Perplexity Computer
Perplexity AI · Perplexity Computer: Multi-Model AI Agent for Delegated Research, Documents, and Scheduled Work
Perplexity Computer is the agent built into paid Perplexity plans. It takes a goal, splits it across subagents and 20+ frontier models, and returns finished work such as research reports, spreadsheets, slide decks, web apps, and sent emails, and it can keep running on a schedule. It fits Perplexity Pro and Max subscribers who want to hand off multi-step knowledge work rather than ask one question at a time.
Best for
Perplexity Pro, Max, and Enterprise users who want to delegate research-heavy, multi-step work, such as competitive analysis, financial models, recurring briefs, and decks, and who value cited sources and the option to keep sensitive files on their own hardware
Not ideal for
Users who want predictable flat-rate agent pricing, who are on the Free plan, or who need a self-hosted agent they fully control; also a poor fit for local-only use on machines with less than 24 GB of GPU-accessible memory
Who it's for
Analysts, consultants, founders, and knowledge workers on paid Perplexity plans, plus enterprise teams that want an agent connected to company data in Slack and Microsoft 365
Capabilities
- Goal-driven task execution: Computer plans the work and delegates it to domain-specific subagents with a coordinating model
- Multi-model orchestration across 20+ frontier models, with a Light / Standard / High / Ultra effort selector or manual model choice on the web
- Wide Research and parallel web search with cited results, plus paywalled sources such as PitchBook and Statista on paid plans
- Creates documents, spreadsheets, slide decks, and working web apps, and can publish websites
- Background tasks, scheduled jobs, and condition-based triggers on email, calendar, and files
- 400+ app connectors, including Gmail, Outlook, GitHub, Linear, Slack, Notion, Snowflake, Databricks, and Salesforce
- Reusable Skills that teach Computer your preferred workflows
- Personal Computer desktop app for Mac and Windows with local file access, voice mode, a floating task bar, and native app control on Mac
- Portable Computer runs the agent, scheduler, sandbox, and a local 27B model (PPLX 27B or Qwen 27B) on supported NVIDIA or AMD hardware, and asks permission before any cloud step
- An on-device classifier flags names, account numbers, and credentials before local content leaves the PC
Limitations
- Not included on the Free plan; Computer requires a Pro ($20/month), Max ($200/month), or Enterprise subscription
- Credit usage depends on task complexity and effort setting, and neither is a spending cap; tasks pause when credits run out
- Pro has no monthly Computer credit allowance, only a limited-time 4,000-credit bonus, so sustained use means buying credits or moving to Max
- Effort mode is available only in Computer on the web, not in the desktop or mobile apps
- Portable Computer needs at least 24 GB of GPU-accessible memory and about 20 GB of disk space, and runs one local model at a time
- Brain and saved memory are not available in local mode, and local scheduled tasks run only while the app is open and the PC is awake
- Native app control on the desktop is Mac-only; installed-app control is not yet available on Windows
- No self-hosted deployment of cloud Computer is documented; local modes still require a Perplexity account and subscription
Use cases
- Researching a list of competitors, comparing their pricing in a table, turning the findings into a slide deck, and emailing it to the team
- Scheduling a weekday morning brief that reviews overnight email and Slack and drafts replies to decisions waiting on you
- Building a linked financial model or an Excel workbook from SEC filings and market data, with each figure traced to its source
- Monitoring a watchlist of companies, news, or filings and getting alerts when something changes
- Reviewing a folder of contracts on your own PC against a checklist with Portable Computer, so the files stay on the device
- Summarizing open pull requests every morning and posting the grouped list to a Slack channel after you approve it
Our take
Perplexity Computer makes the most sense as an add-on for people already paying for Perplexity. It gives them a delegated-work agent that inherits Perplexity's main strength, cited research across many sources, and extends it into decks, models, apps, and scheduled monitoring. The local Portable mode stands out among general-purpose agents: sensitive files can stay on your own hardware and still draw on cloud research when you approve it. The weak points are cost and consistency. Credits scale with task complexity, Pro includes only a temporary bonus, and features differ between the web, desktop, and mobile apps. For heavy daily delegation, Max is the realistic tier.
Who should use it
Analysts, consultants, founders, and research-heavy teams already on Perplexity Pro, Max, or Enterprise who want to hand off multi-step work, and privacy-conscious users with a 24 GB+ GPU PC or Apple silicon Mac who want local execution.
Who should skip it
Anyone who needs predictable per-seat agent costs, a fully self-hosted or open-source agent, or deep single-app automation such as inbox triage alone; also users unwilling to pay at least $20/month, since the Free plan excludes Computer.
Strengths
- Built on Perplexity's cited search and Wide Research, which suits research-heavy deliverables
- One subscription covers cloud, desktop, mobile, Slack, and Microsoft 365 access
- The local mode keeps sensitive files on the device and asks permission before each cloud step
- Effort presets turn model selection into a single cost-versus-depth choice
Weaknesses
- Credit costs vary per task and are hard to predict in advance
- Pro relies on a limited-time bonus rather than a recurring credit allowance
- Local mode needs high-memory hardware and loses Brain memory
- Feature parity varies by surface: effort mode is web-only, and native app control is Mac-only
Perplexity Computer pricing
Pro
$20/month
Billed monthly
- Includes Perplexity Computer
- Limited-time 4,000-credit bonus; no monthly Computer credit allowance listed
- Premium data sources, model selection, and 400+ app connectors
Max
$200/month
Billed monthly
- 10,000 Computer credits per month
- Limited-time 35,000-credit bonus
- Advanced reasoning models, Brain, and the highest usage limits
Enterprise
Contact sales
- Computer for Enterprise with connectors to company systems such as Snowflake, Salesforce, and HubSpot
- Admin controls, including organization model restrictions and local-inference policies
- SOC 2 Type II, SAML SSO, and audit logs
Free tier limits: The Free plan covers search only and does not include Computer.
Note: Computer bills in credits based on the work it actually performs, not a fixed price per task. Higher effort settings use more expensive models and more credits. Auto-refill can buy more credits when the balance drops below 500, and spending limits can be set. Local work in Portable Computer, or the local model in Personal Computer, uses no credits; cloud steps you approve are billed at the standard rate. Verified on perplexity.ai pricing and help-center pages on 2026-09-28.
Technical specs
Modalities
Text, Code execution, Browser automation, Document and app generation, Voice
Available models
Where Perplexity Computer excels
Competitive pricing deck for a leadership meeting
A single prompt can run parallel research across competitors, build a comparison table, generate a slide deck, and email it through a connected Gmail account, with citations kept for review.
Daily reconciliation of sensitive invoices
With Portable Computer, a scheduled task can check local invoices against contract rate sheets on the device, with no credits spent and no files leaving the PC unless you approve it.
Ongoing watch on companies or markets
Background tasks and condition-based triggers let Computer monitor news, filings, or data sources and alert you only when something changes.
Perplexity Computer vs. competitors
Perplexity Computer vs. Manus
Manus is a standalone task-execution agent with its own credit plans, a Browser Operator extension, and a persistent Cloud Computer VM. Perplexity Computer is bundled into Perplexity subscriptions, leans on Perplexity's cited search and premium data sources, and adds a local on-device mode.
Perplexity Computer vs. Claude Cowork
Claude Cowork is Anthropic's task-execution capability inside the Claude app. It completes multi-step work across your files and connectors using Claude models only. Perplexity Computer routes tasks across models from several providers, leans on cited web research and premium data sources, and adds local execution through Personal and Portable Computer.
Perplexity Computer vs. Gemini Spark
Gemini Spark is Google's always-on personal agent. It runs in Google's cloud and is strongest across Gmail, Calendar, Drive, and other Google apps. Perplexity Computer is model-agnostic across 20+ models, reaches a broader set of third-party tools through 400+ connectors, and can also run locally.
Perplexity Computer vs. ChatGPT
ChatGPT bundles its agent and Deep Research features into a general assistant built on OpenAI models. Perplexity Computer is a separate, credit-metered agent mode that routes tasks across several providers' models and adds local execution options.
Frequently asked questions
What is Perplexity Computer?
It is Perplexity's agent. Instead of answering a question, it takes a goal, breaks it into steps, delegates them to subagents and models, and returns finished work such as reports, spreadsheets, slide decks, apps, or sent emails. It can also run on a schedule or when a trigger fires.
How much does Perplexity Computer cost?
Computer is included with Pro ($20/month), Max ($200/month), and Enterprise plans, not the Free plan. Max includes 10,000 Computer credits per month, and both Pro and Max currently get limited-time bonus credits (4,000 and 35,000). Credit usage varies with task complexity and effort setting, and you can buy more credits with auto-refill.
What is the difference between Perplexity Computer, Personal Computer, and Portable Computer?
Computer runs tasks in a cloud sandbox from the web or mobile apps. Personal Computer is the Mac and Windows desktop app, which adds local file access, voice, and, on Mac, native app control. Portable Computer runs the model and agent entirely on supported NVIDIA or AMD hardware, so the work stays local and uses no credits.
Can Perplexity Computer run locally on my own PC?
Yes, on supported hardware. Portable Computer needs an NVIDIA RTX GPU with 24 GB or more of VRAM, an NVIDIA DGX Spark, or an AMD Ryzen AI Max system with 24 GB or more of GPU-accessible memory, on Windows 10/11 or Ubuntu. Apple silicon Macs with 24 GB or more of unified memory use a hybrid mode instead.
Perplexity Computer vs Manus: which should I use?
Choose Perplexity Computer if you already pay for Perplexity and your tasks are research-heavy, since it builds on Perplexity's cited search and premium data sources. Choose Manus if you want a standalone agent with its own plans, a Chrome/Edge extension that works in your logged-in sessions, or a persistent cloud VM.
Integrations & fit
Alternatives to consider
Manus
Professionals and teams who need AI to complete defined tasks end-to-end — research reports, data extraction, scheduled automation, presentations — rather than assist with each step manually
Freemium
Anthropic
Professionals with recurring document, spreadsheet, or research workflows who already pay for Claude and want them done autonomously
Paid
Heavy users of Gmail, Drive, and Calendar on personal AI Pro or Ultra accounts who want inbox, file, and scheduling chores delegated to a standing agent
PaidOpenAI
Knowledge workers who need one AI subscription covering writing, research, coding, image generation, and team collaboration
FreemiumAbout Perplexity Computer
Perplexity separates its products plainly: the search product answers questions, and Computer does the work. You describe a task in natural language, and Computer plans it, sends parts to specialized subagents, runs parallel web research, uses app connectors, and produces a deliverable in a cloud sandbox. It can also watch email, calendars, and files and act on triggers or schedules, and when credits run out a task pauses rather than being cancelled. Computer comes in several forms. Cloud Computer runs on the web, iOS, Android, in Slack, and in Microsoft 365. Personal Computer is the rebuilt Mac and Windows desktop app, which adds access to local folders, voice, and, on Mac only, control of native apps; on a Mac mini it can stay on around the clock. Portable Computer, added in August and extended to AMD Ryzen AI Max PCs on September 24, 2026, runs the orchestrator, scheduler, sandbox, and a 27B local model on your own hardware. Local work uses no credits, and Portable Computer asks your permission before sending any step to the cloud. Computer for Enterprise adds connectors to systems such as Snowflake, Salesforce, and HubSpot, along with admin controls. Perplexity's own strengths show here: cited search, Wide Research across many items, and paywalled data sources such as PitchBook and Statista make Computer strongest on research-heavy work. The main tradeoff is cost predictability. Computer bills in credits that vary with task complexity and effort setting, Pro includes only a limited-time bonus rather than a monthly allowance, and the local option needs a machine with at least 24 GB of GPU-accessible memory.
Updates from Perplexity Computer
Portable Computer now runs on Windows PCs with AMD Ryzen AI Max Series processors and the Ryzen AI Halo developer platform, with PPLX 27B and Qwen 27B as local models. It is available to Pro and Max subscribers on individual and enterprise plans.
A Light, Standard, High, and Ultra effort selector on the web now picks the coordinating model and reasoning depth for each task. A Custom option keeps manual model choice.
Perplexity introduced Portable Computer, which runs Computer's model, orchestrator, scheduler, and sandbox on the user's own hardware. Local work does not consume credits.
Perplexity announced Personal Computer, an always-on Mac-based version with local file and app access, together with Computer for Enterprise, Comet Enterprise, and Search, Agent, Embeddings, and Sandbox APIs.
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