I tested four of the most popular AI search engines—Google, ChatGPT search, Perplexity, and Bing—to see what each does best (and where each falls short).
Let’s dive into my reviews:
1. Google
Best for: Getting your everyday search queries answered with a touch of AI assistance.
Price: Free.
Google needs no introduction—it’s the most popular search engine. And it has integrated AI features into the traditional search experience.
You’ll mostly notice this in the form of AI Overviews—summaries that appear at the top of some search results and answer your question directly without needing to click a link.
More recently, Google has added something called AI Mode (currently available to most users in the U.S. and India). It lets you have actual conversations with the search engine to dig deeper into topics without starting over.
What makes Google different from the other AI search engines is that it doesn't try to replace traditional search—it enhances it. You still get familiar Google results but with AI-generated summaries when they're helpful.
Pros:
- Has a familiar interface that billions of users already know
- Draws on a massive index of web content
- Blends AI answers with regular search results (You still get links, images, videos, etc.)
- Provides faster response times compared to chatbot-style competitors
- Shows sources for AI-generated answers
Cons:
- Shows results pages that can feel cluttered
- Provides an ad-heavy search experience
- Can sometimes hallucinate and provide incorrect information
- Offers AI Mode only in certain countries
My Personal Experience
Google still feels like the most well-rounded option for everyday searching—like asking a quick question, checking the current weather forecast, and finding nearby coffee shops.
I particularly appreciate that Google uses AI only when it makes sense (like when your query is informational).
Sometimes, you just want to navigate to a website (say, apple.com), so Google’s approach of showing you a homepage link makes more sense than drafting a paragraph explaining what Apple is.
What makes Google even more powerful is the built-in tools (e.g., calculator, currency converter, translation feature, timer, etc.) that are useful for daily tasks.
Google Search’s integration with the broader Google ecosystem is also a big win because it gives you access to other Google data and tools.
For example, if you search for something local, you’ll automatically see Google Maps data. You can also start navigation directly from the search results.
2. ChatGPT Search
Best for: Research and complex questions that work best with a back-and-forth dialogue.
Price: Free. Paid plans start at $20/month.
ChatGPT search is a conversational AI search tool that can search the web in real-time and synthesize the findings into a clear, natural-language response. You can even specify the exact knowledge level you want it to write for.
And because ChatGPT search works more like a smart assistant than a search engine, you can ask follow-up questions or transition to a new topic without starting over.
Pros:
- Maintains ChatGPT's excellent conversational abilities
- Perfect for research requiring multiple follow-up questions
- Provides citations for verification
- Handles complex queries with nuance
- Remembers context from previous queries
- Offers an ad-free search experience
Cons:
- Tends to provide overly verbose responses for simple queries
- Can occasionally hallucinate or make up information that sounds plausible
- Provides more context than necessary at times
- Not great for visual searches because the tool is mainly text-based
- Not great for local searches because the tool doesn’t always provide map-based data
My Personal Experience
ChatGPT search is super helpful when you're trying to wrap your head around complex topics or do any kind of research.
For example, I asked ChatGPT about the best time to visit Tokyo, then naturally followed up with "create a five-day itinerary plan" and "what's the budget breakdown for two people?" Each response was incredibly detailed and included fresh information from the web.
That said, ChatGPT search can struggle with providing visual content when prompted to. I asked it to show me examples of traditional Japanese architecture, and it gave a good written summary but no images or visual examples to help me actually see what the tool was describing.
Also, ChatGPT is not very good when it comes to local searches. For example, I asked ChatGPT about the best Chinese restaurants near me, and it didn't get my exact location correct and suggested restaurants that were 30 miles from where I actually am.
Plus, there were no reviews, ratings, or photos—just generic descriptions that cannot help anyone make an actual decision about where to eat.
3. Perplexity
Best for: Research and fact-checking that requires high-quality sources.
Price: Free tier available. Perplexity Pro starts at $20/month.
Perplexity positions itself as an "answer engine" rather than a search engine. And I think that description fits. It focuses on providing direct, well-researched answers from high-quality sources.
Perplexity also offers different search modes, including a specialized focus mode that prioritizes academic and scholarly sources.
Pros:
- Uses and cites high-quality information sources
- Allows you to choose from multiple AI model options (Pro feature)
- Shows how it builds its answers (basically its thinking process)—including which sources it used and in what order
- Suggests relevant follow-up questions to ask
Cons:
- Limited visual content (e.g., images and videos)
My Personal Experience
Perplexity shines when you need quick, source-backed answers—like confirming a marketing stat, checking a historical detail, or scoping out top-level info on a niche topic.
I asked Perplexity about who invented the seat belt, and it gave me a well-researched answer with clear citations.
The citation system is genuinely impressive. You can see exactly which parts of the answer come from which websites. And use the direct links to verify everything yourself.
Also, the suggested follow-up questions actually helped guide my research. Instead of just getting an answer and moving on, these suggestions often led me to explore related topics I hadn’t considered.
But Perplexity has a lot of room for improvement in some areas—especially for visual content.
When I searched "how to change a car tire," I got written instructions but no images or videos that actually show the process. For something like this, a video tutorial would have been infinitely more helpful than reading through written steps.
Also, Perplexity lacks the built-in tools that make Google so practical. For example, if I search "usd to inr” I get a text-based explanation of the exchange rate—not an interactive currency converter that I can actually use.
For local searches, it's also not great. When I asked about "best Chinese restaurants near me," it suggested places that were miles away from my actual location, even though it had access to my current location.
4. Bing
Best for: Earning reward points while searching, making it the only search engine that “pays” you back.
Price: Free.
Microsoft Bing is the second most popular search engine, and it has integrated AI into the search experience.
When you search for something, you might get a Copilot answer at the top that summarizes information from multiple sources.
If you want to dig deeper into a topic, there’s a dedicated "Search" tab that lets you have actual conversations with AI and ask follow-up questions. Bing uses OpenAI's GPT models to power its AI capabilities.
Pros:
- Shows sources for AI-generated answers
- Gives you reward points for using the service
Cons:
- Shows results pages that can sometimes feel cluttered
- Struggles with travel-related queries
- AI answers can be poorly synthesized
My Personal Experience
Bing provides a familiar, Google-like experience. You get AI summaries along with standard blue link results—plus helpful image and video content when it makes sense for your query.
However, there are certain aspects where Bing stands out as different.
First, Bing rewards you for searching. Through Microsoft Rewards, you can earn points for your daily searches that can be redeemed for gift cards or other rewards. It's a nice perk that Google doesn't offer.
Bing also has some unique built-in tools that Google doesn’t. For example, Bing includes a typing speed test and a code formatter—both accessible directly from search results.
There are a few areas where I think Bing needs to improve.
Travel-related queries are a weak spot. For example, when I searched "mumbai to new york flights," I didn't get the booking options right on the results page like Google usually provides. Just the links to airline and travel sites.
Another issue is that AI answers are sometimes structured in a fragmented way. For example, I searched for "best EVs under $50K," and the Copilot Answer showed a bunch of excerpts from different sites. It didn't really combine them to provide a useful summary or clear takeaway, which is what I was expecting.
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