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Character.AI vs Perplexity
Compare Character.AI and Perplexity side by side: pricing, compliance (SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, HIPAA), access methods, and how each one handles your data.
| // ATTRIBUTE | C Character.AI | P Perplexity |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Freemium | Freemium |
| Free Tier▲ | Free with usage limits | Free with standard search |
| Paid Plans▲ | Character.AI+ from $9.99/month | Perplexity Pro at $20/month |
| API Cost▲ | n/a | Available via API |
| Access▲ | Web App · iOS App · Android App | Web App · iOS App · Android App · API · Browser Extension |
| SOC 2▲ | n/a | ● Yes |
| ISO 27001 | n/a | n/a |
| GDPR | ● Yes | ● Yes |
| HIPAA▲ | n/a | ● Yes |
| Data Region▲ | Not disclosed. Specific data processing locations and residency commitments not documented in public privacy materials. | US-hosted (AWS / Amazon Bedrock, US subprocessors). No public self-serve EU data residency option found. |
| Trains on Data | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hostable | No | No |
| Category | AI Assistants | AI Assistants |
| Subcategory▲ | Conversational AI | Search Engine |
Character.AIPerplexity
// Pricing
Character.AIFreemium
PerplexityFreemium
// Free Tier▲ differ
Character.AIFree with usage limits
PerplexityFree with standard search
// Paid Plans▲ differ
Character.AICharacter.AI+ from $9.99/month
PerplexityPerplexity Pro at $20/month
// API Cost▲ differ
Character.AIn/a
PerplexityAvailable via API
// Access▲ differ
Character.AIWeb App · iOS App · Android App
PerplexityWeb App · iOS App · Android App · API · Browser Extension
// SOC 2▲ differ
Character.AIn/a
Perplexity● Yes
// ISO 27001
Character.AIn/a
Perplexityn/a
// GDPR
Character.AI● Yes
Perplexity● Yes
// HIPAA▲ differ
Character.AIn/a
Perplexity● Yes
// Data Region▲ differ
Character.AINot disclosed. Specific data processing locations and residency commitments not documented in public privacy materials.
PerplexityUS-hosted (AWS / Amazon Bedrock, US subprocessors). No public self-serve EU data residency option found.
// Trains on Data
Character.AIYes
PerplexityYes
// Self-hostable
Character.AINo
PerplexityNo
// Category
Character.AIAI Assistants
PerplexityAI Assistants
// Subcategory▲ differ
Character.AIConversational AI
PerplexitySearch Engine
// FAQ
What is the difference between Character.AI and Perplexity?
Character.AI is Freemium (AI Assistants · Conversational AI); Perplexity is Freemium (AI Assistants · Search Engine). This page compares their pricing, compliance, access methods, and data handling side by side.
Is Character.AI or Perplexity free?
Both Character.AI and Perplexity offer a free or freemium tier.