Perplexity for Windows: AI Search on the Desktop

Perplexity 2026.8.15303.0 is the Windows desktop app of Perplexity, a chatbot search engine from Perplexity AI. Instead of a list of links it writes a short answer to your question and cites the web pages it drew on. You can download Perplexity for Windows free of charge from the Microsoft Store or from perplexity.ai.

What exactly is Perplexity?

Perplexity sits somewhere between a search engine and an AI assistant. You ask a question the way you would ask a colleague, for example which laptop screens are easier on the eyes or what a clause in a rental contract usually means, and the service searches the web, reads several pages and turns them into a compact answer with numbered sources. You can then ask follow-up questions in the same thread, narrow the topic or ask for a table or a checklist. The desktop app gives the service its own window and a spot on the taskbar, so a quick question does not mean digging through browser tabs. It is built on large language models, and the models on offer change frequently, which is why this page does not list them; the AI section of this site compares current models.

How is it different from ChatGPT or Copilot?

All three answer in natural language. Perplexity puts the emphasis on search: almost every answer comes with its sources, so it is easy to open the original page and check a detail. ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot are more general assistants for writing, brainstorming and conversation, though they can search too.

How do I install it?

1. Open the Perplexity listing in the Microsoft Store or the download link on perplexity.ai.
2. Install the app and start it from the Start menu.
3. Sign in with an account if you want your threads saved across devices, or ask a first question right away.

The installer in the catalogue is about 203.96 MB according to catalogue data.

Is Perplexity free?

The app and the basic service are free. Perplexity also sells a paid subscription with more advanced features; prices and limits change, so check the current plans on the official site rather than relying on third-party summaries.

Can I trust the answers?

Citations make checking easier, but they do not make the answer automatically correct. The model can misread a page or combine two sources in a misleading way. For anything that matters, open the cited pages and read the relevant part yourself.

What about privacy and safety?

Your questions are processed on Perplexity's servers, so avoid typing passwords, personal data of other people or confidential work material. Download the app only from the Microsoft Store or the official website; copies on file-sharing sites are a common source of malware.

Where can I see what changed?

New features and fixes are listed in the official Perplexity changelog.

Pros and cons

• Pro: answers come with links to their sources.
• Pro: follow-up questions keep the context of the thread.
• Pro: free to download and use.
• Con: requires an internet connection.
• Con: summaries can still distort what a source says.

Which alternatives are there?

On Windows, our listings also include ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot as general AI assistants, and Gamma Ai for generating presentations.