vs Perplexity AI
OpenRouter: The unified interface for LLMs. Find the best models & prices for your prompts.. 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. OpenRouter is freemium and Perplexity AI is freemium.
The best choice between OpenRouter 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.
OpenRouter is primarily designed for individuals, while Perplexity AI is built for individuals.
OpenRouter offers: Unified API for all major LLMs, Access to 300+ models from 60+ providers, Pay-as-you-go pricing with credit system, Real-time model rankings and price comparison. 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.