While Google has been the go-to search engine for decades, Perplexity Pro's comprehensive features and AI-powered Internet search could make it a formidable competitor.
But which search engine should you use? Google and Perplexity were tested in many search categories to see which engine was best.
1. Recipes
First, Google and Perplexity Pro were asked to find gluten-free Christmas cookie recipes. Google search results are mostly images, and for each recipe featured, you get a brief summary of the necessary ingredients. You can also see star ratings, but to be honest, few people pay attention to these when it comes to recipes.

Perplexity Pro, on the other hand, is primarily text-based. This tool provides a broader overview of the source, but the lack of images in the app is an issue. Can choose Search Images on the right side, a little better, but Google's layout is better.

While Google has a better recipe layout (and you can use Google effectively to get better results), Perplexity's descriptions for each recipe are better than Google's. In essence, the perfect search engine would be a combination of Google's images and Perplexity's descriptions. Because their strengths and weaknesses cancel each other out, each tool gets one point.
Winning options: Draw
2. Travel tips and destinations
Next, turn to travel and plan a 10-day fantasy trip to Switzerland. First, ask Perplexity to provide an actionable itinerary. Besides providing resources, this tool also provides a rough daily plan.

If you want to start and end at the same location, issue this prompt:
Give me a 10-day Switzerland itinerary, starting and finishing in Zürich.
Roughly translated: Give me a 10-day itinerary in Switzerland, starting and ending in Zürich.
More accurate results and better travel tips from Perplexity.

Next, enter a long search into Google:
10-day Switzerland itinerary that starts and finishes in Zürich
Roughly translated: The 10-day Switzerland itinerary begins and ends in Zürich
Google provides a mixture of articles and forums, but only one of them actually answers the question posed. With the ease of refining searches in Perplexity and its level of detail, Perplexity gets the point. However, still use Google to find high-quality blogs that support research and provide more unique tips.
Winning option: Perplexity
3. General knowledge
Besides more complex searches, compare Google and Perplexity when answering basic questions. Experiment with some general knowledge queries:
- The world's southernmost settlement
- The largest eagle species by wingspan
- The year of the first commercial flight
Google is much faster at finding the answer to the first question. However, the second question is worse. Perplexity gives a more absolute answer, while Google provides a list of many non-eagle bird species.
They both came to the same conclusion with the third question, but Google was much faster. For most general knowledge queries, Google should be used for speed and accuracy. However, contrasting with Perplexity is also a good idea for controversial events.

Winning option: Google
4. Shopping recommendations
Next, Google and Perplexity were asked to recommend outdoor clothing for a winter trip to Iceland. Wanting specific brands and not just a quick overview, the example searched specifically for fleece.
Google has provided a list of videos and forum discussions before getting to the articles. Finding the answer requires a bit of digging, but the way you can see specific brands mentioned when you click on each video is quite interesting.

Perplexity is more direct. It fulfilled the brief by recommending specific brands. You can then do a follow-up search to dive deeper into the best brands and learn more about different types of wool. Because Perplexity answered the specific question asked and allowed for deeper detail, it was awarded one point. Perplexity also has a useful AI shopping feature.

Winning option: Perplexity
5. TV and movie recommendations
Next, Google and Perplexity were asked to recommend TV shows and movies. Layout aside, they are very similar. Perplexity has provided a list of recent releases and then a separate list of the best movies of all time.

Meanwhile, Google provides a visual overview before revealing articles on the topic. Both apps list similar results when searching for movies; This part is a tie.

Winning options: Draw
6. Instructions
It's always great to know what to do if something goes wrong, so next try Google and Perplexity for help unclogging a clogged drain.
Perplexity is the best AI powered search engine for queries like this, You will get clear steps for different things you can do. When trying to solve a problem, it's often easier to read each step than to replay parts of the video.

Unfortunately, Google provided the video listing first. In this situation, a quick answer is more helpful, and watching multiple videos doesn't cut it (in addition to needing to sift through many results).

Winning option: Perplexity