OpenAI API vs Perplexity: who uses which
Customers, public proof and the companies that use both.
On usedby, 37 companies use OpenAI API and 26 use Perplexity. 1 company uses both, including Stripe. OpenAI API leads among the DevTools & Infrastructure companies on usedby that use either tool, Perplexity among the Fintech & Payments companies.Latest check Oct 18, 2026: 58 of 63 public lines checked. Counts include every proof level, job-post signals included. A company on both tools counts at any proof level, and a job post on one side is marked as such.
Who uses OpenAI API, Perplexity, or both
Every company with a public proof for at least one of the two tools.
36
use only OpenAI API
1
company uses both
25
use only Perplexity
36 companies use only OpenAI API, 25 use only Perplexity and 1 uses both, out of the 62 companies on usedby that use at least one of them.
Who uses both
Companies with a public line on both tools, at any proof level: the strongest proofs come first, and a job post is marked.
| Company | First public proof, OpenAI API | First public proof, Perplexity |
|---|---|---|
 Stripe | On or before Oct 2026 | On or before Sep 2026 |
By industry
Which tool the companies on usedby use, by industry. Shares of the companies on usedby that use OpenAI API, Perplexity or both: a share of the companies on usedby, not of the market.
OpenAI API onlyBothPerplexity only
More common with OpenAI API
- DevTools & Infrastructure6 of the 7 DevTools & Infrastructure companies on usedby that use either tool use OpenAI API.
- Artificial Intelligence4 of the 6 Artificial Intelligence companies on usedby that use either tool use OpenAI API.
More common with Perplexity
- Fintech & Payments5 of the 6 Fintech & Payments companies on usedby that use either tool use Perplexity, 1 of them alongside OpenAI API.
Source: every usedby line, from confirmed proofs to job-post signals (the weakest proof level).
Side by side
Facts from our data and from each vendor's public pages. Each line says where it comes from.
OpenAI APIPerplexityPricing, security and data residency are not checked yet. usedby adds them from each vendor's public pages, with the date of the check.
What customers report
Results as the vendor or the customer published them, with the source and the date.
OpenAI API
No reviewed story for OpenAI API yet.
Perplexity
now have a 100% adoption rate of Perplexity
IVP
Vendor case study, perplexity.ai, captured Oct 12, 2026
Cut 50% or more from manual research, document processing, and repetitive spreadsheet tasks
Bessemer Venture Partners
Vendor case study, perplexity.ai, captured Oct 12, 2026
Questions about OpenAI API and Perplexity
Which is used more, OpenAI API or Perplexity?
OpenAI API has more customers on usedby: 37 against 26 for Perplexity. OpenAI API leads among the DevTools & Infrastructure companies on usedby that use either tool, Perplexity among the Fintech & Payments companies.
Do companies use both OpenAI API and Perplexity?
Yes. 1 company uses both on usedby, including Stripe.
Who uses OpenAI API?
37 companies on usedby, each with the public page that shows it. See who uses OpenAI API.
Who uses Perplexity?
26 companies on usedby, each with the public page that shows it. See who uses Perplexity.
How does usedby count customers?
A company counts when a public page shows it: a vendor's customer page, a case study, a press release or a job post, most saved with a dated capture. Every line is a customer, at one of four proof levels: confirmed, declared by the company itself, observed or signal (a job post, the weakest). A company counts as using both tools when it has a line on each, at any level; the list shows the strongest proofs first and marks job posts.