Get started with AI: research with Perplexity

Answers with clickable sources instead of made-up facts – that's Perplexity's thing. You'll be up and running in ten minutes, without even needing an account.

By Morgan Wigge · Published 2026-07-14 · 1 min read

Short answer: Perplexity is an AI search engine that answers with source references you can check. Start free at perplexity.ai, ask questions in Swedish, and always click the sources. Do not enter customer data; data is stored in the US.

If ChatGPT sometimes “makes things up”, Perplexity is the opposite: it searches the web and answers with sources you can click. That makes it an excellent first tool for research in a small company.

Get started

Rocket taking off: get started

Go to perplexity.ai. You don’t need an account to try it.
Write your question in Swedish, just as you would ask a knowledgeable colleague.
Read the answer and click the source references to verify.

Five things to use it for

Market research: “Who are the biggest competitors to X in Sweden?”
Fact-checking: “What does the Accounting Act say about saving receipts?”
Supplier comparison: “Compare price and features for tools A and B.”
Summaries: paste in a long report and ask for the most important points.
Regulatory check: “What does NIS2 mean for a small IT company?” (but always verify against the authority).

Tips

Check the sources. Perplexity is good, but not infallible. The source references are there so you can double-check.
Be specific. “best CRM” gives worse answers than “cheap CRM for one-person businesses with Swedish support”.
Sensitive? Perplexity stores data in the US. Do not enter customer data. If you want research within the EU, Mistral is a European alternative.

The free tier covers a lot, and for most small businesses it is the whole need. Upgrade to Pro only when research has become a daily habit and the free tier starts getting in the way. And the day your questions start touching customers or sensitive data, the answer is not a Pro account but a tool switch: Mistral keeps your research queries within the EU.

Tools mentioned

Perplexity

Perplexity AI

4,0 Very good

Best for research

Outside EU Research Freemium

AI search engine that answers with source references, research you can verify.

Every answer comes with clear source references
Answers are built on fresh information from the web

Perplexity stores and processes data in the USA

Best for: Quick research with sources you can trust.

Read review → Details

Mistral (Le Chat)

Mistral AI

3,8 Good

European

EU/EEA Writing Freemium ISO 27001

France's answer to ChatGPT: the AI chat Le Chat from Mistral AI in Paris, one of the few European models in the top class. Data is stored within the EU, with a GDPR data processing addendum and certifications for SOC 2 Type II as well as ISO 27001 and 27701. A free tier is available to start with.

European model in the top class, developed by Mistral AI in Paris.
Data storage within the EU, with a GDPR processing addendum and certifications for SOC 2 Type II as well as ISO 27001/27701.

Does not quite reach the level of the largest American models.

Best for: A Swedish consultant or agency that wants a powerful AI chat for quotes and emails without handing data to an American provider.