Comparison
SearchQ vs Perplexity
SearchQ and Perplexity both ground answers in live web search with citations. Perplexity is a fast, search-first research tool. SearchQ is a broader assistant that automatically routes each question to the best model across many labs, fact-checks answers with a second model, and lets you set how private every conversation is.
Feature comparison
| Capability | SearchQ | Perplexity |
|---|---|---|
| Privacy & data retention | A per-chat privacy dial: Cloud, Encrypted (confidential-compute enclave), or Local (in-browser). SearchQ never trains on your conversations. | Threads are saved to your account; an AI data-retention toggle and incognito threads are available, and data may be used to improve models unless you opt out. Enterprise plans add stricter controls. |
| Model choice | Best-Model routing sends each question to the strongest of dozens of frontier models across every major lab - you never pick. Pin a specific model anytime. | Pro users can pick the underlying model (from several leading labs) per query, with an automatic default. Free use is limited to its default model. |
| Answer verification | A separate peer model fact-checks each answer, highlighting verified, questionable, and unsupported claims inline. A multi-model council can also reach a consensus answer. | No second-model fact-check, but answers are citation-first - every claim links to numbered sources you can open and verify. |
| Web search | Always-on web search - capable models pull in current information and cite sources automatically when a question needs fresh facts. | Search is the core of the product: every answer is grounded in a live web search with inline citations, plus focus modes and deeper research modes. |
| Document chat | Upload PDFs, images, and files and ask about them; text is extracted (OCR included). In Local mode documents are processed entirely on-device. | Supports file uploads and analysis, and Spaces let you organize files and threads around a topic. |
| On-device option | Local mode runs the model fully in your browser, offline - nothing leaves your device. | Cloud-only; there is no in-browser or fully offline mode. |
| Price | Free to start; paid plans raise usage limits. Local mode is free and unlimited. | Free tier with limits; Pro around $20/month unlocks model choice and higher research limits, plus Enterprise plans. |
When to choose which
Choose SearchQ when
- You want the best model picked for every question instead of choosing from a menu.
- You want answers fact-checked by a second model, or several models compared at once.
- You need a privacy dial, from cloud sync to an encrypted enclave to fully on-device.
- You want a general assistant that also writes, reasons, and chats with documents, not only search.
Choose Perplexity when
- Cited web research is your main use case and you want sources on every answer by default.
- You like focus modes and Spaces for organizing research around a topic.
- You want a fast, search-first interface purpose-built for finding and summarizing current information.
Frequently asked questions
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The bottom line
Perplexity is excellent at cited web research with a fast, search-first interface. SearchQ matches the always-on, cited search and goes further: it routes every question to the best model across many labs, fact-checks the answer with a second model, and lets you dial privacy from cloud to encrypted to fully on-device - a more accurate, more private general assistant that still searches the web.
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