Sonar, created by Perplexity, is a new AI search engine that blends live web access with penetrating reasoning, launched as an API in January 2025. It is available in two varieties—base and Pro—to accommodate varied needs. The base model offers a fast, cost-effective answer at $5 per 1,000 searches, while Sonar Pro, running on Cerebras Inference, delivers 1,200 tokens per second and excels at long, citation-backed answers, competing with GPT-4o and Claude 3.5 Haiku.
Sonar's forte is its independent reasoning capability, extracting new data from the web to create in-depth, readable intelligence across fields such as technology, finance, and healthcare. Implemented in tools such as Zoom's AI Companion 2.0, it's received high scores for clarity and accuracy. However, its factuality claims are based more on Perplexity's in-house testing than on third-party corroboration, giving rise to some doubt. Developer-friendly and cost-efficient, Sonar has the potential to revolutionize AI research with its velocity and synthesis abilities. However, its practical application depends on wider adoption and examination. For the time being, it's a strong player in the AI search space, weighing power and pragmatism.
The product (Sonar) starts at 1 USD.
