Perplexity: Sonar

Q: Is the Sonar API free for developers?

Sonar is free to integrate using the Puter.js AI API . With the User-Pays Model , you can add AI to your app for $0, since users cover their own AI usage through their Puter account.

perplexity/sonar

Try Sonar for free in your browser, and add it to your app for free with Puter.js AI API.

Try it free Add to your app

// npm install @heyputer/puter.js
import { puter } from '@heyputer/puter.js';

puter.ai.chat("Explain quantum computing in simple terms", {
    model: "perplexity/sonar"
}).then(response => {
    document.body.innerHTML = response.message.content;
});

<html>
<body>
    <script src="https://js.puter.com/v2/"></script>
    <script>
        puter.ai.chat("Explain quantum computing in simple terms", {
            model: "perplexity/sonar"
        }).then(response => {
            document.body.innerHTML = response.message.content;
        });
    </script>
</body>
</html>

Model Card

Sonar is Perplexity's lightweight, cost-effective search model built on Llama 3.3 70B, optimized for speed (1200 tokens/second) and quick factual queries. It provides real-time web search with grounding and citations, ideal for simple Q&A and straightforward integrations. Best for everyday use cases where fast, accurate answers are needed without complex reasoning.

Context Window 127K

tokens

Max Output 114K

tokens

Input Cost $1

per million tokens

Output Cost $1

per million tokens

Input text, image

modalities

Tool Use No

Release Date Jan 27, 2025

Try Sonar for free

Try Sonar instantly in your browser.
This playground uses the Puter.js AI API — no API keys or setup required.

Chat perplexity/sonar

Chat with Sonar

Benchmarks

How Sonar performs on standard evaluations.

Artificial Analysis

Intelligence Index

7.7

Better than 29% of tracked models

Benchmark	Score
GPQA Diamond Graduate-level science Q&A	47.1%
Humanity's Last Exam Cross-domain reasoning	4.9%
LiveCodeBench Recent coding problems	29.5%
MATH-500 Competition math	81.7%
AIME 2024 Advanced math exam	48.7%

Scores sourced from Artificial Analysis.

Find other Perplexity models →

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Sonar Pro Search

Sonar Pro Search is Perplexity's most advanced agentic search system, available exclusively via OpenRouter API, adding autonomous multi-step reasoning to Sonar Pro. Instead of single query+synthesis, it plans and executes entire research workflows using tools, making it ideal for deeper reasoning and analysis. This model powers Perplexity's Pro Search mode on their consumer platform.

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Sonar Deep Research

Sonar Deep Research is Perplexity's expert-level research model designed for exhaustive multi-step retrieval, synthesizing hundreds of sources into comprehensive reports. It autonomously searches, reads, and evaluates sources while refining its approach for in-depth analysis across domains like finance, technology, and health. Ideal for detailed market analyses, literature reviews, and projects requiring synthesis of multiple information sources.

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Sonar Pro

Sonar Pro is Perplexity's advanced search model with a 200K token context window, delivering 2x more citations and search results than standard Sonar for complex queries. It handles in-depth, multi-step queries with enhanced content understanding and supports longer, more nuanced follow-up conversations. Best for enterprise applications requiring deeper research and comprehensive source attribution.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I use Sonar?

You can access Sonar by Perplexity through Puter.js AI API. Include the library in your web app or Node.js project and start making calls with just a few lines of JavaScript — no backend and no configuration required. You can also use it with Python or cURL via Puter's OpenAI-compatible API.

Can I try Sonar for free?

Sonar is free to try with a Puter account. Every account includes a free AI allowance, and you can chat with it in the playground on this page. You can upgrade your account anytime for a larger allowance.

Is the Sonar API free for developers?

Sonar is free to integrate using the Puter.js AI API. With the User-Pays Model, you can add AI to your app for $0, since users cover their own AI usage through their Puter account.

What is the pricing for Sonar?

Sonar costs $1 per 1M input tokens and $1 per 1M output tokens.

	Price per 1M tokens
Input	$1
Output	$1

Who created Sonar?

Sonar was created by Perplexity and released on Jan 27, 2025.

What is the context window of Sonar?

Sonar supports a context window of 127K tokens. For reference, that is roughly equivalent to 254 pages of text.

What is the max output length of Sonar?

Sonar can generate up to 114K tokens in a single response.

What types of input can Sonar process?

Sonar accepts the following input types: text, image. It produces: text.

Does Sonar support tool use (function calling)?

No, Sonar does not currently support tool use (function calling).

How does Sonar perform on benchmarks?

Sonar scores 7.7 on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, outperforming 29% of tracked models.

Does it work with React / Vue / Vanilla JS / Node / etc.?

Yes — the Sonar API works with any JavaScript framework, Node.js, or plain HTML through Puter.js. Just include the library and start building. See the documentation for more details.

Add Sonar to your app for free

Developers can integrate Sonar for free using the Puter.js AI API.
With the User-Pays Model, each user covers their own AI usage instead of the developer.

Get started How pricing works