Dust vs Perplexity
Two of the most-asked-about agents in the enterprise space. Here's how they actually stack up.
Dust
Build and deploy AI assistants for your team connected to Notion, Slack, GitHub, and your docs
Free + $29/mo
Read full review →Perplexity
AI search engine with citations and an agentic browser layer
Free + $20/mo
Read full review →Side-by-side comparison
| Dust | Perplexity | |
|---|---|---|
| Tagline | Build and deploy AI assistants for your team connected to Notion, Slack, GitHub, and your docs | AI search engine with citations and an agentic browser layer |
| Pricing | Free + $29/mo | Free + $20/mo |
| Categories | enterprise, productivity, knowledge-management | search, research, browser-agent |
| Made by | Dust | Perplexity AI |
| Launched | 2022-11 | 2022-12 |
| Platforms | Web, Slack | Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android |
| Status | active | active |
Dust highlights
- + Connect to Notion, Slack, GitHub, Google Drive, Confluence, and custom APIs
- + Build custom AI assistants with specific knowledge, tools, and instructions
- + Managed data sync keeps assistant context up to date as connected sources change
- + Agent chaining for multi-step workflows across data sources
- + Full audit log and permission controls for enterprise deployments
Perplexity highlights
- + Citation-first answers with numbered source links on every response
- + Multi-model picker supporting Claude, GPT-5, Gemini 3, and Perplexity Sonar
- + Spaces for organizing research into shared collections
- + Pages for publishing AI-generated reports as shareable documents
- + Perplexity Comet agentic browser with web automation and task execution
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, Dust or Perplexity?
Neither is universally better. Dust (Free + $29/mo) leans into enterprise, while Perplexity (Free + $20/mo) is closer to search. Pick based on which workflow you actually do every day.
What is the price difference between Dust and Perplexity?
Dust is free + $29/mo. Perplexity is free + $20/mo. See the pricing row in the comparison table.
Can I use Dust and Perplexity together?
In most cases, yes. They serve overlapping but distinct needs, so running them side by side is common until you decide which fits your workflow.