Is Perplexity Pro worth the subscription? This free shipping perk just might convince me

AI search engines combine the conversational capabilities of chatbots with the web, creating a new, optimized search experience. Despite their proficiency in research, AI search engines fall short in certain areas, such as online shopping. However, Perplexity hopes to change that with this new feature. 

Also: The best AI chatbots of 2024: ChatGPT, Copilot, and worthy alternatives

On Monday, Perplexity is rolling out what the company is calling a “first-of-its-kind AI commerce experience” in which users can research products via conversational prompts and image inputs, checkout with one click, and even get free shopping on all purchases. 

The biggest difference between a traditional shopping search experience and Perplexity’s shopping assistant is that when you ask a shopping-related question, you get comparisons in everyday language that feature a variety of reviews, “objective” answers, and product cards with the most relevant specs and items, according to the company. 

Also: Amazon’s AI Shopping Guides help you find what you need

The items featured on the product cards are not sponsored but are handpicked by AI to match the search prompt. Users also have the option of Snap to Shop; which allows users to take a photo of an item and ask Perplexity to visually find relevant products that match, similar to Google Lens. 

Using Buy with Pro, consumers can checkout with one click, requiring users to save their shipping and billing information just once. Other benefits of Perplexity Pro include access to at least 300 Pro Searches a day, a more robust search experience, access to the most popular and advanced AI models, including GPT-4o and Claude 3 Sonnet and Opus; API credit; and file analysis. 

Also: Perplexity AI’s new tool makes researching the stock market ‘delightful’. Here’s how

The experience comes at a cost, retailing at $20 per month. Although subscriptions may seem steep, it does guarantee free shipping on all Buy with Pro purchases, which may help you get your money’s worth quickly. If Buy with Pro isn’t available, users will be redirected to the merchant’s website to complete the purchase. 

Perplexity shares that the shopping experience is powered by multiple partners, including Shopify, which provides Perplexity with the latest product information. Additionally, the company is introducing a free Perplexity Merchant Program, which allows merchants to share their product specs for the latest live details in the experience. Signing up is as easy as filling out the form.