Perplexity API Pricing (2026)
Perplexity offers search-augmented Sonar models that combine LLM reasoning with real-time web search, making them uniquely suited for queries requiring current information. Founded in 2022 and headquartered in San Francisco, CA, Perplexity offers 4 active models through their API. All pricing data below is sourced directly from the Perplexity pricing page and is updated regularly.
Prices verified Mar 10, 2026
Perplexity Model Pricing — All Models
All prices are in USD per 1 million tokens ($/M tokens). Input tokens are the text you send to the model; output tokens are the generated response.
| Model | Tier | Input | Output | Cached Input | Batch Input | Batch Output |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sonar Perplexity's lightweight search-augmented model. Grounds responses in real-time web search, making it ideal for queries requiring current events, news, or live data. | Budget | $1.00/M | $1.00/M | — | — | — |
Sonar Pro Perplexity's advanced search-augmented model for complex queries. Supports multi-step reasoning, follow-up questions, and deep research across the web. | Premium | $3.00/M | $15.00/M | — | — | — |
Sonar Reasoning Pro Perplexity's reasoning-focused search model. Uses Chain of Thought to solve complex problems while grounding answers in real-time web search. | Reasoning | $2.00/M | $8.00/M | — | — | — |
Sonar Deep Research Perplexity's most capable research model. Conducts exhaustive multi-step web searches and synthesizes comprehensive reports, comparable to a junior analyst. | Reasoning | $2.00/M | $8.00/M | — | — | — |
Prices last verified: 2026-03-10. Always confirm on the official pricing page before production use.
Perplexity Model Capabilities
Key technical capabilities across all Perplexity models. Use this table to identify which models support the features your application requires.
| Model | Context | Max Output | Vision | Functions | JSON Mode | Caching | Batch API | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonar | 127,072 | 8,192 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sonar Pro | 200,000 | 8,192 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sonar Reasoning Pro | 127,072 | 8,192 | — | — | — | — | — | ✓ |
| Sonar Deep Research | 127,072 | 8,192 | — | — | — | — | — | ✓ |
When to Choose Perplexity
Cost-sensitive workloads
Use Sonar — Perplexity's most affordable model at $1.00/M input / $1.00/M output. Estimated cost at 100K requests/month: $150.00.
Complex or high-accuracy tasks
Use Sonar Reasoning Pro — Perplexity's most capable model (reasoning tier) with a 127,072-token context window. Priced at $2.00/M input / $8.00/M output.
High-volume pipelines
Perplexity models are well-suited for high-throughput workloads. Consider batch API (where supported) for an additional 50% cost reduction on asynchronous pipelines. Check the pricing table above for batch pricing availability.
Compare Perplexity Models vs Competitors
See detailed cost comparisons between Perplexity models and models from other providers, including side-by-side pricing tables and monthly cost projections.
Frequently Asked Questions: Perplexity API Pricing
What is the cheapest Perplexity model?
The cheapest Perplexity model by input token price is Sonar, priced at $1.00/M for input tokens and $1.00/M for output tokens. It is best suited for high-volume, cost-sensitive workloads where speed and price matter most.
What is the most capable Perplexity model?
Sonar Reasoning Pro is Perplexity's most capable model, classified as a reasoning-tier model. It supports a context window of 127,072 tokens and is priced at $2.00/M input / $8.00/M output per million tokens.
How does Perplexity API pricing work?
Perplexity charges per token consumed — separately for input tokens (the text you send) and output tokens (the text the model generates). Prices are listed in USD per 1 million tokens ($/M). Perplexity was founded in 2022 and is headquartered in San Francisco, CA. All pricing shown here is sourced from the official Perplexity pricing page.
Does Perplexity offer batch API pricing?
Perplexity's current model lineup does not include batch API pricing at this time. For cost reduction on high-volume workloads, consider prompt caching (where supported) or running multiple concurrent requests with standard pricing.
Do Perplexity models support vision / image inputs?
None of the current Perplexity models in our dataset support vision input. Perplexity models are text-focused. For multimodal workloads requiring image understanding, consider comparing models from other providers using our comparison tool.
Perplexity pricing data last verified: 2026-03-10. Prices may change — verify on the official Perplexity pricing page before production use.