Short answer: Perplexity Computer is a business AI agent. Perplexity's agent for end-to-end projects: it plans the work, picks the right model for each step, connects to hundreds of apps and hands back finished research, reports, dashboards and apps. Since 20 Oct 2026 it can also run fully on your Mac.
Perplexity Computer
Key facts
| Website | https://www.perplexity.ai/hub/blog/perplexity-computer-now-runs-fully-local-on-mac |
|---|---|
| Vendor | Perplexity |
| Channels / category | Web, iOS app, Perplexity desktop app for Mac and Windows (Personal Computer), Slack; fully local mode on supported Apple silicon Macs |
| Pricing / availability | Included in Perplexity Pro (USD 17/month billed annually, with weekly Computer usage) and Max (USD 167/month billed annually, 10,000 credits a month), plus Enterprise Pro and Enterprise Max. Extra credits: 100 credits = USD 1. Fully local tasks on Mac do not use Computer credits |
| Launched | 2026-02-26 |
| Funding (reported) | n/a (Perplexity product) |
| Channels confirmed | WebMobile appDesktop appSlack |
| From the site (verbatim) | Not available |
| Sources | [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] |
| Last checked | 2026-11-11 |
What can Perplexity Computer do?
- Launched 26 Feb 2026 for Max subscribers on the web; it breaks a project into steps, delegates to specialised agents and orchestrates work across 19 models source
- Opened to all Pro subscribers on web and iOS on 12 Mar 2026, along with Enterprise plans and Computer in Slack, which answers DMs and channel mentions and schedules recurring workflows source
- Personal Computer, the desktop app rebuilt around Computer, gives it local files, native apps, voice control and an always-on desktop experience on Mac and Windows source
- Hybrid Compute on Mac (1 Sep 2026) splits a task between cloud models and a local model; an on-device privacy gate can mask, keep local, refuse or ask before sensitive data leaves the Mac source
- Since 20 Oct 2026 Computer can run fully local on supported Apple silicon Macs: the model, agent, planning, reasoning and file processing stay on the device source
- Fully local mode works across Notes, Messages, Mail, Keynote and Numbers and launches with Qwen 3.6 or PPLX Pro, a post-trained version of Qwen; 36 GB of unified memory or more is recommended source
- Local tasks do not consume Computer credits; users can authorise escalation to the cloud for current information, browser use, connected apps or one of 15+ frontier models source
- Code and tool execution run in isolated sandbox environments with controlled access to files and connected apps source
- Pro: USD 17/month billed annually, with weekly Computer usage and a one-time 4,000-credit bonus; Max: USD 167/month billed annually with 10,000 credits a month source
- Credits cost USD 1 per 100; a multi-step research report typically uses 350 to 950 credits source
Frequently asked questions
What is Perplexity Computer?
Perplexity's agent for end-to-end projects: it plans the work, picks the right model for each step, connects to hundreds of apps and hands back finished research, reports, dashboards and apps. Since 20 Oct 2026 it can also run fully on your Mac.
How much does Perplexity Computer cost?
Included in Perplexity Pro (USD 17/month billed annually, with weekly Computer usage) and Max (USD 167/month billed annually, 10,000 credits a month), plus Enterprise Pro and Enterprise Max. Extra credits: 100 credits = USD 1. Fully local tasks on Mac do not use Computer credits
Where can you use Perplexity Computer?
Web, iOS app, Perplexity desktop app for Mac and Windows (Personal Computer), Slack; fully local mode on supported Apple silicon Macs
Compare Perplexity Computer
- Perplexity Computer vs Claude Cowork
- Perplexity Computer vs ChatGPT Work
- Local Code vs Perplexity Computer
- GAIA (MyHeritage) vs Perplexity Computer
- Aside vs Perplexity Computer
- Business vs personal agents
Related business agents
Always-on agents ('AI teammates') with their own cloud computer that sign into your tools and work across apps and inboxes.
Always-on agents powered by GPT-6 Astra, each with its own cloud computer, working towards your goals 24/7.
Agentic workspace for non-coding knowledge work: give it a goal and it works across your files and tools.
Use cases to try
Updated