Which Search AI tool is better in 2026?
AI medical assistant for clinicians
AI-powered answer engine delivering real-time, cited responses to complex queries.
| OpenEvidence | Perplexity | |
|---|---|---|
| Tagline | AI medical assistant for clinicians | AI-powered answer engine delivering real-time, cited responses to complex queries. |
| Founded | 2022 | 2022 |
| HQ | San Francisco, US | San Francisco, US |
| Employees | 50-200 | 51-200 |
| Total funding | $735M | $2.0B |
| Latest round | Series D · Jan 2026 | Series F · Sep 2025 |
| Valuation | $12B | $20B |
| Cheapest paid plan | — | Pro · $20/mo |
| Free plan | ✓ Free for Verified US Physicians | ✓ |
| Free trial | ✗ | ✗ |
| Top tier price | — | Pro (Annual) · $200/mo |
| Pricing summary | 1 published plans | 2 published plans |
| Categories |
Developer-facing capabilities and access signals for OpenEvidence and Perplexity.
| Capability | OpenEvidence | Perplexity |
|---|---|---|
| MCP support | ✗ | ✗ |
| Public API | ✓ | ✗ |
| Webhooks | ✗ | ✗ |
| OAuth 2.0 | ✗ | ✗ |
| SDK languages | 2 (TypeScript, Python) | 2 (Python, Node.js) |
| Free plan | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free trial | ✗ | ✗ |
| Verified | ✓ | ✗ |
| Active deal | ✗ | ✗ |
Choose Perplexity if price matters most — it starts at Free, which is friendlier for teams watching burn. Both AI Search tools ship core features, so the cost delta often decides it for small teams and solo operators.
Choose Perplexity if you want the most established option — it has raised $2.0B, suggesting more runway for enterprise features, support, and long-term roadmap. For mission-critical workflows or larger teams, that stability often outweighs a lower monthly price.
It depends on your priority. OpenEvidence is the leaner option; Perplexity is cheaper to start. See the side-by-side table above.
No — Perplexity's cheapest paid plan is Pro · $20/mo, while OpenEvidence's is Free.
OpenEvidence: Yes, has a free plan. Perplexity: Yes, has a free plan.
Contextual paths to related AI startups, deals and rankings.