Perplexity is an AI-powered search engine that provides conversational answers with cited sources, similar to Google's AI Overviews but more advanced.
ChatGPT, primarily known for other tasks, also functions as a search engine. It automatically searches the web for current information or can be prompted to do so via a web search icon.
DeepSeek, a Chinese AI chatbot launched in January 2025, rivals OpenAI's models at a significantly lower cost and computing power. Its release caused a major stock market drop, highlighting the intensifying AI competition. Like ChatGPT, it functions as a search engine when its web search feature is enabled.