Compare AI tools

	Perplexity S	Sudowrite S	Cursor S	Fathom S
Tagline	AI search done right. Cited answers, not chat theater.	AI writing tool built specifically for fiction writers.	VS Code fork that made AI coding actually work.	Meeting notes, free forever for individuals.
Category	Research	Writing	Coding	Meetings
Pricing	Free + $20/mo Pro	$19-$59/mo	Free + $20/mo Pro + $40/mo Business	Free for individuals + $15-$29/user/mo teams
Best for	Replacing Google for any question where you want a cited answer in seconds.	Novelists, screenwriters, fiction short-form writers.	Developers. Non-developers who want to ship working code.	Solo operators, freelancers, small teams on a budget.
Strengths	Sources every claim Fast, current answers Pro Search runs multi-step research Spaces for persistent context	Brainstorm, expand, rewrite modes designed for fiction Story Bible for character + plot tracking Understands voice + tone better than generic chatbots	Tab completion feels like mind-reading Composer for multi-file edits Runs Claude, GPT, Gemini — you pick	Unlimited free tier for solo use Strong summaries + action items Works in Zoom, Meet, Teams
Weaknesses	Not a general chatbot Answers can be shallow on complex topics	Pricey for casual use Fiction-only focus — not for business writing	Can feel overwhelming for non-coders Expensive at scale	Bot-joining model Team features gated
Kai's verdict	S-tier for search. I use it before Google now. If you're still Googling everything, try this for a week.	S-tier for fiction. If you're writing a novel, this beats raw ChatGPT every time.	S-tier for coding. If you write code of any kind, this pays back the $20 in a day.	S-tier for solo + free. The best free option, hands down.
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