Sonar vs Sonar Deep Research
Side-by-side API pricing comparison · Perplexity vs Perplexity
🏆
Sonar is 400% cheaper on blended cost ($1.00 vs $5.00/Mtok)
Sonar
by Perplexity
Current mid tierInput
$1.00/Mtok
Output
$1.00/Mtok
✓ Cheaper
| Blended avg | $1.00/Mtok |
|---|---|
| Context | 200K tokens |
| Modality | text |
| Parameters | Proprietary |
| Released | Feb 1, 2025 |
Sonar Deep Research
by Perplexity
Current reasoningInput
$2.00/Mtok
Output
$8.00/Mtok
| Blended avg | $5.00/Mtok |
|---|---|
| Context | 200K tokens |
| Modality | text |
| Parameters | Proprietary |
| Released | Apr 1, 2025 |
Cost at scale — 1M tokens (50/50 input/output)
| Volume | Sonar | Sonar Deep Research | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1M tokens | $1 | $5 | $4 (80%) |
| 10M tokens | $10 | $50 | $40 (80%) |
| 100M tokens | $100 | $500 | $400 (80%) |
| 1000M tokens | $1000 | $5000 | $4000 (80%) |
Summary
Sonar by Perplexity costs $1.00/Mtok input and $1.00/Mtok output, with a 200K-token context window. It supports text input.
Sonar Deep Research by Perplexity costs $2.00/Mtok input and $8.00/Mtok output, with a 200K-token context window. It supports text input.
On a blended cost basis, Sonar is 400% cheaper than Sonar Deep Research.
Note: Pricing is per million tokens. Actual costs vary with usage patterns, prompt caching, and batch discounts. Always verify against official provider pricing pages.