# How is ScholarIQ different from Perplexity?

Perplexity answers a question with web citations.

Site: https://www.perplexity.ai

## Where they differ

It is fast, and the citations are visible, when the question is general.

The sources are not a stable scholarly corpus, and there is no include or exclude. A literature review needs both.

| | ScholarIQ | Perplexity |
|---|---|---|
| Access | Free tier. No department contract. | Free tier, plus a paid plan. |
| Search | 470 million articles from OpenAlex, ORCID and PubMed. | Web search. |
| Answer | Plain language, each claim linked to a source. | A paragraph with links. |
| Screen | Named reviewer, time, rationale, source passage. | None. |

ScholarIQ is the better fit for A review a supervisor can check study by study.

Perplexity is the better fit for A quick answer with links, not a review.

## How is ScholarIQ different from Perplexity?

The sources are not a stable scholarly corpus, and there is no include or exclude. A literature review needs both.

## What does Perplexity do that ScholarIQ does not?

It is fast, and the citations are visible, when the question is general.

## Who should use which?

ScholarIQ is the better fit for A review a supervisor can check study by study. Perplexity is the better fit for A quick answer with links, not a review.

## Can I use ScholarIQ and Perplexity in the same review?

Yes. Keep Perplexity for Web search. Put the include or exclude in ScholarIQ. The record shows the named reviewer, the time, the rationale, and the source passage.

## Do I name Perplexity in the methods?

Yes, if you searched there. Also name ScholarIQ if the decision sits there. A reader must be able to open the same record.

## Can a student start without a university license?

ScholarIQ does not need a department contract. Perplexity: Free tier, plus a paid plan.

## What do I lose if I leave Perplexity?

It is fast, and the citations are visible, when the question is general.

## Does either tool write the review?

No. Perplexity returns A paragraph with links. ScholarIQ returns a cited answer. You write the sentence.

## Where is the decision record?

On the ScholarIQ record: named reviewer, timestamp, rationale, source passage. Perplexity: None.

## Can I upload a file from Perplexity?

Yes, if it is a citation file. You then see that file in the same queue as the OpenAlex results.

## Which tool do I open first?

Open Perplexity if you already have a list. Open ScholarIQ if you have a question and no file.

## Is the answer a substitute for the paper?

No. Open the citation. The passage is on the record so a second person can check the claim.

## What can a supervisor check?

The question, the search, each include or exclude, and the passage. You see the queue, the conflicts, and the agreement while the stage is still open.