The short answer
Use Perplexity when the answer is the deliverable: type a question, get a sourced paragraph, follow up.
Use Smalt when research is the first step of a job. Research the account, then write the call brief. Compare three vendors, then put the comparison in a sheet for the ops meeting. Scan competitors’ launches, then turn them into Friday’s review deck.
Where Perplexity is the right tool
Fast, sourced answers. The interface is built for it, and when you will write the synthesis yourself, the citations are the point. It is an excellent way to get oriented on a market, a company or a topic in a few minutes.
Where Smalt is the right tool
Smalt writes research up as a brief with every claim linked to its source, and anything it could not confirm marked as open rather than guessed. Then it keeps going: the brief becomes a deck, a spreadsheet, or a set of drafted emails to the people it found. Plans are credit-based: a Free tier with 500 credits and no card, and paid plans from USD 18 a month.
Honest caveats
- For a quick sourced answer, Perplexity is faster.
- Smalt’s research comes back structured. If all you need is a paragraph, say so and it will keep it short.
500 free credits, no credit card. Try Smalt AI on a real workflow and see for yourself.