Perplexity
Built only for search, every claim has a source you can check.
Free, then $20/mo
Best AI search and research
Short answer: Perplexity. Perplexity is the best place to search with AI, and Google AI Mode is the best free option.
Which AI is best for searching the web?
Google AI Mode
Free inside Google, with fresh results and links to sources.
Free, then $19.99/mo
Vane (formerly Perplexica)
Open source; the AI runs on your computer with Ollama.
FreeTechnicalOpen
Kagi
$10 a month for unlimited ad-free search with AI answers.
Free, then $5/mo
In October 2026 Google put Gemini 4 Argon into AI Mode for paying users, and Perplexity's Sonar API was retired in September.
All 9 side by side.
Price, whether it runs on your own computer, and the main catch.
| # | Tool | Best for | Price | On your PC | Main downside |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | PerplexityPerplexity AIBest overall | Quick answers with sources | Free, then $20/mo | No | Its own Sonar models rank near the bottom of LMArena Search |
| 02 | ChatGPT searchOpenAI | Searching while you chat | Free, then $8/mo | No | Free and Go plans show ads |
| 03 | Google AI ModeGoogle | Free everyday AI search | Free, then $19.99/mo | No | Best model, Gemini 4 Argon, is for paying subscribers only |
| 04 | Gemini Deep ResearchGoogle | Free long research reports | Free, then $4.99/mo | No | Limits per plan are not published |
| 05 | ChatGPT deep researchOpenAI | Detailed research reports | Free, then $8/mo | No | Free and Go get only a few runs |
| 06 | Claude ResearchAnthropic | Careful research for paying Claude users | $20/mo | No | Not on the free plan |
| 07 | KagiKagi Inc. | Ad-free private search | Free, then $5/mo | No | No real free plan, only a 100-search trial |
| 08 | You.comYou.com | Developers who need search data | Free | No | Shifted focus from consumers to businesses and developers |
| 09 | Vane (formerly Perplexica)ItzCrazyKns (open-source community) | Private AI search at home | Free | Technical | Needs Docker, a technical install |
Nothing matches. Try another filter.
Pros and cons of all 9
-
Perplexity
Perplexity AI
AI answer engine that cites a source for every claim.
Best overallFree plan- Price
- Free plan, then $20/moUnlimited basic searches, a few Pro searches a day, free Comet browser.
- On your PC
- No, online only
- Clear answers with numbered sources to check
- Pro lets you pick models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google
- Its own Sonar models rank near the bottom of LMArena Search
- Exact Pro and Max limits are not published
-
ChatGPT search
OpenAI · GPT-6 Sol (paid), GPT-6 Luna (free)
Web search built into ChatGPT, top of LMArena's search board.
Free plan- Price
- Free plan, then $8/moIncluded in free ChatGPT, with message limits and ads.
- On your PC
- No, online only
- OpenAI models hold the top 3 spots on LMArena Search
- No extra app, it is inside ChatGPT
- Free and Go plans show ads
- Strongest models need Plus at $20 or more
-
Google AI Mode
Google · Gemini 4 Argon (AI Pro and Ultra)
Google Search that answers in full, with links, for free.
Best freeFree plan- Price
- Free plan, then $19.99/moFree inside Google Search for everyone.
- On your PC
- No, online only
- Free and built into the search engine you already use
- Fresh results from Google's own index
- Best model, Gemini 4 Argon, is for paying subscribers only
- Can sound sure while wrong, so check the links
-
- Price
- Free plan, then $4.99/moIncluded in the free Gemini plan, with limits.
- On your PC
- No, online only
- Free plan includes it, unlike Claude Research
- Can also search your Gmail and Drive, with permission
- Limits per plan are not published
- Reports are long; you still need to check the sources
-
ChatGPT deep research
OpenAI
ChatGPT's research mode that browses for minutes and writes reports.
Free plan- Price
- Free plan, then $8/moFree plan gets a limited number of research runs.
- On your PC
- No, online only
- Thorough reports with citations
- OpenAI leads LMArena's search board
- Free and Go get only a few runs
- Exact monthly counts are no longer published
-
Claude Research
Anthropic · Claude Opus 5.5
Claude's multi-step research mode, strong on careful reports.
- Price
- From $20/mo
- On your PC
- No, online only
- Claude models rank 4th and 6th on LMArena Search
- Included in every paid Claude plan from $20
- Not on the free plan
- Free Claude has basic web search only
-
- Price
- Free plan, then $5/moTrial with 100 searches and 100 Assistant chats.
- On your PC
- No, online only
- No ads and no tracking, you are the customer
- Ultimate includes Claude, GPT-6, Gemini 4 Argon and more
- No real free plan, only a 100-search trial
- Research mode needs the $25 Ultimate plan
-
- Price
- Free100 free Web Search API queries a day; consumer limits unclear.
- On your PC
- No, online only
- Cheap search API for apps and agents
- Research API for deep reports
- Shifted focus from consumers to businesses and developers
- No public consumer pricing page
-
Vane (formerly Perplexica)
ItzCrazyKns (open-source community)
Free open-source Perplexity alternative that runs on your computer.
Best on your computerFreeOpen sourceRuns on your PC- Price
- Free, open sourceFree software; use local models or your own API keys.
- On your PC
- TechnicalAny 8 GB laptop with a small 8B model; faster with a GPU
- Your searches stay on your machine
- Works with local models through Ollama
- Needs Docker, a technical install
- Small local models give weaker answers than Perplexity
1 of these run on your own computer.
Private and offline. Check what your machine can handle.
| Tool | Setup | You need |
|---|---|---|
| Vane (formerly Perplexica) | Technical | Any 8 GB laptop with a small 8B model; faster with a GPU |
Quick answers.
What is the best free AI search engine?
Google AI Mode is free inside Google Search. Perplexity's free plan gives unlimited basic searches and a few Pro searches a day. ChatGPT search is also free, with ads.
Perplexity vs ChatGPT search, which is better?
OpenAI models top LMArena's search board, so ChatGPT search gives very good answers. Perplexity is built only for search and shows sources more clearly. Both cost $20 a month for the full version.
Which deep research tool is free?
Gemini Deep Research is included in the free Gemini plan. ChatGPT's free plan gets a few deep research runs. Claude Research needs Pro at $20 a month.
Is Perplexity Pro worth $20?
If you search many times a day, yes. Pro gives many more advanced searches and lets you choose models from OpenAI, Anthropic and Google. Max at $200 is only for heavy daily research.
Can I run an AI search engine locally?
Yes. Vane, formerly Perplexica, is free open-source software that runs with Docker and local Ollama models. It still searches the web, but the AI that reads results runs at home.
Rankings we read: LMArena Search (arena.ai), LMArena leaderboard dataset (Hugging Face). Prices from each official pricing page, checked 2026-11-05.