Head to head · AI assistants
ChatGPT vs Perplexity: Market Share & Payment Activity (October 2026)
- Payment-activity rank
- #2
- Spend rank
- #5
- Payment-activity rank
- #42
- Spend rank
- #158
ChatGPT accounts for 5.94% of all software purchases on Cledara (#2 overall); Perplexity holds 0.34% (#42), and has climbed 30 rank positions in the last 12 months.
Quick answer
As of October 2026, ChatGPT ranks #2 and Perplexity #42 in Cledara's software popularity ranking. They account for 5.94% and 0.34% of all software purchases respectively. Over the last 12 months, ChatGPT dropped 1 position and Perplexity climbed 30 positions, based on real software purchases by companies using Cledara.
Market share over time
Each product's monthly share of all software payment activity on Cledara, so you can see who is gaining ground and when.
View the chart data
| Month | ChatGPT | Perplexity |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2022 | 0% | No data |
| Feb 2022 | 0% | No data |
| Mar 2022 | 0% | No data |
| Apr 2022 | 0% | No data |
| May 2022 | 0% | No data |
| Jun 2022 | 0% | No data |
| Jul 2022 | 0% | No data |
| Aug 2022 | 0% | No data |
| Sep 2022 | 0% | No data |
| Oct 2022 | 0% | No data |
| Nov 2022 | 0% | No data |
| Dec 2022 | 0% | No data |
| Jan 2023 | 0.1% | No data |
| Feb 2023 | 0.1% | No data |
| Mar 2023 | 0.3% | No data |
| Apr 2023 | 0.6% | No data |
| May 2023 | 0.9% | No data |
| Jun 2023 | 1.1% | No data |
| Jul 2023 | 1.4% | No data |
| Aug 2023 | 1.5% | 0% |
| Sep 2023 | 1.8% | 0% |
| Oct 2023 | 2.1% | 0% |
| Nov 2023 | 2.5% | 0% |
| Dec 2023 | 2.9% | 0% |
| Jan 2024 | 3.3% | 0% |
| Feb 2024 | 3.7% | 0% |
| Mar 2024 | 4% | 0% |
| Apr 2024 | 4.2% | 0% |
| May 2024 | 4.3% | 0% |
| Jun 2024 | 4.5% | 0% |
| Jul 2024 | 4.6% | 0.1% |
| Aug 2024 | 4.7% | 0.1% |
| Sep 2024 | 4.8% | 0.1% |
| Oct 2024 | 4.9% | 0.1% |
| Nov 2024 | 4.9% | 0.1% |
| Dec 2024 | 4.9% | 0.1% |
| Jan 2025 | 4.8% | 0.1% |
| Feb 2025 | 4.8% | 0.1% |
| Mar 2025 | 4.8% | 0.1% |
| Apr 2025 | 4.9% | 0.2% |
| May 2025 | 5% | 0.2% |
| Jun 2025 | 5.1% | 0.2% |
| Jul 2025 | 5.1% | 0.2% |
| Aug 2025 | 5.2% | 0.2% |
| Sep 2025 | 5.3% | 0.2% |
| Oct 2025 | 5.4% | 0.2% |
| Nov 2025 | 5.4% | 0.2% |
| Dec 2025 | 5.5% | 0.2% |
| Jan 2026 | 5.6% | 0.2% |
| Feb 2026 | 5.6% | 0.2% |
| Mar 2026 | 5.6% | 0.3% |
| Apr 2026 | 5.5% | 0.3% |
| May 2026 | 5.4% | 0.3% |
| Jun 2026 | 5.5% | 0.3% |
| Jul 2026 | 5.5% | 0.3% |
| Aug 2026 | 5.5% | 0.3% |
| Sep 2026 | 5.7% | 0.3% |
| Oct 2026 | 5.9% | 0.3% |
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Spend rank vs payment-activity rank
How many companies pay for both ChatGPT and Perplexity?
of companies paying for Perplexity also pay for ChatGPT
Each figure is measured from that product’s own buyers across their full payment history, so the two percentages read in opposite directions. A high overlap means the tools are often bought together; a low one means companies tend to pick one.
Which stack does each tool live in?
ChatGPT
- Figma 72.7%
- LinkedIn 71.3%
- GitHub 70.9%
- Adobe 70.6%
- Anthropic 68.1%
Perplexity
- Anthropic 91.6%
- Figma 86%
- GitHub 84.6%
- LinkedIn 82.5%
- Adobe 79.7%
What the data shows for ChatGPT vs Perplexity
ChatGPT is the more popular of the two, ranking #2 as of October 2026, ahead of Perplexity at #42. Perplexity is closing the gap: it climbed 30 positions over the past year, while ChatGPT dropped 1 position. Over the past year, ChatGPT's share of all software purchases has risen from 5.36% to 5.94%, while Perplexity's has risen from 0.21% to 0.34%. ChatGPT also ranks higher by spend (#5 versus #158), so it leads on both how often companies buy it and how much they pay. By spend, ChatGPT takes 4.38% of all software spend and Perplexity 0.09%. 93.7% of companies paying for Perplexity also pay for ChatGPT, so for many teams this is not an either-or choice. For buyers, the rankings show which product the market is choosing and which has the momentum; pair that with a trial against your own workflows and budget to make the final call.
ChatGPT vs Perplexity: frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, ChatGPT or Perplexity?
ChatGPT is more popular: it ranks #2 in Cledara's software popularity ranking, ahead of Perplexity at #42 as of October 2026. The ranking counts every purchase and renewal over the last 12 months, so it reflects the tool companies keep paying for.
How have ChatGPT and Perplexity changed in popularity?
Perplexity has climbed 30 rank positions in the last 12 months, while ChatGPT dropped 1 position. That has narrowed the gap between Perplexity and the leader, ChatGPT.
Can you use ChatGPT and Perplexity together?
Yes, and many companies do: 93.7% of companies paying for Perplexity also pay for ChatGPT. For many teams the two are not an either-or choice.
Which is bigger by spend, ChatGPT or Perplexity?
ChatGPT ranks higher by spend: ChatGPT is #5 and Perplexity #158. The spend ranking orders every software product by how much companies pay for it over the last 12 months.
Is ChatGPT better than Perplexity for ai platforms use cases?
ChatGPT is the more popular choice (#2 against #42), and ChatGPT wins more of the budget by spend. Use that market signal to shortlist, then trial both against your own ai platforms workflows and budget.
How does your company compare?
This page shows the market. Cledara shows how your own software stack and spend compare, and helps you manage every subscription in one place.