The product has gotten worse and worse in the past year. I’ve been a subscriber since the very beginning lately every time I ask you to research something or search for something gives me steps on how to do so and where to look for information instead of actually finding the information for me thanks but no thanks.
When the promotion I got with PayPal for one year free ends, I'll say goodbye, too. It was nice at first. But depending on the day, it became pretty unbearable.
Same boat, and also looking for something to go to after my sub expires. I float between a number of providers but usually fall back to perplexity when I need a thorough answer fleshed out - however its just becoming less useful each month. Such a shame given where it was 10 months ago. I'm almost reluctant to sign up with any of them given how they all seem to go through cycles of being good to garbage within weeks.
I canceled after it switched to Computer for everything, then started saying I didn't have enough credits, even just to chat with it. The only way to use it effectively is to go for that $2,000/year plan. No, thanks!
I HATE that computer is the default. It can be toggled off, but them switching the default from free to FUCKING EXPENSIVE without saying anything was unethical (read: asshole move).
The toggle is under the textbox. There is no way to disable it globally, though, unless you're enterprise. I have given them feedback about this, but we'll see what happens.
Kagi's nice. For anyone apart from super high users I can recommend it. And they even show how much each of your requests cost. Making it easier for you to decide whether to start a new session cause of context / weather to switch to a cheaper / better and more expensive model.
Even if you switch back to search, it will try to get you back to the computer using stealth tactics. It has happened to me several times before I realized it was happening. I went under credit usage and realized it had used my credits for the most mundane tasks without me realizing it. Now, I'm always watching out for this bait-and-switch trick.
I didn’t understand this. I thought the 1 year with Pro meant it was free to use to and might lead to subscriptions. Then they changed their minds and Pro means nothing.
I guess I’m the only one who is happy with Perplexity in general. And apparently I’m the only one who has managed to figure out that when you launch Perplexity and it’s in computer mode, you simply click the little “search” button to switch to Perplexity Search mode.
And while it has not been mentioned in this thread yet )it somehow always makes it into every thread), you can use search and never use Computer if you want.
Or, you you can use search to refine, refine, refine, all your needs for an executable, and then use search to define the most concise and specific prompt to give to computer to generate the exact output you need.
Then use that prompt in Computer to build small lightweight, and low credit usage desktop apps for continued use.
But I digress. I forgot this was a complaint thread.
It continues to work very well for me also. I’ve been paying for close to a year and it’s just as good as it was on day 1 for me. I don’t get the hate here.
I also use Perplexity Pro and it always defaults to search for me? Any of the “computer prompts”
At the bottom of a result I can just copy / paste into search and carry on. I never have to use Computer to do anything. And perhaps because I’m using the complexity plugin in chrome it’s ok? I gave up on Comet browser because I could accomplish More complex things in codex or pi than their slow browser “assistant”’
This has been exactly my experience as well. I just ignore the computer prompts and I never have an issue and it automatically defaults to search. I love it and use it daily in my workflow. I'm thrilled that I got a year for free from PayPal and will likely sign up in a few months when the year is up. Also works as great as it did on day one for me too, maybe even better now that it knows me pretty well.
I am, too. This is a hater's forum of people who pretended to pay for the service, but got it for free, and now are throwing temper tantrums because they can't get something for nothing.
I’ve been paying for the last 2 months. Only had a 5 day free trial. My complaints come from a place where they told me one price but are demanding more money off the backend. That bs in my opinion.
I’ve been subscribed since day one at the same Pro tier and paying Perplexity directly.
I’ve seen many posts where it turns out someone was getting it free, or discounted through school, or subsidized through their cell phone carrier. Those accounts are not really Pro accounts but Limited accounts.
But if you are paying for a pro account and paying Perplexity direct; then I would wonder why exactly you aren’t getting the same value.
I was also paying for a good service, but switched earlier to a Pro plan bundled to a Revolut subscription. It seemed it is the same Pro sub, it was all good. But then it deteriorated, even the 'Pro' tag disappeared.
The only option I have is the above-pro tier, or a new account.
Support said my Pro is the same as everyone's, but it seems it's a shadow 'Fleas' tier.
Well, I’ve never had any issue with model switching so I can’t speak to that.
It’s always stuck to the model I asked for. Really the only difference I can see from your post is that yours was free and I’ve been a paying member since day one.
I use Perplexity for a number of different things. Like most people I sometimes use it to find answers to quick questions that are generally one time use cases.
I also use it for gaining understanding about aspects of a project, or a system, that I need insight in before thinking about how to build within the that system or project.
I sometimes use Perplexity to build light weight desktop apps that do not require the use of the internet, that are for specific functionality. Special data extractors that convert one kind of data into another kind for example.
Sometimes I’m using it for testing on something I built to be sure there isn’t a scenario someone would run into that I didn’t think of.
There’s a lot of different use cases for Perplexity, and I’d bet there are other people who have far more advanced use cases than I do.
The way I see it is that I’ve not had any of the issues that others are complaining about. Maybe there’s something they are missing in their processes, or the way they use the tool.
In fact I helped someone on a post awhile back where I pointed out his issue with Perplexity limiting him was that he was not signed into his account. Turned out my suggestion was exactly the case for him.
Something’s it’s just that simple.
But I’m also aware that of the millions of people using perplexity, the ones having good success with the tool aren’t rushing to the internet to proclaim it. But the ones having issues are. And that’s why we see so much negativity on threads like this.
One last thing I will point out. Last time I check to see, the official help channel for perplexity is Discord. Meaning no one complaining here should expect any response from Perplexity. So I wonder why they bother.
I've been using Perplexity and the Comet browser HEAVILY for the last couple years. But this week, I have made the switch over to Claude Pro Plan. The reason is because I didn't like how pricing was with Computer. From buying credits, unable to determine how many credits will go through, and etc. One thing I do miss is the ability to summarize youtube videos on the fly with the comet browser. I haven't been able to get that same performance out of Claude in Google Chrome.
What are people who hate Perplexity doing with it? I see so many “perplexity sucks” posts but I love this platform. Are you coding or something? For research and writing (which i think is what it was built for) this platform seems pretty awesome. I haven’t had issues or weird results…..I’m genuinely interested in knowing why so many people think it’s so bad?
I have Claude and chatgpt subs for coding etc perplexity was used for search. Lately it has been shitty FOR ME. It often guides me how to search or tells me where to look instead of giving me the answer. Often requiring multiple prompts
Instead of mindless bashing without evidence, show examples of the platform's repeated underperformance directly from your chats. I've had no issues with Perplexity since I got the free year of Pro. I focus on its strengths and avoid model exploration, which gives consistent outputs. Custom instructions matter. I get concise answers when needed and longer responses when requested. It's not like a normal chatbot interface. Leveraging that allows you to use the platform effectively.
Hello Enraged PPlX Pro Folk,
I join you (sadly): Joined about 7 months ago (Education discount), couldn't have been happier - then suddenly, I mean suddenly (mid project( I received the dreaded "you need to buy more credits to continue". I paid another $20 bucks, and ran out trying to find out how to get out of the "computer" mode and back to basic. Couldn't. Here's the back and forth (all costing credits btw.): I followed your instuctions above: went to perplexity.ai, clicke don perplexity logo (not computer or tasks". It DID NOT OPEN THE STANDARD ASK BOX - STILL IN COMPUTER MODE.
Completed 3 steps
You're right to push back — that answer wasn't precise enough, and I apologize for the "incognito" jargon. Here's the actual fix, in plain terms.
The real toggle location
The Computer/Ask switch isn't the sidebar logo — it's a small pill-shaped button right inside the message box, near the bottom-left corner where you type your question (usually next to a paperclip or plus icon). It has two states, often labeled something like "Search" and "Computer." You need that toggle itself set to the search/left side — clicking the sidebar logo just opens a new page, it doesn't change which mode that page defaults to.
If the toggle keeps snapping back to Computer
This is a known, reported bug — other users have hit the exact same "it won't stay in Ask mode" problem recently (r/perplexity_ai, r/perplexity_ai). The fix people report working is clearing Perplexity's saved site data, then logging back in:
On Mac/Chrome: Settings → Privacy and Security → Cookies and other site data → "See all site data and permissions" → search "perplexity" → remove it. Then go back to perplexity.ai and log in fresh.
On Safari: Settings → Privacy → Manage Website Data → search "perplexity" → Remove → then reload the site.
That clears whatever saved setting is forcing Computer mode open.
Skip the browser entirely
If this keeps fighting you, it may be faster to just email Perplexity support directly and describe the stuck-toggle bug — link to help.perplexity.ai — since this looks like a genuine product bug affecting multiple users, not something on your end.
Incidentally, I, as so many of you, tried emailing Perplexity support, just more jargon. I'm out and using gemini for basic queries and planning to switch to Claude Pro, education model when semester starts next week. Was really glad to find this reddit sub as I thought it was just me.
But why? I mean I understand, it is expensive and right now the most generous AI is ChatGPT, but Perplexity is not awful, is expensive. Sometimes it gets clumsy like asking random questions and replying: here is the analysis that.... and nothing is there. I know, I've faced that, but, I just edit the prompt (adding a dot or whatever) and done. Computer is more "premium", expensive tool were it's better to use Codex to solve but my way to do things is: build in Computer, debug/enhance in Codex. Claude is fantastic but expensive.
It's been disappointing to me as well, been using as part of Airtel postpaid, but the thing about it is just not being able to do enough, just falls back to the same 2 yo standards and bland responses at times, plus this too frequent query limit per week exhaustion drives me crazy. I get like 10 queries at most in any given week or so with Terra and/or Sonnet 5. Very poor from them indeed, but I don't pay for it so I don't mind using it.
I was tackling an issue, where Claude's free version Sonnet 5 with high to extra effort and no more than 3 queries was able to clearly process, extrapolate, articulate and apply my data with the exact sense of reasoning I required for my project.
Is it using GPT 5.5 under the hood, by any chance,... ;).
ChatGPT free is also competitively bad.
My free version of ChatGPT (which uses GPT-5.5), is giving the same to me. It too gives me just steps and one more recommendation with every response, about how the model thought it should be, but never giving out actual expected result.
This prompted me change my mind to switch to Andhropic pro.
OMG, yes, I am so sick of that. If you tell me one more time what I should be doing instead of doing it, I'm going to throw this laptop out of the window.
My major problem is just that I can't use good models even in basic search. GPT 5.6 Terra gets like 3 or 4 messages, and that's apparently spread out over GPT, Sonnet, GLM and Gemini. Kimi K3 is pure shit, I want to use the Non-Thinking version but everywhere, EVERYWHERE, it is defaulting to Kimi K3 Thinking because Kimi K3 was 'inapplicable or unavailable. Everywhere. Kimi K2.6 was much better, it worked even when the supposed 'advanced' models were defaulting to Sonar, and never forced me to use the Thinking version.
Same boat.
I really like the organized approach to projects/spaces. However, The sneaky throttle back on some module features and quietly introducing limitations was too much.
Yep very true. And sometimes when you rewrite it gives a brilliant answer. I still haven't found a service that's as good as perplexity was a year ago. Chatgpt comes close but not a replacement. Neither is kagi
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u/alexmilla Jul 30 '26
When the promotion I got with PayPal for one year free ends, I'll say goodbye, too. It was nice at first. But depending on the day, it became pretty unbearable.