Is ChatGPT Plus or Perplexity the better AI chatbot?

Much of the credit for the artificial intelligence boom goes to OpenAI, as it has opened doors for other companies. Perplexity is based on OpenAI's GPT technology but is specially trained as a chatbot.

Compare these 2 AI chatbots in various aspects (like underlying technology, response quality and stability) to determine which one is better trained to be a research/virtual chat assistant your.

1. Technology (GPT-3 vs GPT-4)

The language model difference is by far the biggest gap between the two chatbots. Perplexity uses the GPT-3 model, an earlier generation of OpenAI's language model. While GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 have many advantages, GPT-3 is still a powerful tool for creating cohesive and contextually relevant text.

ChatGPT Plus (paid version of the free OpenAI chatbot, ChatGPT) gives you access to newer language models, GPT-3.5 (essentially an enhanced version of GPT-3) and GPT-4 . It has been trained on an even larger data set, making it more accurate and capable of understanding complex requirements.

GPT-4 takes those improvements even further with multimodal capabilities that allow it to understand images and text. GPT-4 also has a better understanding of context and improved problem-solving skills. Combine that with good creativity and safer feedback, and it's clear that the GPT-4 is much more impressive than its predecessor.

2. Functions

Both tools differ in functionality. ChatGPT's knowledge is limited to the data it has been trained on, the deadline is September 2021. However, its strength lies in its ability to engage in natural conversations with you, this may be more useful for some applications.

On the other hand, Perplexity is like a search engine that provides suggestions and resources to satisfy your queries. It is designed to search the web in real time to provide up-to-date information on various topics. However, the conversational skills are a bit lackluster. ChatGPT certainly feels more refined in this respect. To illustrate the functional difference, the author asked both chatbots to provide information on the best Android smartphones released in 2022.

ChatGPT provided a detailed response explaining why but did not provide any links. This is because chatbots do not have web search capabilities.

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With a similar claim, Perplexity provides links to the best Android smartphones released in 2022. It even provides the sources for its decision but doesn't elaborate on the choices. , which is an important aspect of the buyer education process.

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3. Price

ChatGPT Plus costs $20/month (which doesn't seem too big to many) for its services. On the other hand, Perplexity is offered completely free of charge (of course, it may try to monetize the service in the future).

You can also use the free version of ChatGPT. It works pretty well but doesn't give you access to GPT-4. OpenAI is spending a lot of money maintaining its chatbot, so they have to monetize it somehow.

On the other hand, ChatGPT Plus is still great value for money, especially if you want access to GPT-4 and priority access to new features. There's no clear winner here, as Perplexity is well worth a try, given it's free.

4. Feedback

To compare performance in terms of responses, a series of tests was conducted between the two chatbots. The same question is raised for both language models for better analysis.

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Tests show that ChatGPT Plus consistently outperforms Perplexity by providing detailed and clear feedback. In addition, it demonstrates a remarkable ability to give logical and detailed answers.

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Perplexity produces good quality responses but lacks the level of clarity and detail that ChatGPT Plus exhibits.

These findings show that ChatGPT Plus is more effective at generating informative and insightful responses when compared to Perplexity. On the other hand, Perplexity is web searchable, which means it can be more accurate in some cases.

5. Platforms Supported

While ChatGPT Plus has a paid version and a huge user base, it is only available for the web. You can try using ChatGPT from your iOS or Android device, but there is no dedicated mobile app.

Perplexity is also available on the web, but with an additional app for iPhone users. This means you can easily access one of the most powerful search engines right in your pocket. Unfortunately, there is no Android version for the app yet.

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The Perplexity app also boasts a voice command feature that allows users to send hands-free reminders. While there are many ways to control ChatGPT Plus by voice, there is no official feature that can help you to do so.

6. Speed ​​and stability

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In terms of speed, both ChatGPT Plus and Perplexity are on par. ChatGPT's GPT-4 model is slower than the GPT-3.5 model, but when compared to GPT-3 in terms of complexity, the difference is almost negligible. Out of all these models, the GPT-3.5 is the fastest.

In terms of stability, ChatGPT often stops working when overloaded. It is the most popular chatbot today, so the demand is very high. Thankfully, stability is not an issue if you subscribe to the Plus version. Perplexity does not have this problem at all.

7. Compare with Bing

Microsoft's investment in OpenAI allows them to incorporate a version of GPT-4 into Bing. Bing Chat is the newest AI-powered search engine/chatbot and it's already impressive. You can use it on the web and on your phone by downloading the Bing AI app.

It works similarly to Perplexity, but uses the newer GPT-4 language model. This means Bing Chat is the best option. It can access information from the Internet in real time, provide resources and solve complex problems.

Unfortunately, it still looks like a beta at the moment. Microsoft is being cautious with its approach, and this means Bing Chat won't respond to prompts it deems "controversial". However, Bing Chat is still worth a try because it's free.

ChatGPT Plus and Perplexity: Two different and impressive chatbots

Both ChatGPT Plus and Perplexity offer unique features and advantages if you want to enhance your writing, programming or research projects. While ChatGPT Plus is more flexible and gives better feedback, Perplexity is equally useful as it can search the web in real time.

ChatGPT wins here for its better response and attention to detail, but the article recommends trying both for a more objective view. The final choice depends on your needs and preferences.

Micah Soto

Update 27 June 2023