The entry prices are effectively identical, so the decision is about the bundle rather than the bill.
TL;DR
Gemini charges $0 for its free app, $19.99 per month for Google AI Pro and from $99.99 per month for Google AI Ultra, with a $199.99 higher-usage tier. Perplexity charges $0 for its free tier, $20 per month for Pro and $200 per month for Max, with Enterprise Pro from $40 per seat per month. The paid entry points differ by a cent; the differences are in what each bundle carries — Google's storage and app integrations against Perplexity's research credits and frontier-model access.
Google's Gemini plans run as a ladder: the free app at $0 per month with a Google account provides access to Gemini 3.6 Flash with varying access to 3.1 Pro, image generation and editing, Deep Research, Gemini Live, Canvas, Gems and 15 GB of storage. Google AI Pro at $19.99 per month raises usage roughly four times over free, adds video generation and a daily briefing, 1,000 Google Flow credits, higher access to Gemini 3 Pro and Deep Search, agentic capabilities, Gemini inside Gmail, Docs and Vids, a Google Home Premium standard plan, YouTube Premium Lite and 5 TB of storage. Google AI Ultra starts at $99.99 per month with a $199.99 tier for roughly twenty times the AI Pro usage limits.
Perplexity keeps a free tier and two individual plans: Pro at $20 per month adds expanded Computer access, 4,000 bonus credits, deep research, access to top AI models with model selection, document and app creation, higher usage limits and memory; Max at $200 per month ($2,000 billed annually per its help centre) adds maximum Computer usage, 10,000 monthly credits, expert-level research, frontier AI models, priority access to new features and the highest usage limits. For teams, Perplexity publishes Enterprise Pro from $40 per seat per month ($400 per seat per year), and Education Pro at $10 per month with student verification.
| Feature | Gemini | Perplexity |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Free with a Google account: Flash access, image generation, Deep Research, 15 GB | Free tier at $0 for everyday questions |
| Entry paid plan | Google AI Pro $19.99 per month | Pro $20 per month |
| Top individual plan | Google AI Ultra from $99.99 per month, with a $199.99 higher tier | Max $200 per month, or $2,000 per year |
| Team or business | Google does not publish a separate team price on the Gemini plans page | Enterprise Pro from $40 per seat per month ($400 per seat per year) |
| What the money adds | Roughly four times free usage, 5 TB storage, 1,000 Flow credits, Gemini in Google apps | Expanded Computer access, 4,000 bonus credits, deep research, model selection |
| Storage | 15 GB on free, 5 TB on AI Pro | No storage tier; plans add usage credits instead |
| Model access | 3.6 Flash on free with varying 3.1 Pro access; higher Gemini 3 Pro access on AI Pro | Top AI models with selection on Pro; frontier models on Max |
| Discounted routes | Free tier requires no payment | Education Pro at $10 per month with student verification |
| Platform | Browser, Android and iOS apps | Browser, Android and iOS apps |
| Offline editing | No offline use for live model access | No offline use for live model access |
Pick Gemini if
The $19.99 AI Pro plan raises usage, adds Deep Search and Flow credits, and puts the model inside Gmail and Docs while carrying 5 TB of storage and a video perk. Perplexity is the better buy for someone who wants an answer engine rather than a bundle.
Pick Perplexity if
Pro at $20 adds deep research, model selection and Computer access for a dollar less than Google's plan, and the credit structure makes heavy research months predictable. Google's storage and app integration matter more than those extras for anyone living in Workspace.
We collected no independent reviews, ratings or user quotations for Gemini or Perplexity in this run. Prices and feature lists were read from gemini.google, perplexity.ai pricing pages and Perplexity's help centre; usage claims such as four-times limits are the vendors' own.
Google AI Pro is $19.99 per month and Perplexity Pro is $20 per month, a difference of one cent. The bundles diverge immediately: Google adds 5 TB of storage and app integrations, Perplexity adds research credits and Computer access.
Both publish the capability at their entry paid tier: Gemini lists Deep Research on the free plan and Deep Search on AI Pro, while Perplexity lists deep research on Pro and expert-level research with 10,000 monthly credits on Max.
Google AI Ultra starts at $99.99 per month with a $199.99 tier for higher usage, and Perplexity Max is $200 per month or $2,000 per year. Google's cheapest heavy tier is therefore about half the price of Perplexity's.
Perplexity publishes Enterprise Pro from $40 per seat per month, or $400 per seat per year, with a trust centre and a data-not-used-for-training policy. Google does not publish a separate team price on its Gemini plans page, where the tiers shown are Free, AI Pro and AI Ultra.
Perplexity lists Education Pro at $10 per month with verification through SheerID. Google's Gemini plans page shows no student-specific price; education discounts appear elsewhere in Google's ecosystem rather than on this page.
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