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Perplexity’s Sonar models are designed for factual accuracy and up-to-the-minute information retrieval. They act as “answer engines” that scan the live internet to ground their responses in reality. These models are available to use without any configuration.
An agentic research model designed to autonomously conduct exhaustive, multi-step investigations and generate comprehensive reports.Use Cases:
  • Deep competitor analysis and market landscape reports
  • Academic literature reviews and scientific synthesis
  • Due diligence for investments or legal cases
Highlights:
  • Autonomously plans and executes hundreds of web searches
  • Synthesizes findings into long-form, structured reports
  • Continuously refines its search strategy based on gathered data
A premier reasoning model (powered by DeepSeek R1) that utilizes Chain-of-Thought (CoT) processing alongside real-time search.Use Cases:
  • Solving complex technical problems with live documentation
  • Fact-checking trending news or controversial topics
  • Analyzing data that requires both deep logic and external validation
Highlights:
  • Displays its step-by-step thinking process
  • 128K context window for analyzing multiple web sources
  • Significantly more citations per response than standard search models
A faster, more efficient version of the reasoning model that maintains logical integrity while providing rapid search results.Use Cases:
  • Rapid debugging of code using the latest library updates
  • Comparative analysis of products or services in real-time
  • Interactive learning where logic and facts must be balanced
Highlights:
  • Lower latency than the “Pro” version while keeping CoT logic
  • High factual accuracy with a focus on unbiased reporting
  • Ideal for conversational agents that need to explain “why”
An uncensored, “freedom-focused” variant of DeepSeek R1, post-trained by Perplexity to provide unrestricted and unbiased information.Use Cases:
  • Researching sensitive geopolitical or historical topics
  • Analysis in media and journalism without regional filtering
  • Policy and government analysis requiring raw, unfiltered data
Highlights:
  • Specifically post-trained to remove regional censorship constraints
  • Maintains the high reasoning and math skills of the base R1 model
  • Designed for transparency and the free flow of information
The flagship high-capacity search model, optimized for deeper context and more comprehensive retrieval.Use Cases:
  • Professional research assistants and knowledge management
  • Complex travel or event planning with real-time availability
  • Detailed trend analysis for marketing and sales teams
Highlights:
  • Massive 200K context window
  • Accesses 2x more search results than the base model
  • Supporting tools like JSON Mode for structured search data
A lightweight, blazing-fast search model optimized for cost-effective, real-time Q&A.Use Cases:
  • Everyday factual lookups (dates, definitions, stats)
  • Lightweight customer support bots with web access
  • Instant summarization of news or recent articles
Highlights:
  • Lowest latency and most affordable search-enabled model
  • 127K context window for handling moderate document history
  • Excellent for high-volume, real-time interaction
🔍 Pro Tip: If your agent needs to provide source links or citations for everything it says, Perplexity Sonar models are the best choice.