P 
Perplexity Pro
Answer-engine search is now bundled into every big chatbot.
KINDA
why this verdict
Downgrade — pay for the workflow, not the AI
ChatGPT Search and Gemini cover the headline feature free, so the $20/mo is now paying for the workflow around it.
- A named launch, not a vibe named, unlinked
- ChatGPT Search + native web browsing. OpenAI, October 31, 2024 — no announcement link recorded yet.
- How much of the job it covers headline only editorial call
- The headline feature, but not the workflow, data or integrations around it.
- Is there a free way to do it? yes
- 2 of 2 listed replacements have a usable free tier: ChatGPT Search and Gemini.
- What the call is worth $240/yr
- $20/mo at the entry paid tier — $240 a year per seat.
Reason composed from the fields above missing: announcement linked recorded: free replacement listed recorded: two or more escape hatches
- Threatened by
- OpenAI
- Since
- October 31, 2024
- List price
- $20/mo
- Per year
- $240
The backstory
Perplexity built a beloved answer engine — cited, fast, conversational. Then ChatGPT Search and Gemini shipped native web browsing with citations, folding the core feature into subscriptions people already hold. Perplexity is wounded but fighting: its focused UX, source transparency, and Comet browser give it identity beyond "search in a chatbot".
Escape hatches
switching could free up $240/yr C 
ChatGPT Search Bundled web search with citations.
chat.openai.com open_in_new G 
Gemini Grounded answers backed by Google Search.
gemini.google.com open_in_new2 of 2 replacements have a usable free tier.