perplexity

Perplexity: Sonar

This AI model, Sonar from Perplexity, handles text and image input modalities within a context length of 127,072 tokens. It does not support tools, reasoning, or structured output. For those seeking an affordable option with moderate benchmark performance, Sonar may be worth considering. With a price point of $1.0 per million input and output tokens, it is priced competitively. The model's blended benchmark score of 14.1 across one independent benchmark suggests it can hold its own in certain scenarios, although further evaluation is needed to determine its full capabilities.

Quality Score
74/100
price + capability + benchmarks
Input Price
$1.00
per 1M tokens · checked 2026-09-04
Output Price
$1.00
per 1M tokens · checked 2026-09-04
Context Window
127,072
tokens

Benchmark results

Independent, published benchmarks. Blended score 14.1 across 1 benchmark, last refreshed 2026-09-04. How scoring works →

BenchmarkMeasuresScore
AI Index broad capability composite 15.5
Model ID
perplexity/sonar
Vendor
perplexity
Released
January 2025
Tokenizer
Other
Input Modalities
text, image
Output Modalities
text
Max Output
114,364 tokens
Tool Calling
not supported
Structured Output
not supported
Reasoning Mode
not supported
Vision
✓ accepts images
Audio
no
Moderated
no

What it costs in practice

Computed from the current $1.00/M input and $1.00/M output rates. Run your own numbers →

JobTokensCost
Summarize a 50-page report 30k in / 1.5k out $0.03
Classify 1,000 customer emails 500k in / 50k out $0.55
A month of a busy support chatbot 5M in / 2M out $7.00

Similar models

Quick answers

How much does Perplexity: Sonar cost?
$1.00 per million input tokens and $1.00 per million output tokens.
What is Perplexity: Sonar's context window?
127,072 tokens, roughly 190 pages of text in a single request.
Can Perplexity: Sonar process images?
Yes, it accepts image input.