Editorial illustration for Perplexity abandons ads as investors once eyed billions of users
Perplexity Ditches Ads, Bets Big on AI Trust Model
Perplexity abandons ads as investors once eyed billions of users
The dream was a Google killer. The reality, according to third-party analytics firm Similarweb, is a search engine with fewer monthly users than the subreddit dedicated to Phoenix, Arizona.
But there may be other reasons Perplexity is not pursuing advertising. Early investors in Perplexity once believed the startup could reach hundreds of millions or even billions of users, but the startup's growth hasn't met expectations, according to a source close to the company. When the startup raised its Series B funding in 2024, board member and investor Cack Wilhelm said in a blog post that Perplexity was "capable of bringing the power of AI to billions." Two years later, that goal still seems a long way off. Data from the third-party analytics firm Similarweb suggests Perplexity had just over 60 million monthly active users across its website and mobile app in January.
So the ads are gone. That isn’t a tweak. Abandoning an advertising playbook, which demanded colossal scale, is a surrender.
You cannot build an ad business for the 60 million users Similarweb tracked—an audience that never materialized. It’s pragmatic. It’s also a quiet admission: the world-eating narrative sold to investors like Cack Wilhelm has officially expired.
This leaves Perplexity in a strange limbo. It’s not a niche tool. Yet it’s nowhere near the mainstream giant its backers envisioned.
It survives on a scale that makes those early boasts sound faintly ridiculous. Now, with just those 60 million users, the company has to figure out what it actually is.
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Common Questions Answered
Why did Perplexity decide to abandon its advertising strategy?
[heise.de](https://www.heise.de/en/news/Fear-of-losing-trust-Perplexity-dispenses-with-advertising-11181767.html) reports that Perplexity is concerned about losing user trust through advertising. Company executives believe that ads could make users doubt the accuracy and neutrality of AI responses, potentially undermining the core value of their product.
How is Perplexity planning to generate revenue without advertising?
Perplexity is focusing exclusively on subscription-based models, offering paid services ranging from $20 to $200 per month. [opentools.ai](https://opentools.ai/news/perplexity-ai-waves-goodbye-to-ads-betting-big-on-user-trust) indicates that the company aims to generate annual recurring revenue between $150-200 million through these subscription tiers.
What were the initial expectations for Perplexity's user growth compared to current reality?
Early investors believed Perplexity could reach billions of users, with board member Cack Wilhelm previously stating the startup was "capable of bringing the power of AI to billions." However, the company's growth has not met these initial expectations, suggesting a more measured expansion trajectory than originally anticipated.
Further Reading
- Perplexity Abandons AI Advertising Strategy Over Trust Worries — MacRumors
- Perplexity says it's moving away from ads and betting on subscriptions — Business Insider
- Perplexity stops testing advertising — Search Engine Land
- Perplexity AI Drops Ads, Focuses on Subscriptions — TrustFinance
