Split AI search tools by purpose first: for a quick everyday fact, the search built into the chat tool you already use is enough; for reports and research, pay for in-depth search with citations; when Chinese-language sources dominate, prioritise the tool with the best Chinese coverage. Decide the purpose before looking at prices — reverse the order and you will pay for features you never use.
| Tool | Strength | Weakness | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perplexity | Citations on every answer, model choice, smooth deep research | Pro search allowance has no published number; heavy users may run short | People who research English sources and write reports daily |
| ChatGPT | Search lives inside the conversation, easy follow-ups, no switching | Citations are less prominent than in dedicated search tools | People already chatting in ChatGPT |
| Kimi | Good Chinese web coverage, natural follow-ups on long documents | Deep-research tooling is less complete than the first two | Students and office workers working mainly with Chinese sources |
| Metaso Search | Chinese sources organised into structured reports, quick to read | Weaker English and niche coverage | People checking Chinese policy and industry material |
Do the maths before paying
Perplexity Pro costs $20 a month and Max $200 a month; ordinary users should start on the free tier and upgrade only after a full week of finding its deep search insufficient. ChatGPT search is a built-in feature, not charged per search; whether to upgrade depends on chat and writing usage, not on search itself. Try Kimi and Metaso through their free entry points for Chinese results first, and judge paid tiers by each official site's current terms rather than by impression.
Three situations where AI search is the wrong choice
First, when you only want the original text and no AI summary, use a traditional search engine plus the official site; an AI paraphrase only adds a layer of distortion. Second, when searching specialist databases — patents, case law, financial data — AI search only covers public web pages and cannot reach what sits inside those databases. Third, in a fully offline environment, an online search tool cannot run at all. Before choosing a tool, ask yourself: this time, do I need an answer, citations, or the original text? A different answer means a different tool.
