Perplexity is an AI search engine that answers questions using information from the web. Cue is a voice AI agent that understands your screen context to take action on your computer. While both use AI, they solve fundamentally different problems: finding information versus doing work.
Cue works in any application on your Mac or Windows PC. It can write code in your editor, create a presentation from a document, or organize files in your folders. Perplexity's actions are limited to web search and follow-up questions within its own interface.
Cue sees what you see. You can select text, reference an active app, or point to something on your screen, and Cue will understand the context. This allows it to perform tasks relevant to what you are currently doing, without you needing to copy and paste information.
Ask Cue to perform a sequence of actions, like 'summarize this report and email the summary to my team'. It can generate the text, open your email client, and draft the message for you. Perplexity provides information, but you must execute the tasks yourself.
With Cue, all your history is stored locally on your Mac, and screenshots are never uploaded to the cloud. This focus on privacy means you can use it with sensitive work documents. Perplexity, as a web-based service, processes your queries on its servers.
| Feature | Cue | Perplexity |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Function | Executes tasks on your computer | Answers questions from the web |
| Context Awareness | Understands screen, selected text, active app | Understands text queries |
| Works In | Any desktop app (Mac & Windows) | Web browser and mobile apps |
| File Management | Yes, can create, move, and edit files | No |
| Privacy | Local-first, screenshots never uploaded | Server-based query processing |
| Voice Dictation | Yes, in any app (20+ languages) | Yes, for search input |
| Free Plan | Unlimited dictation + 20 agent credits/day | Limited Pro searches per day |
| Activation | Fn key (agent) or Option key (dictation) | Open website or app |
They hear what you said.
Cue sees what you're doing.
And does the thing, in any app.
Yes, Cue can search the web to answer questions. However, its primary strength is using that information, or information on your screen, to take direct action on your computer. Perplexity's focus remains on providing the best possible answer from web sources.
Not exactly. Cue replaces the manual work that comes after you find information. You might use Perplexity for research, then use Cue to take that research and build a presentation, write a script, or draft an email based on it.
Cue is designed for developers. It can write code directly in your IDE, run scripts in your terminal, and interact with your local development environment. Perplexity can provide code snippets and explain concepts, but it cannot execute anything on your machine.
Cue is built with a local-first privacy model. Your history is stored on your device and screen context is not uploaded, making it suitable for use with confidential company data. Perplexity is a web service and processes your queries on its servers, which may be a concern for sensitive information.
No, Cue works out of the box with the applications you already use. It uses system-level accessibility and automation features to understand context and perform actions, so no special plugins are required.
If you need a powerful AI search engine for research, Perplexity is an excellent choice. If you want an AI assistant that understands your work and helps you get it done faster on your Mac or PC, Cue is the tool for you. Download Cue for free and start automating your work today.