AI chat · replacement recipe

Go from Perplexity to ChatGPT

The job: AI search answers (AI web search with citations, Model choice, Deep research). Pick where you are today and where you want to land; the move below follows your pick.

From · what you pay for now
Perplexity
Perplexity Pro · $20/mo
Year one+$190modeled
To · your pickBest fit
ChatGPT
Free plan · $0 a month
Change where you land

The money

$20/mo today $0/mo

Perplexity Pro

Year one, net+$190
Pays back in2.5 months

Modeled from public list prices, with your time at $50 an hour. Show the math

Does it do the job? 2 of 3 covered

  • AI web search with citations
  • Model choice
  • Deep research

The work

Setup
About 1 h
Upkeep
None
Watch out
Doesn't cover: Model choice

Make the move in four steps

  1. Export from Perplexity

    Download your data and files before you change anything.

  2. Set up ChatGPT

    ChatGPT Free includes web search with sources and limited deep research.

    Details

  3. Switch links and integrations

    Point links, embeds and integrations at ChatGPT, then send a test through every one.

  4. Cancel Perplexity

    Turn off renewal before your renewal date, once the new setup works. Access runs until: The end of the current billing cycle.

    How to cancel Perplexity
Open ChatGPTHow to cancel Perplexity
Modeled, not measured. Savings use public prices and planning assumptions: the bill you stop paying, minus the new tool, your upkeep time and your setup time at $50/hour, over the first 12 months. Paths marked Tested by Stackcut were run end to end by us on our own products. They're our tests, not customer results. Check the must-haves in each recipe before you switch.

The whole recipe: 3 ways out, best first

What you use

  • AI web search with citations
  • Model choice
  • Deep research

Not covered

  • File uploads
  • Spaces
  • Image generation
  • Comet browser assistant

Check before switching

  • You only rely on: AI web search with citations, Model choice, Deep research
  • Export your data from Perplexity before canceling

Agents: get_recipe("replace-perplexity") on the Stackcut MCP server.

3 ways out, best first

Switch vendorChatGPT (free tier)Saves $190 in year one
$20/mo today → $0/mo · setup 1 h · then $240/yr · payback 2.5 mo
If your use fits the free tier (Unlimited text chats with guardrails; limited uploads, image generation, voice, deep research).
Covers 67% of the core features (not: Model choice)
ChatGPT Free includes web search with sources and limited deep research.
How we got this
You pay now: Perplexity Proflat price$20/mo
New cost: ChatGPT (free tier)free plan$0/mo
Difference each month$20 − $0+$20/mo
Over 12 months+$20 × 12+$240
Setup, once1 h × $50/h−$50
Year one+$240 − $50+$190
  • Not counting your time (1 h in year one): saves $240 in year one.

Year one = 12 × (what you pay now − the new cost − upkeep) − setup, with your time at $50/hour. Prices are public list prices; hours are Stackcut’s planning estimates. Price it for your team

Sources: perplexity.aichatgpt.com
Agent skillExa MCP serverPriced by usage
Free to install; needs Exa API (Price not read on 2026-09-25.)
Cited web research from your existing agent, paid per search instead of an AI-search subscription.
Covers 33% of the core features (not: Model choice, Deep research)
Assumes you already pay for an agent that runs skills (any MCP client); that agent's cost isn't counted. Needs Exa API: priced by usage, so this way isn't priced here. Setup (2 h) and upkeep (0.5 h a month) are Stackcut's estimates; not tested by Stackcut.
License: MIT
Install: claude plugin install exa@claude-plugins-official (Codex: codex mcp add exa --url https://mcp.exa.ai/mcp)
Sources: github.comraw.githubusercontent.comperplexity.ai
Agent skillTavily plugin (search, extract, crawl, research)Priced by usage
Free to install; needs Tavily API (Price not read on 2026-09-25.)
Cited multi-source research reports from your agent (tavily-research), paid per call.
Covers 67% of the core features (not: Model choice)
Assumes you already pay for an agent that runs skills (Cursor (or any MCP client via Tavily's MCP server)); that agent's cost isn't counted. Needs Tavily API: priced by usage, so this way isn't priced here. Setup (1 h) and upkeep (0.5 h a month) are Stackcut's estimates; not tested by Stackcut.
License: MIT
Install: Install 'Tavily' from the Cursor Marketplace (https://cursor.com/marketplace/tavily)
Sources: github.comraw.githubusercontent.comperplexity.ai

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