Perplexity vs Semantic Scholar

Perplexity and Semantic Scholar sit in the same category and share 1 task. The verdict below is calculated for each role from the tasks, the role fit and the price.

Short answer

Perplexity wins for 16 of 20 roles in our data. Perplexity starts at $20/mo; Semantic Scholar publishes no fixed price.

Verdict by role

Role	Better choice	Why
Accountant	Perplexity	covers 2 of this role's tasks against 0; built for this role
Lawyer	Perplexity	covers 4 of this role's tasks against 1; built for this role
HR manager	Semantic Scholar	built for this role; works for free
Finance manager	Perplexity	part of the role's core toolkit
Manager	Perplexity	covers 4 of this role's tasks against 2; part of the role's core toolkit
Marketer	Perplexity	covers 4 of this role's tasks against 2; part of the role's core toolkit
Sales manager	Perplexity	covers 4 of this role's tasks against 2; part of the role's core toolkit
Data analyst	Perplexity	covers 3 of this role's tasks against 2; part of the role's core toolkit
Teacher	Perplexity	covers 4 of this role's tasks against 2
Executive assistant	Perplexity	covers 4 of this role's tasks against 2
Logistics manager	Perplexity	covers 4 of this role's tasks against 2; part of the role's core toolkit
Procurement manager	Perplexity	covers 3 of this role's tasks against 2; part of the role's core toolkit
Secretary	Perplexity	covers 4 of this role's tasks against 2
Recruiter	Semantic Scholar	built for this role; works for free
HR administrator	Either one	even on tasks, Semantic Scholar is cheaper to start
Tax consultant	Perplexity	covers 3 of this role's tasks against 1; part of the role's core toolkit; built for this role
Auditor	Perplexity	covers 2 of this role's tasks against 0; built for this role
Economist	Either one	even on tasks, Semantic Scholar is cheaper to start
Project manager	Perplexity	covers 4 of this role's tasks against 2
Social media manager	Perplexity	covers 4 of this role's tasks against 2

Side by side

	Perplexity	Semantic Scholar
Vendor	Perplexity AI	Allen Institute for AI
Category	Research and search	Research and search
Free plan	Yes: Unlimited quick search, a few Pro Search and Deep Research queries a day, limited file uploads	Yes: Completely free; sign-up is needed only for a library and alerts
Cheapest paid plan	Pro, $20/mo	price on request
Top plan	Max, $200/mo	price on request
Tasks covered	6	2

Perplexity: Answer engine with a citation for every claim, for counterparty checks and market reviews.

Semantic Scholar: Free research paper search with one-line summaries and a citation map.

Tasks both handle

Check a claim against the primary source

Only Perplexity covers

Only Semantic Scholar covers

Find research studies on a topic

Pitfalls to watch at work

Perplexity

The links are there, but the model sometimes retells what is behind them inaccurately: open the source and find the claim word for word
For official registers (company, court, tax) the engine gives only a surface picture: check critical facts in the register itself
On the free plan, turn off AI Data Retention in settings, otherwise queries with client names may be used for training

Semantic Scholar

The one-sentence summary is generated automatically: read the results section before drawing conclusions
Searching in English returns far more than other languages
Full text is available only for open-access papers

FAQ

Is Perplexity or Semantic Scholar better for work?

In our data Perplexity is the better choice for 16 of 20 roles. The table above shows the reason for each role.

Which is cheaper, Perplexity or Semantic Scholar?

Perplexity starts at $20/mo; Semantic Scholar publishes no fixed price.

Do Perplexity and Semantic Scholar have free plans?

Perplexity: Yes. Unlimited quick search, a few Pro Search and Deep Research queries a day, limited file uploads. Semantic Scholar: Yes. Completely free; sign-up is needed only for a library and alerts.

Compare Perplexity with

Compare Semantic Scholar with

Alternatives to Perplexity · Alternatives to Semantic Scholar · Perplexity pricing · Semantic Scholar pricing