New API vs Perplexity AI
Side-by-side comparison · Updated October 2026
| Description | New API is a self-hosted AI gateway and model-management project maintained in the QuantumNous repository. It brings provider channels, access tokens, model restrictions, usage statistics and cost accounting into one interface. Teams supply their own authorized model-provider access and operate the gateway in their chosen environment. The gateway supports several API formats, including OpenAI-compatible requests, Claude Messages and Google Gemini. Compatibility has boundaries: the README marks Gemini-to-OpenAI conversion as text-only without function calling, and OpenAI-compatible to Responses conversion as in development. Test the exact endpoints, streaming behavior and tool calls your application uses before switching traffic. Routing features include weighted channel selection, automatic retry after failures and user-level model rate limits. The dashboard supports request-based, usage-based and cache-hit cost accounting, with token grouping and model-access controls. These controls can help organize usage, but retries and a common API format do not guarantee uninterrupted service or identical behavior across providers. The current repository license is AGPLv3. Docker Compose is the recommended quick-start path in the README, which also documents Docker commands with SQLite or MySQL. Running the software still involves infrastructure, operations and upstream model charges. Review the current license, secure your deployment and validate accounting against provider bills. Compare LiteLLM if you also want a Python SDK or a documented gateway for MCP servers and agents. | Perplexity is a search and research assistant that returns cited answers and offers free and Pro access. Pro is a strong fit when following current sources, comparing evidence, or working through research files is the main job. Its plan pages describe several allowances as weekly or monthly average use, so check the current account view instead of assuming a fixed quota. |
| Category | Developer Tools | AI Assistant |
| Rating | No reviews | No reviews |
| Pricing | Open Source | Freemium |
| Starting Price | N/A | Free |
| Plans | — |
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| Use Cases |
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| Tags | AI gatewayLLM routingmodel managementrate limitingusage accounting | advanced searchfree planpremium planimage uploadsmultiple languages |
| Features | ||
| Self-hosted AI gateway and model management | ||
| Provider channels, token groups and model restrictions | ||
| OpenAI-compatible, Claude Messages and Gemini format support | ||
| Documented limits on protocol conversion | ||
| Weighted channel selection and failure retries | ||
| User-level model rate limiting | ||
| Request, usage and cache-hit cost accounting | ||
| Docker Compose deployment documentation | ||
| Cited web search | ||
| Extended Pro Search | ||
| Research workflows | ||
| Advanced-model access | ||
| File and attachment analysis | ||
| Up to 50 files per project | ||
| Source verification still required | ||
| Separate API billing | ||
| View New API | View Perplexity AI | |
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