Perplexity MCP Server 🔌 MCP server Freemium

What it is

The Perplexity MCP Server is Perplexity's official server for its API platform. It gives an assistant Perplexity's real-time web search and answer engines, from quick cited answers to longer research runs. It runs locally from npm or through Perplexity's hosted endpoint at api.perplexity.ai/mcp.

Key features

• perplexity_search: ranked web results via the Search API
• perplexity_ask: conversational answers with live search
• perplexity_research: deep research on a topic
• perplexity_reason: harder reasoning questions
• Proxy and timeout settings for corporate networks
• STDIO or HTTP mode

How to install

In Claude Code: claude mcp add perplexity --env PERPLEXITY_API_KEY="your_key_here" -- npx -y @perplexity-ai/mcp-server. The README has the same mcpServers block for Cursor, VS Code, Claude Desktop, Kiro and Windsurf, or use the hosted URL.

Pricing and rights

The server is free and MIT-licensed; calls are billed to your Perplexity API account. As of September 2026 the Search API costs $5 per 1,000 requests, and Sonar models charge per token plus a request fee. Perplexity's docs say Sonar Chat Completions is becoming the Agent API, with Sonar supported until 27 September 2026, so tool behaviour may change.

Who it is for

Writers and researchers who want sourced answers and research briefs with citations inside their assistant. It also works well for fact-checking claims in a draft before publishing.

Verdict

Good for cited briefs and quick fact-finding, from an official source. Every tool call costs money, and the API is mid-transition from Sonar to the Agent API, so expect changes.