Meta AI vs Perplexity
Meta AI and Perplexity compared on what matters day to day: price, features, apps and privacy.
Data as of October 22, 2026
Side-by-side comparison
| Criterion | Meta AI | Perplexity |
|---|---|---|
| Developer | Meta | Perplexity AI |
| Country | United States | United States |
| Launched | September 2023 | Not disclosed |
| Free version | Yes, limited | Yes, limited |
| Plans | from $7.99 / month | from $10 / month |
| Web search | Not disclosed | Yes |
| Agent mode | Not disclosed | Yes |
| File upload | Not disclosed | Yes |
| Image generation | Yes | Yes |
| Voice mode | Yes | Not disclosed |
| Memory | Not disclosed | Yes |
| Code execution | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Autonomous browsing | Not disclosed | Yes |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| macOS | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Browser extension | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| French interface | Yes | Yes |
| Spanish interface | Yes | Yes |
| Opt out of training on your chats | Yes | Yes |
| Temporary chat | Not disclosed | Yes |
| EU data residency | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
Who are they?
Meta AI is made by Meta, launched in 2023; Perplexity by Perplexity AI. Both answer questions, write and summarise, but their plans, features and privacy rules differ.
Meta AI runs on Muse Spark; Perplexity runs on Sonar.
Survey carried out on October 22, 2026 from the official pages of both services.
Free or paid?
At a comparable entry plan, Meta AI is the cheaper one. Higher tiers mostly add usage volume and advanced features.
- Meta AI: limited free version
- Perplexity: limited free version
- Meta AI: first paid plan at $7.99 per month
- Perplexity: first paid plan at $10 per month
What they can do
Both offer: image generation.
Not confirmed for one of the two: web search, agent mode, file upload, voice mode, memory and autonomous browsing.
In total, of the 8 features we track, 2 are confirmed for Meta AI and 6 for Perplexity. A feature may only be available on a paid plan: check before you subscribe.
Where to use them
Both available on: Web, iPhone and Android.
Privacy
Both allow: opt out of training on your chats.
In short
The best way to decide is still to try both free versions on the same task. To widen the choice, use the AI assistants comparison or the which-AI quiz.
- Choose Meta AI for creating images.
- Choose Perplexity for teamwork.
Other comparisons
Frequently asked questions
Meta AI or Perplexity: which one is free?
Meta AI: limited free version. Perplexity: limited free version.
Which one is cheaper?
Meta AI has the cheaper entry-level paid plan. Meta AI: first paid plan at $7.99 per month. Perplexity: first paid plan at $10 per month.
Which one protects my data best?
Perplexity, with 2 of three safeguards confirmed (training opt-out, temporary chat, EU data residency), versus 1.
Which one should I choose?
Choose Meta AI for creating images. Choose Perplexity for teamwork.
Data sources
Data as of October 22, 2026
Report an error
Does a figure, a date or a fact look wrong? Tell us: every report is checked.