Perplexity (the San Francisco-headquartered AI search startup) has launched a new premium subscription plan called ‘Perplexity Max’, priced at $200 per month. This plan is designed for users who need unlimited access to advanced AI tools and early access to new features. It includes full and unrestricted use of the company’s newly introduced ‘Labs‘ workspace, early access to new products, preferred access to advanced AI models (like OpenAI’s o3-pro and Anthropic’s Claude Opus 4), and faster customer support. Currently, this latest plan is available on the web and iOS platforms.
The Labs feature is one of the key components of this new plan. It allows users to go beyond simple search by building interactive reports, spreadsheets, dashboards, and even basic web applications. While Labs is also available on lower-tier plans in a limited form, Perplexity Max removes all usage restrictions, making it ideal for users who need to run multiple complex tasks or conduct large-scale research.
Along with Labs, Max subscribers get early access to Comet (Perplexity’s AI-powered browser). The company plans to release Comet broadly in the future, but Max users will be the first to try it as part of their subscription. Notably, last month, the AI startup launched Comet for Windows in early access (currently available on an invite-only basis).
The $200 plan is clearly the company’s most expensive option so far. It is above the Pro plan, which costs $20 per month and offers limited access to advanced models and some Labs features. There is also the Enterprise Pro plan at $40 per user per month, which includes team tools and internal document search.
“We will be launching an Enterprise version of Max with unlimited Labs queries in the near future,” the firm said in a blog post.
The timing of introducing a new plan is notable, as last year (2024), the Aravind Srinivas-led company generated around $34 million in revenue, mostly from its $20/month Pro subscription. However, it spent an estimated $65 million during the same period, mainly on cloud computing and licensing costs for large language models. The latest development becomes more significant as the AI startup is reportedly close to raising $500 million in a new funding round, possibly increasing its valuation to $14 billion. Even tech giants like Apple and Meta have reportedly explored the possibility of acquiring Perplexity in recent months.
However, despite its rapid growth, the company is facing its own challenges and controversies. It competes in a tough market alongside major tech companies like Google and OpenAI. Recently, the AI firm also faced backlash over privacy concerns. In a podcast, CEO Aravind Srinivas sparked criticism when he mentioned that Comet (AI browser) could potentially “get data even outside the app to better understand you”. The remark raised alarms about user privacy. But he later clarified that his comment had been taken out of context and assured users that they would have complete control.