ChatGPT Cites 3.7 Sources per Answer vs 20 for Perplexity

    A ChatGPT answer cites 3.7 sources on average, the fewest of five AI engines, while a Perplexity answer cites 20, more than five times as many. On ChatGPT, a website has to be one of a handful of sources to get cited at all.

    Average sources per answer by AI engine
    ChatGPT
    3.7
    Gemini
    4.3
    Google AI Mode
    6.7
    Google AI Overviews
    7.3
    Perplexity
    20

    Source: Suff Digital analysis of answers to 4,984 questions · answers from ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google's AI features, September 2026

    Answers with 10 or more sources by AI engine
    ChatGPT
    0.4%
    Gemini
    14.4%
    Google AI Mode
    30.4%
    Google AI Overviews
    17.7%
    Perplexity
    99.1%

    Source: Suff Digital analysis of answers to 4,984 questions · answers from ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google's AI features, September 2026

    Source: ChatGPT Cites 3.7 Sources per Answer vs 20 for Perplexity - Suff Digital